FRQ III

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PROMPT:

It has often been said that what we value can be determined only by what we sacrifice. Consider how this statement applies to a character from a novel or play. Select a character that has deliberately sacrificed, surrendered, or forfeited something in a way that highlights that character’s values. Then, write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how the particular sacrifice illuminates the character’s values and provides a deeper understanding of the meaning of the work as a whole

          Without a doubt, Romeo makes many impactful sacrifices in the play. Sacrifices are seen by humanity as something that measures one's moral values. The bigger a sacrifice, the more value one gains as a person. Firstly, Romeo is seen to make many different emotional sacrifices for Juliet. The emotional sacrifices seen by Romeo throughout the play, such as his love for another, family ties, banishment, and reputation, all reflect how his love for Juliet is impenetrable. As seen in the play, Romeo sacrifices his previous love when he sneaks into the Caplet party for Rosaline, but then sees Juliet and falls in love. Such sacrifice also inflicts his safety later in the play when he shows up in the Capulet garden to confess his love for Juliet after they are dragged apart. Furthermore, his love for Juliet is a sacrifice for him. After generations of feuds between his family and hers, Romeo decided he would be the first to fight against it. No matter how much shame it brought on him and his family. Romeo's parents rarely talked to him, and their relationship would end entirely after such dishonorable behavior. Every sacrifice holds value. It allows for the character's motivations to become more apparent. A sacrifice can be either a positive or negative action, yet some sacrifices might be ambiguous; it allows the audience to develop a deeper connection with a character's personality. Shakespeare creates Romeo to hold value in his own beliefs. The definition of a value varies depending on each individual. As mentioned many times throughout the play, Romeo's values lie in his dreams and fate, so his undying love for Juliet is no match for the forced life of her arranged marriage or his parent's feuds.

        Additionally, other sacrifices made throughout the play are more permanent. While a sacrifice allows for the moral values of a character to shine through, it also helps develop the tension and purpose behind the climax of the story. Romeo's own death and the death of others, his friend Mercutio, and the murder of Tybalt are permanent sacrifices that Shakespeare used. The most apparent sacrifice in the play is Romeo's death. Juliet is put into a drug-induced sleep, and when this information is withheld from him, he poisons himself. In this moment, the themes of love, despair, and fate intersect at once. Such a powerful love creates a despairing end. Romeo's death is the climax of the play. He has officially sacrificed everything, his entire existence, because the one thing he cared for most was gone. There is a duality written into Romeo's character. When his friend Mercutio is killed in an accident, he kills Tybalt, unafraid of the punishment to come his way. Similarly, when he hears of Juliet's death, he kills himself, unafraid of the repercussions. Both sacrifices are exclusive while also connecting in meaning. This shows Romeo's utter loyalty to the people he cares about most.

Overall, a character's sacrifices reflect their values by revealing their complex morals. A character's choices throughout a story can vary, but looking at the true meaning of where a sacrifice comes from allows for a deeper understanding of their intentions.