Love, with its binding, twisting labyrinth of emotions, often has diverse effects on those caught in its grasp. To the lovers in Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, love is an overwhelming, overpowering emotion to which all else must yield. Both of the teenagers felt an immediate tug at the first sight of one another and desperately acknowledged that nothing was to be left in the onslaught of that sweeping tide.
Throughout the play, love was constantly referred to through celestial imagery. To Romeo and Juliet, time itself slowed when out of each other’s presence: “I will not fail; ‘tis twenty years till then” (2.1.170). Shakespeare shows that love, in its purest form, is akin to religion. Being allowed to be with one another was heaven–time apart, hell. Romeo makes innumerable references to Juliet being an angel. Their love was the purpose of being, the light in their lives: “Heaven is here,/Where Juliet lives; and every cat and dog/And little mouse, every unworthy thing,/Live here in heaven and may look on her;/But Romeo may not” (3.1.29-33). Their love was so blissful, so spiritual that nothing mattered, save it.
Yet, despite this heavenly appearance, all was not peaceful in their love. A sort of insanity overtook them both–every waking moment was spent thinking of one another. This “discrete madness” simply added to the flood of their emotions–slowly taking every dream and entwining them until they were inseparable. Shakespeare used this angle to show their depth of feelings for one another. Romeo would prefer death to being without his Juliet.
From these lovers, from their every word and sigh, one understands that, to them, love of each other is everything. In the end, they sacrifice all on the altar of passion–even their lives. Both offer up their names as payment for their love: “Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,/And I’ll no longer be a Capulet” (2.2.35-36) and “Art thou not Romeo and a Montague? /Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike” (2.2.60-61). They willingly abandon the long years of enmity that their families cherished at the first declaration of love; hatred that lasted lifetimes, swept away in the flood of teenage feelings. Juliet decides to desert her family and the lifestyle she has always known–knowingly causing her loved ones anguish they need naught to have suffered–to follow her beloved into banishment: “Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again” (3.
... off.”(“Love’s Bond”, Robert Nozick) If that is true when loving someone, Romeo evidently made the wrong decision to kill Tybalt. By fulfilling this revenge, Romeo not only caused Juliet to be upset, but he also placed a burden on himself: an imprudent decision. After analyzing Romeo’s careless approach to risking to lose Juliet’s love, it becomes clear that Romeo’s love for Juliet is not a real romantic love, but it is a hormone-driven, passionate, hasty love that is portrayed as ruinous and preposterous by Shakespeare through Romeo’s actions.
Love is dependent upon the slightest change, but it can cause the utmost drastic consequences. This is the truth of two lovers in William Shakespeare’s furthermost celebrated play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. In the case of Romeo and Juliet, love is inimical. Romeo comes from the family of Montague while Juliet comes from the family of Capulet. For reasons unknown, these two families are sworn enemies. However, Romeo and Juliet are not. In fact, they are in a secret relationship that only two others know about. The only two that Romeo and Juliet trust, the Nurse and the Friar. While the Nurse, Friar, and Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet, all have good intentions, they are all responsible for the suicides of Romeo and Juliet in the
In conclusion, the irony is that their love, and death, was able to do what their lives could not, to end the feuding between the Montague’s and the Capulet’s. It is with this thought that I shall examine “the thin line between love and hate” which is evidently shown on many occasions, such as when Romeo uses his love for Juliet to remove his hate for Tybalt “Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee doth much excuse the appertaining rage” and also the play itself is evident of this, Romeo and Juliet’s love was so strong for each other, that they were able to overcome hate and also the hate that others possessed towards each other.
Love in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet "Romeo and Juliet" is a love tragedy based on different kinds of loves. Romeo and Juliet become married in a forbidden relationship over the high tension brawl between their rival families which Shakespeare clearly shows in the play. Despite the family brawls, the pair decides to let their "perfect" love defeat all. Peoples ideas have changed in the space of 400 years, for example back then some loves featured in this play would produce different reactions to the audience, than today. Shakespeare opens the play with the chorus who speaks a sonnet, where love imagery is found; "Two Star-crossed lovers" =
It is considered that fate is what unites and separates Romeo and Juliet, however, Shakespeare suggests it is also partially due to the excessive emotions displayed by the “lovers” that evokes the denouement of the play. As the relationship between Romeo and Juliet is “too rash, too unadvised and too sudden”, their love is terminated in their calamitous deaths.
Their youthful love plays a big role in their irrational decisions and their love blossoming so intensely and so quickly. “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night” (1.V.52). This quote demonstrates how deeply Romeo is possessed by Juliet, showing their love at first sight. Not knowing that Romeo and Juliet are from feuding families, they fall in love at first sight. The love between Romeo and Juliet continues, despite the bitterness between the two families. “Love give me strength, and strength shall help afford” (1V.1.125) This quote shows how Shakespeare handled an emotion, then translating it into something that gave Juliet strength to continue the Friar 's plan to be with Romeo. The love between Romeo and Juliet makes them forget about their commitments to the world and everyone around them, they both get consumed in a self centered world of
Love is a wonderful curse that forces us to do unexplainable things. Romeo and Juliet is a famous play written by William Shakespeare, who does an exceptional job in showing the readers what hate, mercy, death, courage, and most importantly what love looks like. This play is about two star-crossed lovers who are both willing to sacrifice their lives just to be with one another. Unfortunately tragedy falls upon the unconditional love Romeo and Juliet have for each other, but along the way they experience immeasurable forgiveness and extraordinary braveness just to be with one another. Sadly enough, love is a cause of violence in the end. Even though the pair spends less time together, it is enough for them to fall in love. It is clearly true
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is perhaps one of the most well-recognized love stories of all time. However, it is more than just a classic love story, it is a tale of desperation and obsession. While developing these themes, Shakespeare contrasts Romeo and Juliet’s obsession with the concept of real love; he also demonstrates the danger of obsession-Romeo and Juliet do not heed Friar Laurence’s ominously omniscient warning “[t]hese violent delights have violent ends/ and in their triumph die, like fire and powder,/ which, as they kiss, consume”(II vi 9-11), and obsession with honor is likewise dangerous. He probes the theme of despair; the suicidal impulses that become reality for Romeo and Juliet are grounded in the dynamic and
Love is ironic. It can take you anywhere in the world unexpectedly, and turn you into a person that you never were. However, love is also two-faced, having both a negative and positive view. It is what drives you to the point where you do not know who you are anymore. In Shakespeare's story, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare perceives love with the personalities and actions of the characters, Romeo and Juliet. Both Romeo and Juliet are characterized as immature and irrational due to their "love." In addition, both characters fail to realize the reality of life and go towards the path of adolescence. Even though Romeo and Juliet are doomed at the end of the journey of "love," their demise was caused by their rash and silly decisions because their belief of everlasting love blinds them from reality and shapes their lives into an unstoppable time bomb.
the play is not solely about love but also a lot of hatred is involved
In Act I of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare demonstrates different forms of love that characters face. From the beginning, Romeo struggles to find true love and what love really is. As for Juliet, she also struggles on what love is, but also finding her own voice. And when finally finding true love they discover that they have fallen in love their own enemy. They both realize that the idea of love can be amazing, but also a painful experience. Shakespeare demonstrates love versus evil and the forms love takes that is acknowledged as an universal issue that connects different types of audiences. Audiences are captured by relating on love and the emotions that are displayed. From Romeo and Rosaline’s unrequited love, Paris and Juliet’s false love, and Romeo and Juliet’s ill-fated love, create the forms of love that establishes love as a leading theme in Act I.
The love shared between Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet is one of the most prominent emotions in the play that continues to influence behavior. When Juliet asks Romeo how he was able to climb her balcony, he responds, “With love’s light wings I do o’erperch these walls,/For stony limits cannot hold love out,/And what love can do, that dares love attempt” (Rom. 2.2.71-73). Romeo expresses the strength and influence love has on his behavior in order to be with Juliet. But when Friar Lawrence attempts to be optimistic about his banishment, Romeo obstinately asserts that, “Thou canst not speak of that thou dost not feel./Wert thou as young as I…”(3.3.67-68). While love can provide strength, it can also prompt, especially amongst young lovers, irrationality. It is evident that “His [Romeo’s] whole love affair betrays a cast of mind that is hopeful against obstacle and impatient of cold reason” (Draper 122). This “cast of mind” is a portion of the human nature that Shakespeare clearly conveys in the play. Shakespeare, through Romeo, portrays the positive and negat...
In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the views of love held by the character Romeo contrast sharply with the views of Mercutio. Romeo's character seems to suffer from a type of manic depression. He is in love with his sadness, quickly enraptured and easily crushed again on a passionate roller coaster of emotion. Mercutio, by contrast is much more practical and level headed. His perceptions are clear and quick, characterized by precise thought and careful evaluation. Romeo, true to his character begins his appearance in the play by wallowing in his depression over Rosaline who does not return his love:
The power of love controlled Romeo and Juliet's actions. They were so head over heels in love for each other that they were willing to do anything for their partner even if it meant to the extreme of things. Outside of “Romeo and Juliet”, a wise man named Hercules said “People do crazy things when they are in love…” This is perfectly said and true especially in showing Romeo and Juliet’s actions. Romeo and Juliet had only known each other for a day but their love had already taken over them. When Romeo and Juliet were confessing their love for each other during the balcony scene, Romeo said, “With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls,/For stony limits cannot hold love out, /And what love can do, that dares love attempt./Therefore, thy kinsman are no stop to me."(Act II, Scene 2, Lines 71-74) Romeo is saying love will make a man try anything and even a stone wall couldn't keep him out. Love had the authority to make Romeo fearlessly climb the walls risking getting caught. Love seized Juliet’s actions. Juliet was so in love that she was willing to drink the potion and appear to be dead all to be with the banished Romeo in the end. “God knows we shall meet again./ I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins… (ACT IV, Scene 3, Lines 15-16) Juliet was scared about doing this because she didn't know if it would work right or turn h...
In this play, Shakespeare uses imagery to enforce and to showcase Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. The moment Romeo and Juliet laid eyes on each other, they instantly fell in love. Some might even say it was love at first sight. The first night they had met, Juliet immediately went to the nurse and asked her who this mysterious man was. She told the nurse “Go ask his name; if he be married, my grave is like to be my wedding bed.” Juliet was stressing that if Romeo was in a relationship, she would die alone. She did not want anyone else, only this one particular boy. The nurse later finds out that this “mysterious man” was a boy named Romeo, but she also pointed out that Romeo was a Montague, their families arch enemy. Juliet at