An Examination of Different Attitudes to Love and Marriage found in ‘Romeo and Juliet’

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Maxine Smiles

An Examination of Different Attitudes to Love and Marriage found in 'Romeo and Juliet'

An Examination of Different Attitudes to Love and Marriage found in

‘Romeo and Juliet’

Love and Marriage is a significant theme in the play Romeo and Juliet, and is what the plot is based on. The design of the play shows the many different attitudes to love, with friends and family as well as ‘love at first sight’. Although the main stream of love is between Romeo and Juliet, Juliet also has a love for her nurse and respect for her family.  Juliet (like many girls of her era) was not very close to her parents but she must do what they wish and respect their decisions, when being told of her marriage to Paris, she can do nothing but agree, but Juliet’s love for her Nurse is not based on respect alone, but on a true affection, and she trusts her with the secret of her love for Romeo. Romeo also has a platonic love; Mercutio is Romeo’s greatest friend, whose death is later avenged by Romeo.

        In the middle ages the where many ‘guidelines’ that young men followed in the pursuit of love. These ‘rules’ had an affect on the way men in Shakespeare’s time would have been expected to act, this comes through in the way Romeo acts at the beginning of the play. He is in love with Rosaline, and older and unattainable women, men in his time usually ‘fell in love’ with married women making them unattainable, but Rosaline is because she has taken a vow of chastity, therefore ignoring Romeo’s advances, and making him grief stricken and woe full. As the play progresses, Romeo’s attitude to love changes dramatically, his love for Rosaline makes him slow and sorrowful, but his love for Juliet makes him witty and joyful. After meeting Juliet he banters with Mercutio, who is surprised but glad that he is no longer in love with Rosaline.

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Sure wit. Follow me this jest now, till thou hast

worn out thy pump, that when the single sole of

it is worn, the jest may remain after the wearing

solely singular.

His language also changes when he speaks about Juliet, he compares her with religion, and the heavens.

His love from Rosaline is viewed from afar, another point that has carried from the middle ages, but with Juliet it changes, he is active and impatient, he wants to see her and is willing to do anything to do that

The orchard walls are high, and hard to ...

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