'Romeo and Juliet is a play about love, but this word means different things to different characters in the play, and for some, like Romeo, its meaning changes as the play progresses. Discuss the theme of love in 'Romeo and Juliet' and examine the different attitudes towards love that the characters have.
'Romeo and Juliet' is a play about fate, hate, passion and most of all love. From the beginning love has a strong hold on the audience, particularly their emotion. The theme of love is used and shown in many different ways throughout the play, for example love goes from being shown as a lustful, melancholy emotion, such as Romeos love for Rosaline, to a happy joyful emotion, such as Romeos love for Juliet. Each and every character has a different approach and view to love from everyone else. As well as many different views towards love being shown throughout the play there are also many different types of love shown, such as, unrequited, passionate and motherly love. Love also brings many dramatic aspects to the play; most notable is the dramatic tension it brings. The dramatic tension is created by the strong contrast between love and hate, which is consistent throughout the play. The audience can see that Romeo and Juliet are in love, which is full of passion, yet they know that their love is 'death marked' by the hate between the two families, the Montagues and the Capulets. The tension is fuelled by the fact that the audience knows that the two lovers are going to die, which is made known by the chorus at the beginning of the play. This would make the audience hope and silently cry out in the hope that they can prevent this tragedy from taking place. The tension would have been a particular enjoyment to the Elizabethan audience, as they loved seeing love, passion and sex as well as violence and death. Fate acts as a contrasting theme with love. It is used to emphasize the strength and danger that is contained within Romeo and Juliet's love. The rash swiftness of Romeo and Juliet's love only adds to the knowing of an ill fate, for 'the sweetest honey, Is loathsome in his own deliciousness'. The contrast between love and fate creates a strong bond between Romeo and Juliet's love even though we know that it is going to be short lived.
Romeo is an excellent example of how the meaning of love evolves and changes as the play progresses. At the beginning of the play Romeo is in 'love' with Rosaline. However this love is unrequited and is more of a lustful relationship. Romeo expresses his confusion over his feelings by using oxymoron's to describe the way he is feeling, 'o brawling love, o loving hate', 'O heavy lightness, serious vanity'. The fact that he is confused shows that he isn't feeling true love, for if he can't be sure of his thoughts and feelings, how can he be sure that he is in love? Romeo can clearly not distinguish between genuine and false love. Could it be however, that Romeo wants to be confused? It seems that he is enjoying wallowing in self-pity as though he is love with the idea of being in love. The fact that Rosaline has not returned Romeos love seems to have attracted Romeo more as Rosaline has hurt his self esteem and so he wants to prove that he can get her if he wants her. Romeos love for Rosaline is also very physical for when Benvolio suggests Romeo should begin looking at other women, in order to get over Rosaline, Romeo replies ' I'll go along, no such sight to be shown, But to rejoice in splendour of mine own'. Despite all of Romeos 'loving' feelings for Rosaline, it seems that subconsciously he knows that what he is feeling isn't true love. Romeos reaction to Benvolios questioning over Rosaline expresses how lost and unsure this love has made him feel, 'Tut I have lost myself; I am not here, This is not Romeo, he's some other where' Friar Lawrence sums up Romeos love affair with Rosaline as, 'Thy love did read by rote, that could not spell', he tells Romeo that he's going through the motions but the love he is feeling is artificial and meaningless.
'Romeo and Juliet' is a play about fate, hate, passion and most of all love. From the beginning love has a strong hold on the audience, particularly their emotion. The theme of love is used and shown in many different ways throughout the play, for example love goes from being shown as a lustful, melancholy emotion, such as Romeos love for Rosaline, to a happy joyful emotion, such as Romeos love for Juliet. Each and every character has a different approach and view to love from everyone else. As well as many different views towards love being shown throughout the play there are also many different types of love shown, such as, unrequited, passionate and motherly love. Love also brings many dramatic aspects to the play; most notable is the dramatic tension it brings. The dramatic tension is created by the strong contrast between love and hate, which is consistent throughout the play. The audience can see that Romeo and Juliet are in love, which is full of passion, yet they know that their love is 'death marked' by the hate between the two families, the Montagues and the Capulets. The tension is fuelled by the fact that the audience knows that the two lovers are going to die, which is made known by the chorus at the beginning of the play. This would make the audience hope and silently cry out in the hope that they can prevent this tragedy from taking place. The tension would have been a particular enjoyment to the Elizabethan audience, as they loved seeing love, passion and sex as well as violence and death. Fate acts as a contrasting theme with love. It is used to emphasize the strength and danger that is contained within Romeo and Juliet's love. The rash swiftness of Romeo and Juliet's love only adds to the knowing of an ill fate, for 'the sweetest honey, Is loathsome in his own deliciousness'. The contrast between love and fate creates a strong bond between Romeo and Juliet's love even though we know that it is going to be short lived.
Romeo is an excellent example of how the meaning of love evolves and changes as the play progresses. At the beginning of the play Romeo is in 'love' with Rosaline. However this love is unrequited and is more of a lustful relationship. Romeo expresses his confusion over his feelings by using oxymoron's to describe the way he is feeling, 'o brawling love, o loving hate', 'O heavy lightness, serious vanity'. The fact that he is confused shows that he isn't feeling true love, for if he can't be sure of his thoughts and feelings, how can he be sure that he is in love? Romeo can clearly not distinguish between genuine and false love. Could it be however, that Romeo wants to be confused? It seems that he is enjoying wallowing in self-pity as though he is love with the idea of being in love. The fact that Rosaline has not returned Romeos love seems to have attracted Romeo more as Rosaline has hurt his self esteem and so he wants to prove that he can get her if he wants her. Romeos love for Rosaline is also very physical for when Benvolio suggests Romeo should begin looking at other women, in order to get over Rosaline, Romeo replies ' I'll go along, no such sight to be shown, But to rejoice in splendour of mine own'. Despite all of Romeos 'loving' feelings for Rosaline, it seems that subconsciously he knows that what he is feeling isn't true love. Romeos reaction to Benvolios questioning over Rosaline expresses how lost and unsure this love has made him feel, 'Tut I have lost myself; I am not here, This is not Romeo, he's some other where' Friar Lawrence sums up Romeos love affair with Rosaline as, 'Thy love did read by rote, that could not spell', he tells Romeo that he's going through the motions but the love he is feeling is artificial and meaningless.
