In act 3 scene 4, we see Paris is polite and respects Capulet. He looks forward to the marriage ‘My lord, I would that Thursday were tomorrow.’ Although he is looking forward to it, he does not even know her. There is unrequited love. Paris shows great respect to Juliet’s parents, he wants them to choose him. In act 4 scene 1, Paris refers to Capulet saying ‘My father Capulet’ he respects him and is decent.
However, Juliet has not been asked about the marriage, it is more of an arrangement. It’s a cold relationship. Line 24 Juliet speaks coldly and ambiguously to Paris. She admits she loves him, assured that she loves him just because of him, but really she is referring to Romeo. The use of short lines causes tension between them. In contrast to the way Romeo and Juliet speak to each other using rhyming couplets.
In act 5 scene 3 at the Capulet’s vault we see Paris taking flowers for Juliet. He says he will go every night to pay respect. This shows he is moved by her death and his lost love. When Romeo arrives Paris blames him for Juliet’s death over the death of Tybalt. As Paris falls to his death he asks Romeo to put him with Juliet ‘Open the tomb; lay me with Juliet.’ Showing his grief is real but it can’t compare with Romeo. Paris is in contrast to Romeo; he’s dutiful and respectful but is only doing what is expected.
Another type of love in the play is the love Romeo has for Rosaline. In act 1,scene 1 we see Romeo’s love for Rosaline. Romeo’s parents are very concerned about him because he has been locking himself away and has been crying as well. Montague says ‘Many a morning hath he there been seen, with tears augmenting the fresh mornings dew.’ He also says ‘And private in his chamber pens himself.’ Romeo has been locking himself away, he doesn’t want to be with anyone. He’s miserable and has the melancholy. Benvolio says ‘Where underneath the grove of a sycamore.’ This is a pub ‘sick’ ‘amour’ meaning sick in love.
Romeo’s fit of depression brought on by his unrequited love would have been perfectly understandable to Shakespeare’s audience. He is suffering from Petrachan love. Petrach was an Italian poet famous for his love poetry. It shows contradictory emotions-bitter/sweet, rejection felt by lovers because of their beloved’s chastity; praised the beloved’s beauty.
We see the painfulness and misery of unrequited love shown by Romeo. He says ‘sad hours seem long.’ He’s miserable and sad. ‘Not having that which, having makes them short.’ This is showing he loves and isn’t loved back. Also ‘out of her favour where I am in love.’ He is suffering from unrequited love. Although in line 171,act1 scene 1 as he is talking about his unrequited love he says ‘Where shall we dine?’ showing he’s not completely taken in by everything. Romeo then goes on to show the contradictory emotions with his use of oxymoron’s. ‘O brawling love, O loving hate, O heavy lightness, serious vanity.’ These reflect popular style, the use of oxymoron’s makes it artificial, not real and dramatic. He is using poetic language, which seems to be forced. He is speaking from the mind not the heart. It is showing he is being quite dramatic as if he’s enjoying the misery. He uses rhyming couplets ‘Grief’s of mine own lie heavy in my breast, which thou wilt propagate to have it pressed.’ By speaking in rhyming couplets shows it isn’t natural, forced, artificial and again not coming from the heart. A recurring theme in conventional love poetry was the praise of the beloved. Romeo praises Juliet saying ‘she hath Dian’s wit.’ Dian was a goddess. He is comparing her saying she has the wit of Dian calling her a goddess and clever. He also says ‘O, she is rich in beauty.’ Romeo’s love for Rosaline isn’t real love, although he may think it is, he’s confused about love and his love for her is very much artificial. He doesn’t yet know what real love is.
The first meeting between Romeo and Juliet is at the Capulet’s family ball.
Romeo’s first impression of Juliet with his imagery to describe her:
‘O she doth teach the torches to burn bright!’ and ‘It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night as a rich jewel in an Ethiops ear.’ He is describing her beauty that she stands out from all the rest and refers her to a bright light. He describes her as special and pure. He also says ‘beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear.’ He is saying she’s too good to even be on Earth. Romeo is over come here by Juliet’s beauty. Although the words he uses are different to the love he felt for Rosaline, he is still using rhyming couplets, which shows the love he is feeling is still artificial. At this point he is feeling this love for Juliet from afar without having yet spoke to her, so here he is still into more of a physical love. However, Romeo does believe his love for Juliet is special when he says ‘Did my heart love till now?’
When Romeo and Juliet speak for the first time together, they cut off from everything going on around them at the party. They become isolated from the ball. They speak in a sonnet, which is a 14-line poem traditionally about love. Petrach uses it, very much associated with love. It is most appropriate for Romeo and Juliet’s first meeting. It is made up of 3 quatrains and a final rhyming couplet using a rhyming scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Juliet echoes Romeo. They share the last quatrain and the rhyming couplet the effect of this shows they are becoming closer and that they are made for each other with the fact that they can do this.
During the sonnet, Shakespeare uses imagery between Romeo and Juliet. They use holy language to show that their love is pure, special, holy and religious. Romeo describes Juliet’s hand as ‘This holy shrine.’ Juliet uses this as well; she calls him ‘Good pilgrim.’ Showing their devotion to each other. Their love is a contrast to the love of Mercutio etc. Their love is pure and special; it stands out to other love in the play. Shakespeare’s use of poetry and imagery presents the audience with an impression of a very real love developing between the lovers, a definite contrast to the courtly love Romeo had for Rosaline.
When Romeo and Juliet meet for the 2nd time they meet on the balcony in Juliet’s moonlit garden. This associates the natural world. The two of them become isolated; because of the walls it separates them from the outside world and also the feud between the two families in Verona. Their love exists outside, they become above it. The two are physically separated from society.
Natural imagery is used associated with beauty and flowers. Juliet says ‘This bud of love.’ When describing their love, she’s saying their love is just beginning. She also says ‘beauteous flower.’ The use of natural imagery shows how pure and natural their love is.
Romeo uses imagery when describing Juliet. He says ‘What light’ when he sees her, he is a likening her to light, showing her purity. He then uses a metaphor saying ‘Juliet is the sun.’ He is saying she is the source of all light. When describing Juliet’s eyes he says ‘Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven.’ He is saying her eyes are like sparkling stars. ‘The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars.’ He says her face is more beautiful than any of the stars. He uses imagery saying ‘bright angel’ and ‘winged messenger of heaven’ he is a likening her to an angel; she’s beyond this world.
Romeo also uses religious imagery when talking to Juliet he says ‘dear saint.’ The use of religious imagery shows holy devotion. Romeo also is now using blanc verse suggesting a change in him. Line 66 Romeo says ‘with loves light wings did I o’erperch these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out.’ He’s saying his love has given him strength making him brave.
We then see Juliet speaking in a soliloquy. She’s using enjambment showing she’s speaking genuinely about Romeo. Line 47 ‘Romeo doff thy, and for that name, which is no part of thee, take all myself.’ This shows that Juliet is selfless; she’s offering her whole self to him. They both are willing to give up their names, distancing themselves from all the hatred’…be sworn my love and I’ll no longer be a Capulet.’ In line 48 we see Juliet speak a caesura, which shows she is deep in thought, open and honest. We see Romeo then finish off her line showing they are becoming closer as one. Their love is special. In line 74, Juliet shows her fears for Romeo about his safety. ‘I would not for the world they saw thee here.’ This shows Juliet been selfless again.
Juliet shows her honesty to Romeo in lines 85-106 she says ‘If thou dost love, pronounce if faithfully; or if thou think I am too quickly won, I’ll frown and be perverse and say thee nay, so thou wilt woo; but else not for the world.’ Her honesty shows through here. She’s not putting on a show. This shows the purity of their love. She uses enjambment again she’s being herself and speaking from the heart.
The balcony scene ends with Juliet and Romeo to be married which shows their pure, real love and when they have to leave each other Juliet says ‘Parting is such sweet sorrow.’ She’s saying it’s sad but yet a great happiness because they will see each other again.
In act 2 scene 6, they express their love for each other by getting married. ‘It is enough I may call her mine.’ Romeo will give anything for Juliet to be his wife. Juliet says ‘I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth.’ They love each other and are happy together. Their love is real and special. A complete contrast to the love felt by Romeo to Rosaline.
Act 3 scene 5, shows the final farewell between Romeo and Juliet. The final farewell resembles an aubade, which is a medieval song sung at dawn usually by a lover lamenting a parting. Their parting is full of beautiful poetry, describing the dawn and the song of birds. There is great sadness in this scene as the lovers prepare to part and Juliet tries to convince Romeo that it is not yet time to go. Romeo uses much more simple language he is speaking from the heart and more direct. His love is real and is showing genuine emotion, he is not putting on a façade.
We see their love has changed Romeo and Juliet. Romeo has become happy again and back to himself. Romeo tells the friar that the love he feels for Juliet is different ‘Her I love now doth grace and love for love allow.’ He says Juliet loves him back as much as he loves her. Their love is mature and real.
In act 2, scene 4 Mercutio notices a change in Romeo, he says ‘why is not this better now than, groaning for love? Now art thou sociable, now art thou Romeo.’ He notices Romeo is back to himself again. His love for Juliet has made him whole again. Romeo also shows his maturity, despite the jokes surrounding the nurse. Romeo is anxious to give her clear instructions about the wedding. ‘What wilt thou tell her, nurse? Thou dost not mark me.’ He’s serious about it.
In the episode with Tybalt, Romeo shows maturity. He shows patience despite the many insults he tries to make peace. During the farewell he is mature, honest and comforting towards Juliet. His courage he is willing to end his own life without Juliet. He says ‘My life were better ended by their hate- then death prorogued, wanting of thy love.’
Juliet has also changed, at the beginning of the play her father considers her too young to be married. ‘My child is yet a stranger in the world.’ Juliet when asked about marriage in act 1 scene 3 she says ‘It is an honour that I dream not of.’ She’s thought nothing of marriage. She becomes however a lot more mature, in the balcony scene she pleads with Romeo for honesty and marriage. ‘O gentle Romeo, if thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.’ Also in the balcony scene she shows her devotion towards Romeo. She gives her vows of love. ‘But trust me, gentleman, I’ll prove more true than those that have more cunning to be strange.’ She’s vowing that she will be far more true to him. She’s speaking from the heart; she’s honest and open-minded. Her love for Romeo gives her great happiness; we see this on her wedding night. The happiness she feels as she looks forward to becoming Romeo’s wife.
Juliet also shows an increase in independence. At the beginning of the play she depends on the nurse as a go between herself and Romeo, confiding in her and valuing her opinion. However in act 3 scene 5 the nurse gives her advice to marry Paris and Juliet decides never to confide in her again. She is appalled at the nurse’s advice she says ‘Ancient damnation! O most wicked fiend!’ Juliet here has to act on her own, without parents, nurse and without Romeo. She relies on herself and shows great strength of character.
In act 4 scene 1, Juliet shows massive courage during her conversation with friar Lawrence in which she details her fears, but is willing to face up to them to avoid betraying Romeo. ‘Or bid me go into a new-made grave, And hide me with a dead man in his shroud- Things that to hear them told, have made me tremble-And I will do it without fear or doubt, to live an unstained wife to my sweet love.’ Her love for Romeo has given her a desperate strength. She’s scared but will do it for Romeo.
Again, Juliet shows huge courage just before she takes the potion. She has terrible fears, but goes through with the plan, for her love for Romeo. Act 4 scene 3 Juliet drinks to him ‘Romeo, I come! This do I drink to thee.’ Her love for Romeo allows her to kill herself because she can’t live without him.
Shakespeare provides us with several aspects of love from that of the more basic love of Mercutio through to the courtly love of Paris and Romeo’s love for Rosaline to the special love of Romeo and Juliet, which still enchants audiences today.
