The Contrasts in ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

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The Contrasts in 'Romeo and Juliet'.

William Shakespeare.

The play 'Romeo and Juliet' deals with love and hate; two very contrasting emotions. Romeo states early on in the play, "...here's much to do with hate but more with love...". The play also contains many other conflicting ideas; for example between characters, language, settings and scenes. Shakespeare uses these opposing elements so the audience does not lose interest when watching the play, and to create a carefully structured unit.

One of the first contrasting elements in the play is that between differing types of love. In the beginning of the play, Romeo declares his unrequited love for Rosaline. It is an infatuation rather than love. He cannot possibly have loved Rosaline, as she was soon forgotten when Romeo met Juliet. The Friar accused Romeo of 'doting not loving'.

In contrast to the infatuation Romeo had for Rosaline, there is the faultless love that Romeo and Juliet shared. There love together is seen as being perfect, whereby each is prepared to die for the other: 'haply some poison yet doth hang on them, to make me die with a restorative'.

Different types of love are also evident in the play. Maternal love is shown by the nurse to Juliet, "QUOTATION". The nurse has taken Juliet on as her own child and loves her dearly. The nurse helps Juliet to marry Romeo, and Juliet always turns to her for advice.

In contrast to the relationship between the nurse and Juliet, the maternal love that should be shown by Juliet's parents is not present. They show conditional love towards her. When Juliet refuses to marry Paris, her father declares; "...hang, die, starve in the streets', 'baggage', 'disobedient wretch...". These are not the words a loving father would say to his only daughter after she has aired her personal feelings.

Juliet's parents think of love as a 'business deal'. They believe in arranged marriages and don't consider other peoples feelings. Paris has that same opinion, as he is prepared to marry Juliet although they have never spoken to each other. Juliet however believes in true romantic love, this is shown when she refuses to marry Paris because she loves Romeo.
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The nurse and Mecutio have similar opinions of love. They both believe in sexual love as opposed to real love. The nurse advises Juliet to find herself a husband who can please her at night rather than a man whom she really loves. When Romeo does not return home one night Mecutio instantly believes that he has slept with someone. The nurse and Mecutio both make sexual innuendoes, for example the nurse says "...thou dost fall'st upon thy face? thou wilt fall backward when thou comest to age' and Mecutio says 'O that she was an open arse ...

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