Epstein 1

Griffin Epstein
OConnor
1st Honors English 9
27 May 2016
Shakespeare and Democracy
In human life law is one of the most important is one of the most important aspects. The
law decides how we talk, make a living, act, and almost every single other aspect of life. In the
script of the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare written and performed in
Elizabethan times, law and order is a common theme. Throughout, the characters make their
lives from following the law or avoiding the law. Shakespeare gives the reader thoughts about
law and order even being effective effective by some of the characters comments as the play
closes. Lastly, the aspect of law and order that affects the lives of the characters is completely
different the way law affects us now. Are we better of now in regards to our way of governing
and lawmaking or was there a positive aspect to the laws back then?
Law and order, just as today, affected every single person in some way or another.
However the laws back then were simpler in the city of Verona than they are now. The people of
Verona were governed by the princes law and whatever he decided they must follow. The
powerful families of Montague and Capulet became almost making their own unofficial laws as
they were so powerful but the prince could always have the last word. If ever you disturb our
streets again. Your lives shall pay the forfeit of your peace, (Shakespeare Act 1 Scene 1 Lines
88-89) was shouted by the prince as he commanded the Montagues and the Capulets to stop their
fighting and warned that if they ever fought in the streets of Verona again they would be killed.
This rant by the prince is provided early for the reader who get an idea of how the law is

Epstein 2
affecting the people of Verona by more specifically the main characters of Romeo and Juliet.
However this new law made by the prince does not prove to be an effective way to stop trouble.
As the play of Romeo and Juliet come to a close the prince is left to ponder his mistakes
as he now presides over a city where 6 young people and an additional older woman lie dead as a
result of a sequence of tragedies. The reader gets the idea Shakespeare does not find Veronas
law and order effective as the fine and heroic princes leadership laws, and ordering do not save
the hate of the Montagues and Capulets from boiling over. See what scourge is laid down by
your hate, that heaven finds means to kill your joys with love , and I for winking at your discords
to have lost of a brace of kinsmen. All are punished, (Shakespeare Act 5 Scene 3 Lines 292295) is the prince conversing with Lord Capulet and Lord Montague as they reminisce and think
over the tragedies that have defined Verona for the last couple days. The prince admits he is
somewhat to blame and his legacy will be hurt for at times batting an eye with the growing
problem of the Capulets and Montagues that would only let hate foster between the two families
and never love. The failure of law further devops Shakespeare's thoughts and ideas of law.
All the evidence from Romeo and Juliet tells us that Shakespeare was no fan of laws and
order back then. Capulet and Montague would often ignore the prince's rules and do as they
pleased because they were powerful enough. Than when they actually followed some of the
princes rules they were not happy, eventually broke them, or more often tried to hide from the
laws as if they dont exist in. Even in Mantua a nearby city to Verona and possibly closer to a
democracy than Verona the laws and the government agency turn out becoming a major factor in
the plot. Suspecting that we both were in a house where the infectious pestilence did reign.
Sealed up the doors and would not let us forth, (Shakespeare Act 5 Scene 2 Lines 10-12) Friar
Lawrence was told by Friar John. Friar John was trying to deliver a message to Romeo in

Epstein 3
Mantua from Friar Lawrence that detailed their plan to let Romeo and Juliet get back together.
Romeo, a Montague, had been exiled by the prince after killing a Capulet, Tybalt, he than fled to
Mantua and now had devised a plan with Friar Lawrence. The letter was never received by
Romeo because of the Mantua health agency being worried about Friar John or another
messenger spreading disease and because of this law along with the princes exile of Romeo cost
Juliet and Romeo their lives. That the main tragedy of Shakespeares script was caused by two
ineffectual laws shows Shakespeare's negative feelings on the law. That begs the question has the
effectiveness of the law improved.
How much law should we have and what should it consist of is a constantly asked
question in our society today. In Elizabethan time the law was often made when someone wanted
to make it and not considered by a wide variety of people. This did not provide a fair opportunity
for people because the laws didn't benefit or even involve the people that it was impacting.
Romeo echoed this in a conversation with an apothecary: The world is not thy friend, nor the
worlds law; The world affords no law to make thee rich; Then be not poor, but break it and take
this. (Shakespeare Act 5 Scene 1 Lines 72-74) That amazing and undervalued quote by Romeo
exhibits the attitude that today will improve the law. He is saying to the extremely poor
apothecary who does not want to sell him an illegal drug whose consequence in Mantua for
breaking that law is death is a revolutionary stance on law making and government that could be
used more in our society today. He says The world is for the rich which makes the laws yet the
world should not make the laws ]that only let some people get rich. Romeo goes on to tell the
apothecary since you are so poor don't let the laws that hurt that you cannot control affect you.
You must rebel. Romeo is pleading for a democracy that while yeas makes the laws does slowly
for the people and by the people that choose their lawmakers.

Epstein 4
Clearly Shakespeare's thoughts on laws are ahead of his time. Back in Elizabethan time
kings and then dictators where the norm making laws to control the people and benefit
themselves never the people. However today we are getting closer to a time where our
government leaders are working to benefit us. Unfortunately too many politicians still make laws
to benefit themselves and some political organizations/parties make laws that attempt to prevent
people from letting their voices be heard so they can fairly choose who they want to be
representing them. Shakespeare understood back then what so many people today don't
understand; the only way to have effective laws that actually benefit all the people of a city,
country, kingdom, world, etc. is to let them make the laws by freely choosing their leaders. That
happens by giving opportunity to every person in this country by letting them vote for the leader
they want to make the decision they want so our country can be truly run by the people of our
country and not the greedy money heads of Washington D.C.