When Romeo meets up with his friends after the ball, they make fun of him. Mercutio in particular makes crude comments about where he has been thinking he’s been lusting over Rossaline. Love for Mercutio is the same as physical lust. He and the other characters cannot understand that love can be pure and passionate language such as ‘wrench’ and ‘whore’ show this.
On the other hand Romeo’s early sadness is a kind of intellectual love-he is in love with the idea of being in love. At the start of the play Romeo’s love is very artificial, he puts opposites together “sick health” (this is known as oxymoron) to show his feelings. He thinks that he loves Rossaline but is upset because she does not love him back. He is angry using “cold fire” to express himself unto Benvoilo. He is also very confused using lots of “O’s” in his speech.
At the other extreme, Lord and Lady Capulet see love merely as a financial transaction to do with securing and retaining wealth. In the sixteenth century, when the play was written, rich people like the Capulet’s or Montague’s didn’t get married for love. His or her parents arranged a marriage with someone rich or powerful. It was a business deal - a new way of getting more money or power into the family. Lord Capulet is very protective over his daughter Juliet. At this time Lord Capulet is in complete control. When Paris asks him if he can marry his daughter his initial reaction is to “Let two summers wither in their pride, ere we may think her ripe to be a bride”. When asked again he says, “that if she agreed, within her scope of choice. Lies my consent and fair according voice”. When Juliet refuses to marry lord Capulet sees only Juliet’s ingratitude after all the effort he has put into finding a good match. Lord Capulet is absolutely furious. He calls her “mistress minion” (spoilt brat), to “You baggage! You tallow-face!”. He also threatens her saying “my fingers itch” meaning that if he could hit her he would. The language used is very strong and offensive. He gets so angry that the mother and the nurse have to step in and make him leave. When lady Capulet explains the plans of Juliet’s marriage. Juliet forcefully refuses; with this the mother’s reply is “Talk not to me, for I will not talk a word. Do as thou wilt for I have done with thee”. This refers to the attitude of a mother in the sixteenth century.
Romeo and Juliet’s love is pure, passionate real love. Their love is so powerful it is more powerful than hatred and even death. Romeo describes Juliet as being “brighter than the light of a torch or even the stars”. Juliet talks about “Romeo’s love as being pure – whiter than snow”. Romeo compares Juliet’s stars to the stars saying that “If all the stars left. Her eyes are so bright that they could take their place”. Throughout the plat Romeo talks of Juliet in terms of brightness, whiteness shining light suggests that her purity is angelic. Shakespeare’s language suggests the purity of Juliet, he almost give her holy qualities, “bright angel”. The language used is very rich and powerful. Both Romeo and Juliet are very dramatic using “O’s”. Romeo and Juliet are noble they are very different to Sampson and Gregory. When Romeo hears of Juliet’s death he says “well Juliet, I will lie with you tonight”. He will join her in death Sampson and Gregory would not do this. Romeo is noble unlike the Capulet servants. Juliet is also noble and shows much courage. Both young lovers are willing to die for each other.
When Romeo arrives at the tomb not knowing of friar Lawrence’s plan, he finds Paris. Paris thinks Romeo is there because of the family feud and of course they fight and Paris is killed. Romeo uses another reference to light “for here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes this vault of feasting presence full of light”. Romeo’s final speech is very beautiful “death that hath sucked the honey of thy breath had no power yet upon thy beauty”. He is pledging himself to her forever- in death. Juliet’s final words echo this “friendly drop” (poison) death her friend, as it will reunite her.
Nowadays the play would have been very different. Mainly because Paris would not be marrying Juliet after meting her only once and arranging the marriage with her father not her. Also it would be very unlikely that Romeo and Juliet would be getting married after knowing each other for less than a week. These are just two of the many factors, which if the play had been set today would be very different if the play was set nowadays.
In the play love has proved stronger than hatred, even stronger than death. Love is even stronger than the power of fate. It has taught society a lesson. The death of Romeo and Juliet has brought hope foe the future of “fair Verona”.
By Charles Giblin
