Prompt 3

Prompt 3:
1991. Many plays and novels use contrasting places (for example, two countries, two cities or towns, two houses, or the land and the sea) to represent opposed forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Choose a novel or play that contrasts two such places. Write an essay explaining how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work.

In the love tale in the city of Verona, two families clash and fight for what is theirs. They share a similarity but differ in many ways. The stars of the play, Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, have shown what the true meaning of "till death do us part". The opening of the play shows two rival and very controlling families head to head in a fight for the death. It seems that nothing can bring these two families together but a forbidden love forms between the two youngest of the families. Romeo is from the family of Montague and Juliet from the family of Capulet. These two love birds form the link between the two families. Some how everything goes wrong in this love tale but in the end the two families are brought together by their children's love.

The contrast between their families supports the difficulty of how it was so impossible to get these two families together. For how long, they would fight in the streets of Verona and occasionally getting one of their own killed. Especially after the death of Mercutio, any union between the families seemed lost. But it shows how strong Romeo and Juliet's love was and how powerful it was in the end. Even though they ended both killing themselves, it brought together these unwilling families. Shakespeare demonstrates in this famous tale that love conquers anything. He shows us how even the most unlikely love can bring people to their knees. But he also shows another inspiring lesson, to put aside differences for the sake of others. Prince Escalus is constantly trying to bring peace to Verona's streets between these two families. He tells both of the Lords that they need to settle their differences before someone gets seriously hurt. They both don't listen and end up grieving together.

In the end, the "two star crossed lovers" brought together these unlikely families with their last act of killing themselves. Shakespeare has brought the a new meaning of love to the world through this tale. Without their differences, Romeo and Juliet wouldn't be the same as it is today.