Examine How Shakespeare Presents Love In A Variety Of Forms In 'Romeo And Juliet'.

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Examine How Shakespeare Presents Love In A Variety Of Forms In ‘Romeo And Juliet’.

Consider How Different Characters Interpret The Meaning And Importance Of Love.

       ‘Romeo and Juliet’ has many different themes and messages, with one of the most popular being love.   Shakespeare gives most significance to the romantic love between Romeo and Juliet, but there are lots of other aspects of love in the play and Shakespeare uses the different characters to present this.

        One form of love that Shakespeare describes in the play is the parental love between parents or carers such as the nurse, and children.  Romeo’s family life is presented as more caring than Juliet’s. This is shown when Romeo’s mother dies of grief when Romeo is banished and also when Juliet’s parents don’t understand how she’s feeling and don’t guess that she is prepared to kill herself.  The Montague’s are concerned about Romeo’s state of mind at the beginning of the play, as he seems very depressed:

‘Many a morning hath he there been seen,

with tears augmenting the fresh morning dew,

adding to clouds, more clouds with his deep sighs…’

      This is contrasted with the way Shakespeare presents Juliet’s family life.  Capulet at first appears to love Juliet as a parent loves a child and does not consider her an adult.  When Paris asks to marry Juliet, Capulet says he should wait as they do not feel she is ready to be a bride.  This could be interpreted in two ways, that he does not feel she is ready to experience sexual love, but also that he does not want her to leave his household.    

‘She hath not seen the change of fourteen years.

Let two more summers wither in their pride

Ere we think her ripe to be a bride.’

However, later his attitude changes, it seems to be more important that she obeys him and he threatens to disown her if she doesn’t marry and settle down in a good arranged marriage.  This still appears to be a loving thing to do, as he feels he knows what’s best for her as a loving parent and he is sure that Juliet will do what he wants:

‘Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender

Of my child’s love.  I think she will be ruled

In all respects by me: nay more, I doubt it not.’

However as soon as Juliet refuses to do what Capulet wants, he completely loses his temper and says:

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‘And you be mine, I’ll give you to my friend;

And you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets,

For by my soul, I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee,

Nor what is mine shall never do thee good.

Trust to’t, bethink you, I’ll not be forsworn.’

As Juliet has mainly been brought up by her nurse, she is not very close to Lady Capulet in a mother/daughter way and theydo not have a very good relationship; Lady Capulet seems to be unsure of being alone with Juliet and asks the nurse to stay when she is going to tell Juliet ...

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