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Shakespeare Gregory and Sampson

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Shakespeare Gregory and Sampson
The Language of Love The student, being very strict to keep this old fashioned story of love simply about love and amorous affection, revolts against anything that has to do with humor. The student commented, “Like typical men these boneheads boast about their sexual prowess and turn everything into a sex joke” and on a further note, questions why Shakespeare put such crude characters in a play famous for its representation of love. Although I can agree in some circumstances, it’s easy to assume that this female student judges men’s view on love in a negative manner, assuming that all men are only interested in sex. This generalized comment is very blunt and not supported very well, only making a statement off of 2 characters point of view and not others. In the opening scene of the play, Sampson says to Gregory, "I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's" (1.1.9-10). "Take the wall" of someone was meant to disrespect that person. Gregory contradicts Sampson by saying, "the weakest goes to the wall," which means that the weak must always listen to the strong. Therefore if Sampson takes the wall, "That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall" (1.1.11-12). Gregory's joke only gives Sampson an opportunity to make even bigger pun. He boasts, "True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will push Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall" (1.1.13-17). Sampson is going to be the man who will frighten all the Montague men and screw all the Montague women. These two boneheads are there to somewhat foreshadow the future events that you heard of the star-crossed lovers in the prologue. Shakespeare placed the crude characters in the play because he wants to have a comparison between the jokes from Sampson and Gregory and the true love from Romeo and Juliet. Romeo belonged to the family of Montague and Juliet of the Capulet; both families in a lifelong rivalry. Despite the hatred between the two families, Romeo and Juliet fall in love and take their own life, thinking that was the only way they could truly be together. Shakespeare put these crude characters in order to contrast rude sex jokes with the true love Romeo and Juliet possessed.

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