In-between Acts 1 and 2, Shakespeare has written a chorus, which is fundamentally an intermission in the play, arising from Greek tragedy where a group of characters tell the audience what has happened, and what will happen. Therefore this should be true. The chorus is also written as a sonnet just as the prologue. The chorus contains various statements that prove the love between Romeo and Juliet is genuine. Also the chorus answers the query the prologue has put forward that the pair of star-crossed lovers is not Rosaline and Romeo, but Romeo and Juliet. This can be proved because Rosaline has not been mentioned for some time, and also she is not discussed in the chorus, whereas Juliet is. The chorus contains aspects of love and fate, which can help prove my statement that the love between Romeo and Juliet is genuine love. Statements such as, “young affection,” and, “love’s sweet bait,” proves that the love between Romeo and Juliet is true. Aspects of the prologue and the chorus match up, such as the aspect of fate are repeated twice. The prologue told us, “The fearful passage of their death-marked love,” and the chorus tells us, “Love groaned for and would die.” Both sentences tell us the same thing, that the two people are both in love and that they were going to die. Again the chorus has told us all this information which makes my decision more likely.
In Act 1 Scene 5, Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time. From what the play suggests, they meet and it is love at first sight. I have come to this conclusion because of the language used between each persona, and the way they communicate with each other. As soon as Romeo and Juliet meet, their first words combine in a sonnet. To share a sonnet in Elizabethan times was a sign of love. This shows the Elizabethan audience, that they have mutual feelings of love towards each other. Religious imagery runs throughout this scene from Romeo to Juliet. He elevates her to the highest point possible and keeps emphasising it. He uses religious imagery such as, “This holy shrine,” and, “blushing pilgrims,” and “dear saint.” After Romeo kisses Juliet for the first time, Juliet seems to like it so she keeps on asking for more kisses. “Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again!“ t
This behaviour cements the idea of their immediate love for one another.
Romeo and Juliet get married in Act 2 Scene 6. This is a huge step for them to take. People could argue that they were getting married at an early age, and that they were just naïve and innocent, but it was perfectly normal to get married at that age in Elizabethan times. If Romeo and Juliet are getting married, this shows that they are in love. The first time Romeo and Juliet communicate tells us that their love is genuine. Romeo uses elaborate language asking Juliet to give an ornate description of their love for each other. Juliet replies that her love for him is worth more than her wealth.
Romeo claims, “ … If thy joy be heaped like mine, and that thy skill be more…”
Juliet responds, “… My true love is grown to such excess, I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth.”
Juliet is comparing her wealth to how much she is in love with Romeo; this shows that their love is genuine.
At the end of the play, Romeo and Juliet die. The two characters die for each other, which symbolises their true love for each other. First of all, in Act 4 Scene 1, Juliet goes to the Friar and asks for his advice on her situation. Her situation is that she is getting forced to marry Paris even though she is in love with Romeo. The friar gives Juliet a potion, which will put Juliet to sleep for a certain amount of time, and then she will awake again. This is a last resort for Juliet, because otherwise she exclaims that she will kill herself, because of the fact that she may not end up with Romeo. This is why the friar gave Juliet the potion. In addition, this shows that Juliet truly loves Romeo, because of the fact that she is willing to give up her family and Paris to be with Romeo. Earlier on in the play, Juliet was very dutiful to her parents, and ever since meeting Romeo; she has changed because of her love for him. In Elizabethan times, people would have been shocked to see this, because every daughter back then, would be very obeying to their parents.
In Act 5 Scene 1, Romeo finds out invalid information from his messenger, Balthasar that Juliet has passed away. This makes Romeo distraught and makes him go to her tomb to lay with her. This is only one sign out of many that they are truly in love. Romeo has been banished from the area where Juliet lives, but he still goes to lay with her even though he knows there is a chance that he could go to prison or even die, “ Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight.” Romeo decides to kill himself by drinking poison, which he will derive from the Apothecary. The Apothecary tells Romeo that it is illegal to give drugs that can kill. Romeo returns his comment by saying, “Art thou so bare and full of wretchedness, and fearest to die? … The world is not thy friend, nor the worlds law.” Further more, when Romeo reaches the church where Juliet’s tomb is, Paris confronts him. Through comparing Romeo and Paris, we can see the depth of Romeo’s love. This is because; Romeo decides to kill Paris to get to Juliet. Before Romeo had arrived at the scene, Paris was conveying his feelings towards Juliet, but in this, he is being very formal and restricted while talking to Juliet, “Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew.” When Romeo arrives in the scene, he doesn’t bother conveying his feelings, but as said before, he kills Paris to get to Juliet’s tomb. This is the total opposite to Paris’s restricted behaviour, because Romeo is sacrificing somebody else’s life to get to Juliet, and not just wooing for her. To kill a member in the society in Elizabethan times was said to be a sin, but Romeo does it anyway. After Romeo kills Paris, he goes against religion and god again. He breaks into Juliet’s tomb, to lie with her. This shows that Juliet is more important to Romeo than his religion. In the end of the scene, Romeo just gazes on Juliet and admires her beauty. He takes the poison and kills himself for Juliet. Therefore, the fact that the two characters finally killed themselves for each other shows to me that they are truly in love.
In conclusion, I believe that the love between Romeo and Juliet is true love. My views of this are expressed in the above paragraphs. As said before, my main point is that the prologue is telling us that Romeo and Juliet are in love. The prologue is a summary of the play, and it cannot be lying, because Shakespeare has written it to interpret the play. Also, the fact that Romeo and Juliet die for each other shows to me that their love for each other is genuine. Both characters sacrifice aspects of their life to be with each other. Romeo sacrifices his life, his friends, the friar; and Juliet sacrifices her family, friends, and her wealth. To do so much for another person can only mean that they are truly in love.
