Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

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Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, by William Shakespeare, based on the theme of love. This love is presented in many different manifestations such as infatuation and unrequited love. This play is carefully written to show desires, emotions and family life. To the start of the play Romeo is talking of how his love has been 'vexed' he describes love as being a 'wise madness' a 'deadly poison' and a 'healing medicine'. This type of love he is describing in unrequited love, a love that is not returned, in this case it is not returned by Rosaline whom Romeo believes he is in love with. This love is contrasting to a situation coming about in the Capulet family, Paris'loves' Juliet but his love is not returned. William Shakespeare uses his language and words carefully. Sampson and Gregory talk of sex in a crude nature and speak of women as subordinate. The feuding has turned their minds so much that they would even rape the Montague women. They now do not know what true love is anymore. When in 'love' with Rosaline, Romeo tries to express the fact that love has a fatal power, he talks of two conflicting sides 'is love a tender thing….and it pricks like a thorn'. Benvolio also feels that the cure to solve Romeo's love is to love another: "Tut, man, one fire burns out another's burning". Romeo is the stereotypical Courtly lover who pines for the love of a woman who is unobtainable. Romeo illustrates what was expected of a courtly lover: He stays in sycamore groves," Where underneath the grove of sycamore". He shuts himself away banished from society, preferring night to day, "Shuts up windows…. himself an artificial night", from this we seem to get the impression that Romeo is in love with the idea of being in love. The overuse of these oxymoron's in his speech makes the effect become artificial. "Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health and still-waking sleep'. Romeo wants to be a courtly lover so

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