Scene 5 of the first act brings about the majestic event that is the Capulet ball, a place where Romeo and Juliet first clasp eyes on each other. Juliet is entering the event under the belief she is an interest of the respected Paris. Romeo is still love struck over Rosaline and is in no mood for a good time. When Romeo sees Juliet he is fixated by her. He describes her as someone who stands out in the crowd because of her beauty. Shakespeare tries to get across just how much Romeo is amazed by Juliet through means of comparing things that stand out against other things from lines 40-46. One example of this is when Romeo portrays Juliet as ‘ as a rich jewel in an ethop’s ear’ and as ‘ a snowy dove trooping with crows’. Romeo’s speech is again in context of a petrarchan lover, which shows a similarity between his love for Rosaline and Juliet. Romeo spends a large amount of time describing Juliet using phrases such as ‘holy shrine’ to illustrate how he sees her. He then plays on the holy shrine comment by comparing his lips to that of ‘blushing pilgrims’. At this stage of the play the audience will be thinking of Romeo as someone who doesn't really know the meaning of love. It is not very far into the play yet already he has two loves, it is almost as if Romeo is in love with the idea of being in love. After Romeo and Juliet’s first conversation they both realise they are members of opposing families. Romeo deplores the fact that Juliet is a Capulet by saying ‘ My life is my foes debt ‘. What he means by this is that the life he has been born into – that of a Montague, works against him because it is seen as forbidden to associate with, never mind love a Capulet. Almost immediately after this when Juliet is speaking she also bemoans the fact that Romeo is a Capulet by saying ‘ My only love sprung from my only hate ‘.
At the end of the fist act the audience are still unconvinced the love between Romeo and Juliet is real. The audience are still sticking with the idea about Romeo being obsessive about love. They also think that Juliet is a little naïve and would probably adore any other man with good looks.
At the start of act 2 the character Mercutio a friend of Romeo’s, is seen expressing his views on love. He feels almost the directly the opposite to Romeo believing that women are not to be seen as wonderful goddesses but as sexual objects. We can tell this is the case from hearing how he ridicules the romance in front of Romeo. Mercutio acts this through calling out to Romeo and deriding him saying ‘ Romeo! Humours! Madman! Passion! Lover! ’ describing everything Romeo is being. In Mercutio’s own view on love he expresses his obscenity by using language such as ‘medlar fruit’ and poperin pear’. After hearing this the audience see Mercutio as someone who can provide comedy in the play but someone who is willing to put a downer on romance. Some may even suspect him of being a homosexual from his terminology.
Act 2 Scene 2 beholds the famous balcony scene between Romeo and Juliet. At the start of speech Juliet does not know Romeo is secretly listening to her speak. Shakespeare allows Juliet to speak her thoughts to herself on the balcony so the audience gets an idea of her real thoughts, as she could not express herself to any other characters. When speaking Juliet tells us she is on the verge of loving Romeo but she cannot follow through with that love since it would mean going against her family name. Romeo is still ensuing the part of a petrarchan lover using language such as ‘ arise fair sun and kill the envious moon ‘ Romeo being the moon and Juliet the superior and worshiped sun. Romeo uses lines that would be considered as quite tacky by the audience for instance when Juliet asks how he climbed the orchard walls to get to the balcony he replies ‘ With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls ‘. A large break through in the audience’s attitude to Romeo and Juliet’s love comes at the end of the balcony scene. They are perhaps beginning to believe the love is true after both characters express their feelings in the scene. Romeo and Juliet also arrange to marry each other, which is a large factor in the audience’s mentality towards the relationship.
In Act 2 Scene 3 Romeo discusses the up and coming marriage to Juliet with Friar Lawrence. At the very start of the scene Friar Lawrence believes Romeo is still fixated over Rosaline. When the Friar discovers Romeo has suddenly fallen in love with Juliet he is confused and shocked. The friar says ‘ Young, men love with their eyes, then, not truly in their hearts ‘ accusing Romeo of falling in love with whoever has the looks. He believes Romeo is being fickle by changing his mind so quickly. Romeo replies to this saying ‘ She whom I love now Doth grace for grace and love for love allow: The other did not so ‘ meaning he loved them both but only Juliet returned this love. This highlights a huge difference between Romeo’s two relationships. The friar finally comments on Rosaline by saying ‘ O, she knew well Thy love did really read by rote that could not spell ‘. The Friar was saying that Rosaline knew well that Romeo loved only because he had to, but not because he knew what he was doing.
Scene 6 of the act presents the Friar and Romeo discussing the prospect of marriage. Romeo is clearly ecstatic on the forthcoming ceremony as he talks to the friar declaring ‘ …come what sorrow can, it cannot countervail the exchange of joy that one short minute gives me in her sight.‘ This demonstrates the depth of Romeo’s love for Juliet as he states that no piece of bad news could outweigh the joy of seeing her for one minute. Following this the friar almost strangely predicts what is to come as he announces ‘ these violent delights have violent ends, ‘ as if he knows things will end in disaster.
Meanwhile Juliet expresses her feelings to herself alone. She too is obviously love stricken as she openly talks about love. She acts quite impatient, as she is eager to encounter her wedding night saying ‘ Come, night, come, loving, black-browed night, ‘ and ‘ give me my Romeo’. This shows possibly the two largest comparisons of Juliet and Rosaline in the play, Juliet cannot wait to lose her virginity whereas Rosaline stood firm in not wanting a relationship. Shakespeare wants the audience to wonder whether Juliet is rushing into things or she is genuinely on love with Romeo.
After the events that unfolded in previous scenes Romeo is banished from Verona, excused of death and parted from his beloved Juliet. Romeo is clearly distraught and shows his highest point of emotion in the play. Romeo bemoans ‘ Tis torture, and not mercy. Heaven is here where Juliet lives, ‘ this reveals that Romeo doesn’t think mercy has been shown on him but he is being tortured as he is away from Juliet and at least in heaven he could look down on her.
Act 3 Scene 5 begins in the morning after Romeo and Juliet spent the night together. The couple are forlorn over the fact they may never see each other again, as Romeo has to move away from Verona. Their love is as strong as ever as Romeo boldly expresses ‘Let me be tane, let me be put to death, I am content, so thou wilt have it so’ this is a large demonstration of Romeo’s love for Juliet as he is saying he is willing to die for her if that is what she wants. This could just be seen as being a petrarchan lover or just very much in love. After inputting these kinds of statements from the couple Shakespeare is persuading the audience to accept that the love of Romeo and Juliet is genuine.
Much further on in the play in Act 5 Scene 2 the love of Romeo and Juliet is bona fide by Shakespeare. In this particular scene both of the lovers end up committing suicide (which was very much a sin at that time) so they could be together. Romeo is the first to take his own life after his last words being ‘ Here’s to my love! O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die. ‘ Following this Juliet awakes and observes that Romeo has killed himself she takes his dagger and delivers her final words ‘ This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die ‘.
In conclusion to the assignment title there are many differences and similarities in the two relationships that are signalled throughout the play. The obvious main difference is that Juliet’s relationship was a lot more significant than Rosaline’s for the many reasons I have talked about in the assignment. There have been many similarities too most recognisable the advances made by Romeo and how he stuck to using petrarchan language in trying to win over the two women. These small details are evidence of why Shakespeare was a very thorough and technical writer and why he is one of the best.
