The language Shakespeare uses shows off an obsession with maintaining balance, when he uses language such as ‘fair sun’, and ‘envious moon,’ at the same time, and in the same verse as ‘pale with grief’, and ‘sick and green,’ the balance is well maintained, he uses this in a much broader fashion throughout the whole of his play, when he starts off by talking about passion and love he ends up later in the play talking of hate and death, a complete reversal of styles making it all the more interesting to read.
Romeo has seen Juliet as a possession, he loves her therefore he owns her. This is what he has convinced himself. She speaks yet she says nothing, he is talking in riddles that cannot be answered even by him, a state of confusion has enveloped his very soul and he cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel apart from his sweet Juliet. The language shows his confusion very well, he asks a lot rhetorical of questions and works himself up badly, he wants to cause chaos in more than just their hearts and does. He goes over the top and out of the ordinary to display Romeos feelings; Romeo talks of betraying his family his honour and his integrity all for love, which in that time was absurdly stupid. The audience tags along with this and becomes captivated because of what he is saying, it is hard to question it because no chance is given, you are simply swept away by what Romeo says his emotion brims over love and into an emotional equilibrium in which all that matters is this one true love Juliet.
‘Goddess.’ Is the definitive term through all the descriptive language in my opinion, encapsulating everything this new love is meant to mean to Romeo and the one thing no man could ever have for himself. He reflects the chaos inside of Romeo well in nature; birds are mentioned these are animals renowned for noise ‘tapering,’ they cause disruption and represent havoc in the human world as often Shakespeare does.
On hearing Romeo, Juliet claims she cant believe it and comes out obviously looking for more complements, unlike the unselfish Romeo she is vain and needs to be constantly reassured of his love before they are betrothed, you could look on it almost as a plea or maybe a confession by Romeo, as he opens his heart he forgets who he is and what cant be.
The doors Shakespeare had opened early in the play leave three options open for readers to believe, fate, accident, wilfulness or all three combined. He uses a combination of these early on and then leaves it up to the reader. At this time there would have been many sociological ideals against this type of play, it was considered wrong in the eyes of society to go against the words or wishes of your family. In a time when the world was governed completely by religion, it is against the word of god above all else.
Juliet is in denial; she can see the harsh reality they are faced with and starts to question the significance of a family name, playing down society and playing love up, this a sign maybe of their ensuing fate.
‘Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo.’ possibly one of the most misinterpreted quotes in the history of play righting, does not mean where are you Romeo but rather why are you Romeo, another rhetorical question that leaves no real answer. She asks questions of him while he talks of ‘the two fairest stars in all of heaven’, she is demanding things of him ‘deny thy father, and refuse thy name’, when they are not even betrothed to throw his identity away in an age where name is all there is.
“With loves light wing I did over perch these walls for stoney limits cannot hold love out.
And what love do that dares love attempt!” In his mind he is an soaring angel powered by love, but in reality becomes an angel flying only in death. A sad reality to be forced into facing, but wilful, fateful, and accidental all the same.
