Light In Romeo And Juliet

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“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.” - Madeleine L’Engle. Throughout William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, countless trying situations are forced upon Romeo and Juliet. These characters are forced to do unwanted tasks and deal with the unending feud taking place between their two families. But overall they find their happiness in undying love for each other. While Romeo and Juliet are both forced to deal with many dark times they find light and happiness in each other, but in their case the light they find is overpowered.
Romeo and Juliet constantly encounter troubling times in which they feel helpless. When the play begins Romeo is deeply in love with the lovely Rosaline, a woman who does not share the same feelings. Experiencing this heartbreak is very destructive for Romeo, his tears “augmenting the fresh morning’s dew” (1.1.128). A literal and figurative dark place has engulfed Romeo’s life. He locks himself in his room and “shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out, and makes himself an artificial light” (1.1.135-36). He feels no light in his life without his Rosaline. In Juliet’s case she is being forced into marriage with Paris, a kinsman to the prince, by her mother and father. Marriage has never crossed Juliet’s mind, it was a concept she “dreamed not of” (1.3.66). Juliet is not forced …show more content…

Romeo made the choice to end his life, but if he had waited slightly longer he would have found Juliet to be alive and still in love with him. He would learn why she had done this, but all Romeo sees is his Juliet dead in a tomb. This just proves that darkness can overtake even the most intense happiness. But without darkness the perfect light will not show. Romeo and Juliet are both forced to deal with many dark times but they find light and happiness in each other, but in this tragic case their light did not

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