WJEC Example Shakespeare English Literature GCSE A* Paper

Task

Look at the way conflict is investigated in Romeo and Juliet and in poems chosen from the selection.

Throughout Shakespeare's play 'Romeo and Juliet', one of the main themes is conflict and conflict gradually escalates as the play reaches its tragic climax.

From the start of the play, in the prologue, we are told of the futility of conflict as suggested by ‘ancient grudge’. The word 'ancient' suggests that the 'grudge' started long ago, meaning the real reason for it is long since forgotten, and therefore, the 'grudge' is petty though the resulting conflict is not. Additionally, the word 'grudge' suggests the consequences of the conflict are long lasting.

We are also told how contagious conflict and the 'ancient grudge' can be, ‘civil blood makes civil hands unclean’. The choice of the word 'civil' shows that the 'grudge' has gone beyond private and spread into society, highlighting how infectious it can be. Moreover, the word 'blood' implies death, proving the dangerous consequences of conflict both physically and mentally. Furthermore, the word ‘unclean’ reminds the audience of blood stains which yet again remind us of the deadly consequences of conflict, and also the long term effects of conflict, like the scars and the lingering guilt.

The prologue inevitably ends with a Shakespearean rhyming couplet just as the tragedy will always end in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, 'Death-marks of love'. The juxtaposition of the words 'death' and 'love', shows Shakespeare's beliefs that love isn't just a sweet thing, but also a deadly one.

At the start of Act 3 scene 1, we are informed that it's set in a public place and are immediately reminded of the Prince's warning, 'if ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace'. This immediately creates a tense atmosphere as the audience anticipate conflict. Throughout the play, the Prince is used as a voice of reason.

The first character to speak is Benvolio. His name is derived from the word ‘benevolent’, so it is not surprising his character acts in the role of the peacemaker. Nevertheless, this creates further tension, as when he gives a warning, it’s normally because conflict is approaching: 'let's retire: The day is hot... these hot days is the mad blood stirring'. This use reflects some beliefs in Shakespeare's time, that when the days were hot, people would get hot headed, becoming animalistic and slipping down the hierarchy of being. This mirrors Shakespeare's beliefs that conflict is degrading. The use of personification creates a number of effects. Firstly, the word 'mad' further highlights the beliefs that when it was hot, you could lose your mind. Additionally, it suggests how insane conflict is and how 'mad' it is to shed blood because of a petty grudge. It also suggests loss of control, of both mind and body, showing how easy it is to get carried away by conflict.

The word 'stirring' suggests something being awoken and gradually made worse, therefore indicating that dangerous conflict is on its way.

When Tybalt arrives, the atmosphere immediately changes, becoming much tenser, because of his dangerous reputation, yet he remains polite to Mercutio as Mercutio is not his real target. Mercutio's name is derived from the word ‘mercury’, a fiery unpredictable element, mirroring Mercutio's fiery unpredictable personality, "by my heel I care not." The line shows how Mercutio acts with his heart, making him a loveable character but his personality is conflicting to that of Benvolio's, "by my head."

When Mercutio is stabbed, he is outraged that it's the result of such a petty 'grudge' and comments 'a plague a' both houses'. The word 'plague’ links to the infectious and long lasting effects of conflict. It also shows that Mercutio wants their suffering to be long and painful, just like the 'ancient grudge' and relates to how deadly something so petty can be. The word 'both' shows that Mercutio blames the grudge for his death and wants all involved to suffer, linking to the inevitability of the tragedy and Romeo and Juliet's deaths.

We are informed once more of this inevitability, 'this day’s black fate on more days doth depend; this but begins woe others must end'. The rhyming couplet inevitably suggests importance, highlighting how pivotal this scene is. Moreover, the word ‘black’ is pessimistic, highlighting the negative effects of conflict. It also suggests the Black Death, a deadly, fearful, and contagious plague linking to how scary and fatal conflict is, as well as how fast it spreads. Additionally, the words 'black fate' show the inevitability of death, and the pessimistic word 'black' shows what a bad thing conflict is to have to die for.

Mercutio's death makes the audience want revenge, as Mercutio was the most 'alive' character. This displays how easy it is for a conflict so petty to become so dangerous. Romeo is banished and narrowly escapes a death sentence. The conflict, based as it is on a flimsy and forgotten pretext, has ruined many lives and resulted in two deaths. Shakespeare seems to suggest that the characters’ narrow-minded and childish desire for revenge leads to conflict out of all proportion to the reason for it.

Wilfred Owen in his poem ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ conveys the futility of conflict on a bigger scale. He was writing during the First World War and had direct experience of the terrible suffering of the troops in the front line. He begins his poems with a comment on the soldiers returning from battle who look ‘like old beggars under sacks.’ The word ‘old’ portrays the fact that even though the people who signed up to become soldiers were young, they experienced enough to last them a life time and their youth was swiftly stolen from them unfairly. Moreover, the simile uses the word, ‘beggars’, showing how even though men signed up believing they would gain honour and glory, they lost their lives, in very unheroic surroundings and miserable ways, therefore making them poor like beggars. Additionally, the word also shows how desperate the men were, initially for glory, but in the end just to survive.

The word ‘under’ suggests being weighed down, as a result indicating, both the physical and psychological burdens conflict can bring. It also suggests how overwhelming the experience must have been, and suggests being dragged down - possibly with the guilt conflict brings.

Similarly, in Owen's poem, ‘The Send Off’ we are told of the negativity of conflict. The men go to battle ‘Down the close darkening lanes’. The words ‘down’ and ‘darkening’ are pessimistic and create a gloomy atmosphere. Additionally, they suggest the effects of conflict worsening and becoming more and more serious. It also creates a sense of the inevitability of death as a consequence of war and conflict as the words suggest that the men are going into night, perhaps a permanent one.

Throughout ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ we are also told of the serious effects of conflict: ‘all went lame; all blind’. The repetition of the word ‘all’ shows the inevitability that everyone involved in conflict will feel its consequences. More over, the word 'all' demonstrates how throughout the traumas of conflict and war, the men were united, creating a poignant comment on their likely fate.

The iambic pentameter highlights the unity, and orderly conduct of the men as it creates a rhythm similar to that of men marching obediently. However, it also shows their lack of independence and how the soldiers rely on each other, and follow orders without question.

In the second stanza, the iambic pentameter breaks, creating a sense of disorder and chaos: ‘Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!’. The use of caesura, along with varied punctuation highlights the panic and breakdown of order. Repetition of the word, ‘Gas!’ emphasises how serious and deadly war can be. This is a danger which must be taken seriously. Moreover, the word, ‘Quick’ creates an even greater sense of urgency, and the word ‘boys’ emphasises how tragic it is for such young people to be put in the fatal situations conflict leads to. It additionally links back to the word, ‘old’, showing how wasteful conflict can be. The word ‘boys’ also indicates the innocence of youth and the way they obey orders without question.

Similarly, we are told of the scarring effects of the conflict, ‘incurable sores on innocent tongues’. Again we are informed of youth's innocence, as well as the terrible effect conflict and war can have, both psychologically and physically, indicating the tragic wastefulness of the situation.

Again, in ‘The Send Off’, we are told of youth's innocence, ‘breasts were stuck all white’. The colour ‘white’ indicates purity and innocence and the soldiers’ innocent acceptance of their fate, as well as their ignorance of war and conflict's consequences.

In ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’, we are also told of the unimaginable experience of war and conflict, ‘in all my dreams... guttering, choking, drowning.’ The words ‘all’ and ‘my’, link back to the fact that conflict is unforgettable and at times unavoidable. Moreover, the word ‘my’ shows how unimaginable the consequences of conflict are. Not only does the poor soldier suffer awfully, the writer is scarred by the experience. The wounds are not just visible; they scar the soul too.

The emotive words, ‘guttering, choking, drowning’, are very vivid and encourage people to imagine what the experience must have been like. Further onomatopoeia, ‘gargling’, helps to add emphasis on how vivid Owen's nightmares about war are.

Owen uses imagery in the form of metaphors and similes in an attempt to portray how ghastly and disgusting war is: ‘floundering like a man in fire or lime’. The word ‘floundering’ creates images of drowning, therefore demonstrating how helpless the men were and how overwhelming and powerful, as well as brutal, war can be. Additionally, the word ‘lime’ refers to lime gas demonstrating the deadly seriousness of conflict, as well as the inevitability that if you're unprepared you'll die. There are no second chances.

The word ‘lime’ could also suggest the fruit lime and the fact that lime is sour, the opposite of 'sweet' and the fact that soldiers signed up for glory but received the opposite - death. Moreover, it could also indicate the fact that the war was anything but 'sweet' and happy. Also, limes are acidic showing the fact that conflict burns and eats away at you.

Conflict's sourness is further indicated by the use of ‘the old lie’, ‘Dulce et Decorum est pro patria mori’. Here Owen points out to those who have no experience of the realities of the war believe that it is right and proper to die for one’s country but we should never pretend that it is ‘sweet’. As he has described, death in wartime is likely to be ugly, cruel and painful and that those who by some miracle survive will live with the appalling images in their minds forever.

In these poems and others in the selection, the writers give a very negative impression of conflict and suggest that it rarely brings anything but misery to those involved.

Although 'Romeo and Juliet' differs in form to the poems, they all share some common ground in that they are all concerned with the unpleasant side of conflict.

In both 'Romeo and Juliet', as well as Rupert Brooke's poem 'The Soldier', the characters appear to believe that conflict is honourable. In that poem the word ‘richer,’ indicates the glorious rewards of conflict. Throughout 'Romeo and Juliet', characters like Tybalt and Mercutio, the main trouble makers, believe that they should fight to remain honourable and to prove their masculinity, thus they are depicted in the play as noblemen. However, Shakespeare appears to challenge this belief, as, by the end of the play, the main catalysts of conflict are dead, proving the futility and pettiness of feud.

Likewise, the use of first person narrative in ‘The Soldier’, engages the audience, depicting Brooke's patriotic beliefs, ‘a body of England's’, and as a result showing that Brooke believes that he owes his life to his country. Moreover, the fact that Brooke wrote ‘The Soldier’ at the beginning of the war, indicates how strongly influenced people were by propaganda at the time, ‘it is sweet and right to die for your country’, proving that people thought that conflict and war was going to be glorious. After reading Owen’s poems, Brooke could be accused of naivety.

In contrast, Wilfred Owen's poem, ‘Dulce et Decorum Est,’ was written towards the end of the First world, displaying the fact that conflict is the complete opposite of ‘sweet’ and ‘right’, instead suggesting that it is bitter and acidic, eating away at you and having a scarring affect. We know this as in the poem it says, ‘you would not tell with such high zest’. This displays how dangerous and unspeakable the consequences of conflict are. There is also a sense of accusation here which reinforces his bitterness. The word ‘you’ seems to encompass all those who have no direct experience of the fighting.

We are also told of conflict's serious consequences, ‘froth corrupted lungs’, displaying how tainted and dark conflict is and how it plays with your mind making you think that you're being honourable when you are not. Furthermore, the pairing of ‘corrupted lungs’ indicates conflict’s damaging affects both internally and externally, in body and mind. In addition, it also shows how conflict makes you vulnerable and less independent, as well as how deadly it is, as without our organs we could not survive.

Similarly, in 'Romeo and Juliet', we are told of how damaging and ‘vile’ conflict is. Using the word ‘vile’ displays how disgusting Shakespeare believed conflict to be and demonstrates how infectious conflict is. We are also told of this contagiousness when Mercutio realises that he is about to die, "a plague a' both your houses", therefore acting as a reminder of the black death, and Mercutio's disbelief that a conflict so petty, could swiftly become a conflict so deadly. Furthermore, ‘a' both’ shows that Mercutio blames the grudge itself, more than the people involved in the conflict. This is surprising as Mercutio was one of the characters that initially believed conflict noble and honourable, showing how truly deceitful conflict is.

Likewise, in Tennyson's poem, ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, at the very end we are told of his beliefs on conflict and war, "honour the Light Brigade". This suggests that Tennyson believes that the men who fight are brave and noble but that the ‘blunder’, which caused their horrific deaths, was the result of a misguided understanding of the word ‘honour’.

In ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, Tennyson repeats the word 'hell', further highlighting conflict's deadly consequences and, therefore, its futility. It also indicates that conflict isn't rewarding to those who engage in it but instead ultimately futile, an idea Owen investigates in a poem not in the Collection called ‘Futility’.

Brooke in his poem uses a different kind of imagery. Here he does not stress the awfulness of the war scene but instead writes about ‘flowers’, ‘dreams’ and a rural dream world of ‘ways to roam’. He also tells us how patriotic he believes conflict to be, indicating his beliefs that sometimes conflict is the key to peace, and that you have to make sacrifices for the 'greater good', and in order to achieve your ‘dreams’. This would be unlikely to impress Owen with his more realistic picture of death on the battlefield.

In ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, the inevitability of conflict is hinted at from the very start of the poem, ‘all in the valley of death’. The fact this line is situated towards the beginning of the poem, illustrates the fact that the men are already destined to die. Moreover, the word ‘all’ shows how no one can escape the death that conflict brings, and the word ‘in’ demonstrates how in a way the men are already dead, yet they're noble as they continue fighting despite their helplessness.

Similarly, in the Prologue of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, we are told that Romeo and Juliet are destined to die, ‘star-cross'd.’ The phrase indicates that Romeo and Juliet’s destinies are mapped out in the stars and are unavoidable. This links clearly with most of the poetry mentioned where inevitability and fate lead the soldiers to a similar terrible conclusion.

Moreover, the word ‘cross'd’ could also have a reference to biblical teaching, as in Christianity, it is believed that Jesus was crucified as a sacrifice for the ‘greater good’. Correspondingly, at the end of 'Romeo and Juliet', Capulet uses the word 'sacrifices', which further demonstrates the fact that Romeo and Juliet's deaths were a sad necessity in order to end the conflict.

In 'Romeo and Juliet', we are also informed that conflict is animalistic and degrading, as Mercutio says, ‘a cat, to scratch a man to death’. The word ‘cat’ demonstrates how those involved in conflict slip down the hierarchy of being, which is shocking for the audience as Mercutio was one of the initiators of conflict, demonstrating how truly dishonourable conflict can be. Moreover, the ironic word Mercutio uses about his injury, ‘scratch’, stresses the fact that such petty conflict can have such serious consequences.

In contrast, throughout 'The Soldier', Brooke reveals his beliefs that conflict is glorious and rewarding, ‘hearts at peace under an English heaven’. These words demonstrate Brooke's belief that in order to get to heaven you must first prove your bravery and masculinity, through conflict and appropriate conduct within it.

In Shakespeare's play, 'Romeo and Juliet', throughout the orderly iambic pentameter, there are numerous scenes of conflict, demonstrating how conflict may seem ordered and noble at times but really it's manic and dishonourable.

Most of the pieces of literature that I have studied are similar in that they depict conflict as futile and dishonourable. Even 'The Soldier' has a melancholy tone despite Brooke's claims that conflict is glorious, indicating that deep down, at some level, we are all aware of conflict's inevitable, deadly consequences.