How does Shakespeare explore the themes of love and death in Romeo and juliet?

In this play we can explore the theme of love in the character of Mercutio. He is Romeo's best friend and sees love as purely physical. In Act 1 Scene 4 Mercutio is talking to Romeo about love. Line 27 to 28 " If love be rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down". In act2 scene 1 Mercutio thinks Romeo is making love with Rosaline after the party line 33-40 "If love be blind, love cannot hit the mar... An open-arse and thou a poperin pear". In act two scenes 4 Mercutio is looking for Romeo and shows his feelings on love and death in line 12-15 "Alas poor Romeo he is already dead...With the blind, bow boys butt shaft". In act3 scene1 Mercutio is keen for a fight with Tybalt and his gang, line 41-42 " and but... Make it a word or a blow". Mercutio wants Tybalt to say something or hit him. On line 95-96, Mercutio has been stabbed by Tybalt And says "Ay, ay a scratch... good villain fetch a surgeon". This shows he is still joking even though he is badly wounded. Mercutio also says on line 109 "A plague on both your houses". This means that he hopes something bad happens to the Montagues and the Capulets because he has died thanks to their feud.

In this play we explore the themes of love and death in the character Friar Lawrence. In act2 scene3 Friar Lawrence is collecting herbs and he is thinking about life. He observes that the earth is both a tombs, were all life goes when it dies, and a womb from which all new life comes. Act 2 scene 3 line9-10 "that earth that's nature's mother is her tomb". There is nothing living that doesn't have some special value and nothing is so good that cannot go wrong if abused. In Line 20-21 "virtue itself turns vice being misapplied". This means good will go wrong if abused. The friar is talking to Romeo about his love for Juliet. Line 67-68 act2 scene 3 "young men... In their eyes". Questicning Romeo and his love for Rosaline and Juliet. The friar says that Romeo and Juliet love may bring the two rival families together. "Line 91-92 "for this... Pure love". In Act 2 scene 6 line 14 the friar is warning Romeo not to rush into things because just a couple of days ago he was in love with Rosaline.In Act3 scene3, the friar convinces Romeo not to kill himself after hearing he is banished from Verona. Line 143 " thou pout upon thy fortune and thou love". The friar gives Juliet poison to pretend she is dead in act4 scene1 "I'll give thee remedy". In Act4 scene 5 the friar talks about death at Juliet's pretend funeral. Lines 69-70 " your part in her you could not keep from death, but heaven keeps his part in eternal life".

We explore the themes of love and death in the character Romeo. At the beginning of the play Romeo thinks he is in love with Rosoline but this is a very immature love, he is much more in love with the idea of being in love. However, when he sees Juliet at the Capulets party he really falls in love with her and becomes much more mature. . Act1 scene5, line 92-95 " if I profane... To smooth at rough touch with a tender kiss". When he first sees her he says

Line 50,

'Did my hart love to know? For swear its sight,

For I never saw true beauty till this night.'

When he meets her in the garden they exchange their vows of love. At this point he says he would rather die than live with out Juliet. The irony of this speech is that the audience knows that by the end of the play, Romeo will die because of his love for Juliet. This is seen in Act2 scene2 line 77-78 "my were better ended by there hate, than death prorogued, waiting of thy love". In the balcony scene he tries to prove his love, he is prepared to denounce his family name. Line 46 " without that title...and for that name, which is no part of thee, take all my self". At the end of the play when he hears Juliet is dead he goes to see her. In Act5 scene3, line 91-95 he says " o my love. My wife...

Beauties ensign yet is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks". He then kills himself.

When we first meet Juliet, she is a very obedient daughter without a view on love. In act1 sceen3 she is asked her opinion on marriage and answers line 65 " it is an honour that I dream not of" at the party she falls in love with Romeo, in act2 scene2 line 33-36 " o Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo? No longer be a Capulet. Basically she is saying she will do any think for his loves. She foreshadows her own death after her first meeting with Romeo, act2 scene2 line 117-119 " I have no joy of this contract tonight... doth cease to be" the love has happened too quickly for it to last. Though out the play Romeo and Juliet's love matures and grows. It becomes so important that they must die for each other.

Conclusion: in this essay I have explored what the characters think on love and death in this play. I think Shakespeare in the play is trying to tell us that not to be foolish enough to kill yourself or others over your loved ones.

Mauro De Olimpio