Romeo And Juliet Lust Essay

Romeo and Juliet: In Love or In Lust? It is within human nature to call something by a name which is misleading. The 88 modern constellations are named after animals, objects, and characters from Greco-Roman mythology, yet none of the patterns created by the stars themselves accurately resemble their namesakes. Similarly, people who are conflicted by their emotions and desires often call their emotions by a name that does not accurately describe what is really going on. William Shakespeare’s famous romantic tragedy, Romeo & Juliet, tells the story of two teenagers in love despite their violent circumstances in the midst of a family feud. Often called the greatest love story ever told, the plot of the play doesn’t leave much room for a build-up
For example, when Romeo first meets Juliet, he says “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!/ For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.” (Shakespeare 1.5.57-58) Here Romeo is confusing love with lust since the sole basis of his love for Juliet, whose name he doesn’t even know yet, is her beauty. Another example of Romeo’s words showing his true intentions can be found in the famous balcony scene where he watches Juliet on her balcony from a distance and remarks on her beauty (Shakespeare 2.2.2ff). Throughout the whole scene, nothing Romeo says relates to Juliet’s character, only her beauty and his desire to be her love. Near the end of the scene, as Juliet is leaving him, Romeo says, “O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?” (Shakespeare 2.2.136), implying that he is wanting more from Juliet than words, a hint which Juliet may get, but does not act upon. In addition to his words, Romeo’s actions throughout the first two acts of the play reveal that he is acting upon lust for Juliet and not love. Romeo kisses Juliet as soon as they meet face-to-face after a short conversation about saints and pilgrims filled with innuendos (Shakespeare 1.5.102-117). Romeo also orchestrates their swift marriage with an urgency that implies a desire for sex. Romeo’s lustful obsession for Juliet is not uncommon in literature; another example of two teeenagers
One example of Juliet misnaming her emotions comes from during the ball. After she finds out Romeo’s identity, Juliet says, “My only love, sprung from my only hate!/ Too early seen unknown, and known too late!/ Prodigious birth of love it is to me/ That I must love a loathed enemy.” (Shakespeare 1.5.154-157) Here she is describing Romeo as her only love in life, a claim which cannot be true since she hardly knows anything about him and has only met him once. Another example of this comes from the beginning of the balcony scene, where Juliet promises to give up her family for Romeo because of her love for him (Shakespeare 2.2.36-37). In this instance, Juliet is making a dangerous promise to a person she only just met- a decision more foolish than loving. Yet another example of Juliet’s words describing her feelings as love rather than lust can be found in the final scene of the second act where Juliet says, “But my true love is grown to such excess/ I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth.” (Shakespeare 2.6.35-36) Here Juliet reveals that she considers her love for Romeo her greatest possession. All of these instances would lead one to believe that Juliet does indeed love Romeo, but due to the circumstances, this cannot be true. First of all, Juliet has known Romeo for only a day; she knows virtually nothing about him. Also, Juliet is the