Question paper: Paper 1 Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel – June 2018

Introduction

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet examines the complex interactions between adults and children, especially in light of the play’s central romance. Shakespeare shows a variety of adult and young adult relationships throughout the play, from friendly and encouraging to hostile and destructive.

Adults as Role Models

Shakespeare uses the representation of adult characters as role models to emphasise relationships between adults and young people in Romeo and Juliet. In the play, Friar Lawrence acts as Romeo’s mentor and guide, providing guidance and encouragement throughout the young man’s romantic difficulties. For example, when Romeo is initially infatuated with Rosaline, Friar Lawrence encourages him to consider other potential partners, telling him, “Holy Saint Francis! What a change is here!…Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes”.