The Ugly Scars of Hatred

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Why is hate so fundamental and eternal to the human psyche? Hate is like a boomerang that eventually consumes the life of the person who harbors it. The only alternative to hate is love since it is too much of a burden to constantly live with hate. In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the love of Romeo and Juliet never sees the light of the day because their love is forbidden by their feuding families who thrive on hate. The night unites them by shielding their love, whereas the day separates them by threatening to reveal their love. In a world filled with darkness, they both find each other as enchanting lights to guide them. As such, light and dark imagery are shown as both good and bad, and both represent the contrast between hate and love.

Dark imagery is crucial to their well-being since the night allows them to meet, and protects them like a mother lion protects her cubs. For example, when Romeo is in the Capulet house and the night is coming to an end, he comments, “Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day / Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops. / I must be gone and live, or stay and die” reflecting how light takes on a negative connotation making it compulsory for the lovers to part (3.5.9-11). The night is personified as a protector of their sublimely beautiful and blossoming love, which if revealed would entail tragedy. It is evident that the night is a time of peace when lovers can celebrate their love, whereas the day is a time of perpetual spitefulness when feuds take place and blood is shed. Furthermore, when Romeo looks out of the window and sees the light of the day approaching, he comments, “More light and light – more dark and dark our woes” signifying how the day is now becoming the ...

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...to show how their love is like a flash of lightning, very blinding, very sudden and very transient. Such is the swift and tragic end to their powerful love which is quenched by the hatred of their families. It is evident that both Romeo and Juliet look upon each other as radiant lights in their otherwise dark lives.

Love and hate are an enigma of extremes and is profoundly symbolized by the light and dark imagery often in terms of day and night. It is the vehement disdain for each other as shown by the Montague and Capulet families, that leads to the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet. The sad irony is that in this world which is steeped with pettiness and carnage there is little emphasis on love and life, and more emphasis on hate and death. Steadfast hatred will only make this world more miserable, because what we need instead is more love and more tolerance.

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