Romeo and Juliet’s love is very different from that described by Samson and Gregory at the start of the play. They both describe their feelings towards women and their lustful feelings threatening any Montague they find, “…me they shall feel while I am able to strand and ‘tis know I am a pretty piece of flesh.” An Elizabethan audience would find this offensive talk amusing and it provides humour in the play. The nurse is another character who enjoys lustful comments, which by today’s standards seem quite rude.” Yea quoth my husband, fallst upon thy face, thou wilt fall backward when they comest of age.” The nurse sees life and marriage in quite sexual terms. This show us the reality of women’ lives in those days. Once a woman was married her husband owned her and she had no rights.
Romeo seems rather indecisive at the start of the play but he seems to be loved and cherished Benvolio and Mercutio. It was important for Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio to be loyal to each other, as they could all easily need help and supporting these treacherous times. We see that Benvolio has a character of great strength and support. When he tries to stop the fight between Tybalt and Mercutio. He tries to reason with them to calm the situation down, “ We talk here in the public haunt of men: either withdraw into some private place or reason coldly of your grievances.” Benvolio’s kindness and control is no match for the anger of Tybalt and the rage of Mercutio. He fails to stop them both fighting and when Mercutio lays dead, he tells Romeo.
“Oh Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio is dead, that gallant spirit hath aspir’d the clouds, which too untimely here did scorn the earth.”
The audience can truly feel Romeo’s great sense of loss and also the overpowering cry of Mercutio’s dying curse.
The relationship between Romeo and Mercutio can be as sexual as in the latest Lehman film. Usually the relationship is platonic, but times the can be seen as almost flirting. Mercutio is most certainly the more cleverer and mature than Romeo and Benvolio. But Benvolio can get overexcited at times and has to be calmed by Romeo.
“Give me a torch, I am for this ambling, being but heavy I will bear the light.”
“Nay gentle Romeo, we must have you dance.”
At times Mercutio speaks in verse to Romeo, when they are both speaking of love. Their relationship is very tense which is most probably why Mercutio is so outraged by Tybalt’s reference about him and Romeo being an item.
The history of the two rival families is never far from the surrounding atmosphere of the play. The tension, which exists in the families is highly dangerous and has been going on for many long years. It result’s in Juliet making a futuristic comment “My only love sprung from my only hate”, and it causes the death of Mercutio. Maybe the Prince observes the anger of the people best as he punishes this false of family, which seems more like hatred. His speech is in verse and holds great dignity and power.
“I have an interest in your hates proceeding my blood for your rude brawls doth lie a bleeding”.
However this has a seemingly small effect on Lady Capulet as she later plans to get her revenge by poisoning Romeo whilst he is in Manthua.
Within each family we see the love of a present for a child. At the start of the play, Capulet is seen as a kind, considerate, loving father to a loyal, obedient father. When Paris asks to marry Juliet, Capulet reply is:
“The earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she is the hopeful Lady of my earth: But woo her gentle Paris, get her heart, my will to her consent I but a part.”
Her mother although quite distract also seems to care for her daughter. All this changes when Juliet refuses to marry Paris. The change is tremendous as they, cannot believe their daughter is refusing to obey them. When Juliet refuses, what he sees as a very reasonable match.
“And be you mine, I’ll give you to my friend, and you be a lot, hang, beg, starve, and die in the streets far by my soul I’ll ner’or acknowledge these.”
As Juliet withdraws from this onslaught from the father she adores, her mothers cold contempt closes the chance for mercy. This is not a family, which reasons.
“Do what thou wilt, for I have done with thee.”
Romeo’s relationship with his parents seems more easily going. As a young man he has much greater freedom than Juliet, he would never be ‘married off’ or be controlled totally by his father. When the play starts, Romeo’s parents shoe concern, as he seems down and depressed.
“Could we but learn from where his sorrows grow, we would as willingly give care as known.”
They continue to be worried about him and are suicidal after Romeo kills Tybalt they try to defend him to the Prince. Romeo is supposed to be a peaceful, well-mannered youth and perhaps this is why the Price banishes him instead of executing him.
The night before Romeo leaves for Manthua he speaks with Juliet, although this is not seen on stage as in Shakespeare’s day Juliet would have been played by a boy. The audience sees them both, as Romeo is about to leave for exile. Their passionate love for each other has made Romeo far more mature and understanding, it is a very touching scene. The self-absorbed lover for Rosaline has gone and a respectful young man has replaced him. He realises that these sorrows could be useful.
“I doubt it not, and all these woes shall serve for sweet discourses in our time to come.”
Juliet changes also when she becomes in love with Romeo. Her words become more expressive, she talks of lover’s night and her desire for physical love with her new husband. She compares him with the stars a gift from heaven.
“Give me my Romeo and when he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars. And he will make the face heaven so fine, that all the world will be in love with night.”
The play examines many types of love, feudal/family hatred. The prince sums it up when he says, “See what a scourge is laid upon your hate.” As the audience we see the redeeming power of love, which has an enormous effect on our lives today. Shakespeare has written a great play, which is still vital in that it deals with love, hate, prejudice and violence. The feelings shown in this play still exists today and we can learn from Romeo and Juliet.
