William Shakespeare's Presentation of Love in Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare's Presentation of Love in Romeo and Juliet

Love is portrayed in Romeo and Juliet purely by the characters

Shakespeare has created. This loveless society is primarily formed by

the Capulets and the Montagues, two feuding families neck and neck

with hate with each other, who do not even know where the hate

originated from. In the end Romeo and Juliet's love for each other

conquers the hate and the two families are united in grief, this ends

the feud so the families no longer hate each other but this came at

the price of the death, of two innocent lovers. Perhaps this was the

only way the feud would end. The term 'loveless society' implies that

Verona was a city where there is no love, that it cannot happen. We

are then told the story of Romeo and Juliet, and we see two lovers

changing this society, with their true love for each other. In the

play Romeo and Juliet are the only characters who show a 'true-love

passion', that is strong. Other characters only have parental love,

like Capulet. Even his love for Juliet is shallow as he does not take

into account her feelings. Also Paris thinks he is in love with

Juliet, despite not even meeting her, only members of her family. This

is another example of shallow love. Until the very end of the play,

the two families are fighting, losing their lives over their dispute.

Even Romeo, one of the characters who shows love, resorts to violence

and kills Tybalt, as a result of rage and perhaps revenge; although

this was driven by his love for Mercutio. Before he kills Tybalt he

wants to make peace with him, this is thrown back at him, and his rage

from Tybalt killing Mercutio overt...

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...loveless society has completely changed it,

the hatred that once was the only thing people had talk about, has now

been overcame with their love and restored Verona into a city with

love. There were no motives behind Romeo and Juliet's love at least as

there were with the hatred between the two families, that had gone on

for so long no one even knew where it started. The hatred only led to

suffering. Love in this play also proves to be powerful, the saying

'Love conquers all' certainly applies here as the power of love

conquered what seemed an endless hate. The sacrifice Romeo and Juliet

made also seems religious and also shows the purity and holiness in

their love. So the love between Romeo and Juliet was enough to purge

the sins of the Capulets and the Montague's and the people of Verona;

love certainly conquers all.