The Various Perceptions of Love in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

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The Various Perceptions of Love in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is about two lovers who get caught up in a feud between their separate families, the Montagues and the Capulets, and their fight to let love conquer all. The play was written by one of the best English writers, William Shakespeare in about 1595. During the Elizabethan period, women were seen as objects which could be passed from father to respectable suitors for marriage. This aspect of life is a major part to the play. Although the play is known for its love story, it is as much about love as it is about hate between the two rival families. Therefore there are many contrasts within the play, for instance Romeo uses oxymorons which Juliet echoes later, ' Here's much to do with hate, but more with love.' Act 1 scene 1. Within the play there are many different characters who have different perceptions of love, which is what I will be analysing in this essay. The first reference to love in the play occurs in the first scene when the audience meet Sampson and Gregory who perceive woman in a crude, vulgar and misogynistic way. 'Tis true and therefore woman being the weaker vessel are ever thrust to the wall.' Act 1 scene 1 This shows their characters to have no respect for woman and the audience can presume that they have never experienced true love, which is a major contrast to Romeo and Juliet's love. Another character who is extremely bawdy is the nurse, 'Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wilt.' Act 1 scene 3. Although we learn that she is widowed, her marriage was based around sex and not around love, therefore the n... ... middle of paper ... ... is. When she says, 'Ay sir, but she will none, she gives you thanks. I would the fool were married to her grave.' I would make the actress look upon Juliet with disgust and would have her standing while Juliet sits, so that the hierarchy is known. Throughout the scene, I would direct both actresses not to touch each other or show any other emotional contact. When Lady Capulet talks of how distressed Juliet and herself are about Tybalts death I would place Juliet in her bed with her mother sitting, looking uncomfortable on the end of the bed. As you can see, Shakespeare brought many different contrasts of love into the play and it would be very important for the audience to see these distinctions. In the above I have explained how I would stage two contrasting scenes in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

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