Oppositions and Contrasts in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

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Oppositions and Contrasts in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet “Romeo & Juliet” is a play which especially shows the hatred of two Italian households. In this essay I will write about the contrasts and oppositions in the play. The essay will mainly be based on the contrasts of love versus hate, light versus dark, night versus day and true love versus courtly love. The contrast between love and hate is crucial to the whole play. If there had been no feud between Romeo and Juliet’s families their love affair might have run smoothly and not ended in bloodshed. The tale of these two lovers would have been very different. The play is set in the Middle Ages and is about a love affair between two people from two feuding, upper class families. Both families were wealth and influential in their society. The hatred between the households of Montague and Capulet has lasted for many years but Shakespeare does not mention or hint at what the grudge is based on. It is suggested that neither of the two families remembers why they are war with each other! The hatred is even spoken of by the servants of the families. This shows how deeply established the spite has become. Lord Montague, Lady Montague, Lord Capulet and Lady Capulet show their hatred in many different forms. The play begins with a fight between Sampson and Gregory (from the house of Capulet) and Abram and another servant (from the house of Montague). Later on in the fight Benvolio comes and joins with his household (Montague) and Tybalt joins his family’s side (Capulet). Romeo discovers from a servant who could not read that Lord Capulet is throwing a masked ball and that his love, Rosaline, will be there. Benvolio gives him the idea to “gatecrash” the party to prove to him that there are beautiful girls in the world and that Rosaline is not the only one. Romeo goes to the ball purely with the intention of

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