Role of Mistakes in Shakespeare's Plays

Examination Questions on Romeo and Juliet

Question: Do the tragic events of the drama, as of human life, frequently result from mistakes, negligence, unforeseen or uncontrollable events?

Answer: Yes. Desdemona unwittingly drops a handkerchief; Wolsey carelessly puts in the packet sent the King a paper which contains the account of all that world of wealth he had drawn together for his own ends; Gertrude by mistake drinks the poison intended for Hamlet; Hamlet, in scuffling, unknowingly obtains Laertes' rapier; Edmund's messenger arrives too late to save Cordelia; Friar John seeking a barefoot brother in Verona to accompany him to Mantua, is imprisoned in a house the doors of which are sealed up by the searchers of the town; Friar Laurence arrives at the tomb too late to save Romeo and Juliet. From such accidental causes result the most tragic consequences.

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How to cite this article:
Fleming, William H. How to Study Shakespeare. New York: Doubleday and Co., 1898. Shakespeare Online. 10 Aug. 2010. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/romeoandjuliet/questions/tragicevents.html >.

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