The Theme of Love Presented in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Love, or a lack of it, is a very central theme in Romeo and Juliet and
often is the root of many arguments in the play. It is very difficult
to group love as just one thing as there are many versions of it.
A love which the capulets particularly, seem to possess is a love of
material possessions and power. For example, the Capulet ball (and
subsequent plans for the marriage) is an indication of wealth and the
ability to entertain on a lavish scale. Thus Shakespeare creates an
atmosphere of ease and opulence.
At the end of the play Shakespeare makes the point that no amount of
wealth and power, no statues erected in pure gold, can replace the
lives that are lost. By pursuing wealth and status, the Capulets
sacrifice the irreplaceable life of their only daughter.
Closely allied to the theme of love and of material possessions is the
love of parents for their children - and the manner in which,
specifically, the two main characters respond to such care and
control.
In the early scenes of the play Juliet is obedient to her parents'
wishes, prepared to go along with their suggestions. There is a
naivety about her answer: "I'll look to like, if looking move. / But
no more deep will I endart mine eye / Than your
consent gives strength to make it fly".
However, once she has discovered true love, Juliet changes and
matures. No longer is she the obedient and willing daughter. Instead
she chooses to side with her husband, as opposed to her family - even
in the face of loosing Tybalt who she speaks of as 'the best friend I
ever had' she still refers to Rom...
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...f the play as we see the two
families finally reconciled after so much strife.
Shakespeare believes in the healing influence of love, to 'conquer
all' as true love knows no limits. It drives Romeo and Juliet to
ignore the barriers of family feud and to defy parental authority. It
finds a way to consummate a marriage in spite of Romeo's exile and the
danger involved in his staying in Verona overnight. It finds a way to
prevent Juliet from marrying Paris. It finds a way, through death, to
unite the lovers eternally. Romeo and Juliet have become immortal by
the power of their passionate love. Here, as in so many of his other
plays, we see something positive emerge from human suffering and
personal commitment. The sacrifice of the two young people is not in
vain. The price is
been heavy - but healing takes place.
When tackling the differences between self-love within the stories of Romeo and Juliet, as well as Sense and Sensibility, we must first look at the meaning of this said expression. Self-love can be expressed as the pursuit of one’s goal for love, regardless of any outside factors. In simpler terms, characters will go to whatever means necessary to ensure their love for another person. Whether it causes harm to one’s family or if it takes failure to realize what true love really is, self-love can be seen as a major theme among either story.
Romeo and Juliet is known as one of the greatest love stories, but it has its fair share of tragedy as well. The story riddles with themes throughout. Love is the first theme and there is no greater love than the love Romeo and Juliet share. Shakespeare offers his audiences just as much hate as love in Romeo and Juliet. The families of both Romeo and Juliet involve themselves in centuries of feuding. The ongoing feud between the Montagues and Capulets drives Romeo and Juliet into a life of secrecy, which ultimately causes their deaths. Youth is another theme and ties directly to how young both Romeo and Juliet are both in their age and their relationship. The story of Romeo and Juliet uses sex as a theme as well although not in the intimate details of more modern stories. The two lovers concerns are not with the wishes of their warring families, they just want to be together “Deny thy father and refuse thy name / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn by my love / And I’ll no longer be a Capulet” (2.2.34-36). Love is the first theme Shakespeare displays in this play.
There are many different types of love in this world, thus there are many different ways of expressing love. What revolves around that love, and the many different circumstances, trials, and tribulations that a love might face can greatly influence the outcomes of that love. These trials and tribulations can also be seen as different literary elements when used in plays. When looking at Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, he used many different themes and elements to provide complexity to the love story. Shakespeare cleverly takes the main theme of the play, love, and ties in other elements such as time, stage imagery, and language to pull the whole play together in a way that makes one think about the play on other levels.
' Here's much to do with hate, but more with love.' Act 1 scene 1.
Themes of Love and Hate in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet is a play about two young lovers, whose love was destined for destruction from the beginning because of hatred. between the two families, Montagues and Capulets. Therefore, Themes of love and hate are very important in the play as the plot is driven by these two themes. Shakespeare brings out the love between the two rivals through Romeo and Juliet and their relationships with the Friar and the Nurse.
play is also about hate as well as love. We are always reminded of the
The play opens with the chorus, it is a sonnet and has a rhyme scheme
issue “And yet, I warrant, it had upon it brow a bump as big as a
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" =
In Romeo and Juliet, the tragic love story, emotion is also surrounded with both the protagonists and brought themselves a tragic ending. Early in the story, Romeo and Juliet made an unacceptable forbidden decision which created a path towards their graves. After knowing themselves as the enemy of their household, the two teenagers yet fall in love with each other. Their idiotic actions of love have brought themselves a road to death at the end. Is unworthy to cost your life by your foolish decision. Furthermore, Romeo made another decision out of momentary anger and caused himself a disastrous problem. After Mercutio's death, out of anger Romeo duel with Tybalt and demands to slay him. After his revenge, he brought a death sentence on himself if he is ever found within the city again.
How Shakespeare Presents Love and the Problems of Love in Romeo and Juliet With particular focus on Act 1 Scene 5 and Act 2 Scene 2, show how. Shakespeare presents love and the problems of love in Romeo and Juliet. In the book Romeo and Juliet we look at the love and passion between Romeo of the Montague house and Juliet of the Capulet house as well. the feud between the two houses. Act 1 scene 1:
“Love life and life will love you back. Love people and they will love you back.” A quote by Arthur Rubinstein. I ibelieve iArthur iRubinstein iis itrying ito iexplain iif iyou ilove isomething, iyou igive ia ipart iof iyourself ito iit. You isacrifice iuseless iparts iof iyourself ibecause iyou iappreciate ithat ilife iis itelling iyou ithat iyou ineed ito igrow. When iyou ilove ipeople iand igive ithem ia ipiece iof iyourself, irather iyou're iallowing ithem ito itake ian advantage iover iyou iin isome iway, iand ithey ilike ithat ibecause iit's iwhat ithey iwant. There are three main types of love shown in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet such as Romantic love, Unrequited love and the love Juliet and her nurse share.
the play is not solely about love but also a lot of hatred is involved
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:
Have you ever been in love before? Many would say that love is hard to come by, and even harder to maintain, while some would say the opposite. In Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet, he explores similar concepts related to love and infatuation. Although the reader never directly hears from Shakespeare, one could infer that his own thoughts are similarly mirrored in his characters, with the play serving as a warning tale of sorts, and the various roles echoing different dangers when it comes to love, which of there are many. More specifically, Romeo Montague and his actions in the play are very intentional, as they help explain Shakespeare’s intentions and his own personal thoughts on the topic of love and its hazards, as well