17danielh

Romeo and Juliet Art analysis

The play Romeo and Juliet is a play written by Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet consistently explores the themes of love contrasting with death and the overall theme of fate. I have chosen one piece of art inspired by Romeo and Juliet to help understand what the piece of art represents. Reaper Death Love and Death, Newly Weds By Hans Thoma (1896) is an oil painting directly inspired by Romeo and Juliet.

The way Hans uses ideas from Romeo and Juliet are split up into two sections; Literal interpretations, and deeper overall themes. Literally, Hans uses visual paintings of Romeo, Juliet, Cupid, the Grim reaper, and the chapel to express the story of Romeo and Juliet in one image. Firstly, on the left we see a clearly painted image of the chapel both Romeo and Juliet die inside of, A representation from the story of Romeo and Juliet. The power of the Chapel in Romeo and Juliet is the highest order of authority, this is because of the strict laws the Prince sets out for the people and also because Friar Lawrence is the wise man who can give advice to anyone Even proving to be the middle man in the tragic fate of Romeo and Juliet. The next thing that stands out in the painting is of Romeo and Juliet themselves. Other than being a direct representation, it looks as if Romeo is looking at us as he holds the poisons plant, as if knowing their fate. "Being tasted stays all senses with the heart," "Two such opposed kings encamp them still." "In man as well as herbs - grace and rude will." "And where the worser is predominant," "For soon the canker death eats up that plant" (Act 2 Scene 2 Line 23-26, Friar Lawrence) Friar Lawrence he talks about how a plant has a poisons side and a healing side, and when sniffed it can cheer each part of the soul, but if eaten it will stop all the senses by stopping the heart. This quote also represents fate in the way that it relates to the overall outcome of the two lovers journey. This could also be why it looks as though Juliet is sniffing the plant in the painting. This part of the piece of art is possibly a part that Hans wanted to be both visual and also have a deeper meaning. Other than Visual and direct interpretations, Hans has used the overall theme of love versus hate and the idea of fate. We see this by the way he has painted the Grim reaper fighting Cupid Love versus hate. This it really brings out that the art work has a strong connection to Romeo and Juliet because everything in the Painting relates to the story line or the overall theme.

17danielh Overall I feel Hans has created a piece of art that communicates and relates to Romeo and Juliet effectively. He has shown simplistic and complex understanding of Romeo and Juliet and has shown it in piece of art through visual and deeper overall themes. In my opinion his artwork can be so easily associated with the play of Roneo and Juliet because like Romeo and Juliet his picture has a clear outer meaning, a simplistic story that anyone can understand. The one thing that I enjoyed reading and understanding was how the Shakespeare used this deeper meaning throughout Romeo, and then seeing Hans took that and applied that to his own piece of artwork. This all is reasoning and evidence of why Romeo and Juliet still has a timeless effect on modern ideas, artwork, and stories. I feel that in Romeo and Juliet we as readers think of it as a cereal situation that they are in, the forces of fate. Maybe the reason Romeo and Juliet still influences us today could be that we as humans like to think as if we can be a part of something that is not in our world, things that seem impossible to us. This reasoning I feel Hans captured and expressed through the grim reaper and cupid because they are really not real things in life. Fate only influences you if you acknowledge it. Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare in a play that still influences us today because of its concept, its use of juxtaposition, and its way of expressing a simplistic and deeper meaning. Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whole misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children's end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.