By Act 1 Scene 5 at the Capulet Ball, Romeo sees Juliet for the first time. It is love at first sight and he has forgotten about Rosaline. He says, “I ne’er seen true beauty till this night”.
Shakespeare is developing a contrast between Romeo’s feelings of infatuation for Rosaline, and his genuine love for Juliet. He does this by using poetic and spontaneous language such as similes. He talks about “torches”, which gives a light image, “Dove”, giving a religious image, and “bright jewel”, which also gives a light image, but at the same time suggests something precious and special. Juliet is very beautiful when matched up to any other women, who are seen as “crows”. Shakespeare further shows that Romeo’s love for Juliet is a more real and true romantic love, by including religious words such as “holy shrine”, “pilgrims” and “sin”. He also used a sonnet form when Romeo and Juliet speak for the first time. Shakespeare seems to present ideal love, as both spiritual, and physical, like where Romeo and Juliet kiss in the stage directions at the end of the sonnet. Shakespeare interestingly refers to the religious and physical side of the relationship, by referring to “saints” and the “tender kiss,” the “hands” and the ‘lips’.
As the plot of Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, there are lots of comic elements along the way. One of the things that people liked about “Romeo and Juliet” when it was first produced were the jokes. Mercutio talks about Rosaline in a lustful manner, and mentions her “scarlet lips” and “quivering thigh”. This is because Mercutio has not yet experienced true love and only knows the physical love. Shakespeare includes an exploration of Bawdy love in the play to contrast with Romantic, which shows the importance of physical and spiritual element. The nurse and Mercutio are seen as the comic characters and give the play a sense of humour. When Lady Capulet confronts Juliet on the subject of marriage, the nurse becomes excited and enlightens Juliet that she will “bear the burden soon at night” which means that she will have sexual intercourse on her wedding night. Mercutio is also the type of character that is placed to humour and entertain the audience. Both Mercutio and the nurse have the idea, that love is hugely based on the physical attraction between two people.
This goes on to show how Shakespeare discovers the conflicts explored between different types of love in the play. How loving different people can cause a great deal of conflict is what he explores. Romeo appears gutless among his friends when he refuses to fight Tybalt because of his true love for Juliet. However dramatic irony has been used here. Only Romeo and the audience know the real reason why he is reluctant to fight Tybalt. Romeo says, “I never injured thee, but love thee better than thou can’t devise.” However on the other hand, Romeo has the duty of honoring his family name, and defending his friend Mercutio. Romeo shows his anger about Mercutio by saying, “alive in triumph, and Mercutio slain.” Juliet is also in an obscured situation, the filial love she has for her father makes her actions confused. In the Elizabethan period, an unmarried daughter would be expected to honour and respect her father, until she is married. Lord Capulet is unaware of her marriage to Romeo, and therefore assumes that she should still honour him. For this reason when Juliet refuses to marry Paris, Lord Capulet’s “fingers itch.” Juliet is also torn with her love for the nurse, the Nurse advocates that Juliet focus on Paris and forget about Romeo. Juliet sends the Nurse away from her for the first , which leaves Juliet completely alone to face the hostile world. When it comes to her true love towards her beloved Romeo, Juliet describes her feelings as “my husband on earth and my faith in heaven.”
Lord Capulet seems to love Juliet in the same way he loves his possessions. For example, he describes her as “baggage” and likens her to his horses. Later Capulet and Montague raise a “statue” in gold. However this is a sense of healing love in that the feud is over and there is a sense of healing between the two fathers when Lord Capulet says, “Give me your hand” to Lord Montague, and Lord Capulet and Lord Montague make friends.
So Shakespeare explores love in a more varied way than the audience first expects. The play still relates to audiences today. Love is a universal feeling and the audience can find a type of love to respond to, be it for friends, love or family.
