We can say that there are many types of love presented to us through out the play. The main types of love presented in this play are Platonic Love this can be described as purely spiritually but not sexual. Another type of love which is shown is Infatuation this is the inspiration with tense, transitory fondness or admiration. We can say that Romantic is the most common in the play is when two of the opposite sex come together with each being committed. Parental Love is shown in this play by both families as they care fir their families and would put each other first in any situation.
Love of family honour is also shown by some characters. The name of the family counts for something and this is their destiny. Lastly there is the Love of the state is the leader will keep his society safe and will care for his people.
Here are some of types of love represented by the characters in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and also what type of love they represent:
This is the first notion of love that is mentioned throughout the play. Romeo's love for Rosaline is quick, impulsive, and unfortunately, unrequited. She does not return the love he has for her, and is therefore forced to grieve over her. More importantly though, Romeo is not really in love with Rosaline. He is in love with the idea of being in love. This love is in sharp contrast to the love that Romeo will later feel for Juliet. Mercutio makes fun of Romeo's sorrow over his love for Rosaline. He finds it humorous that Romeo is so sickly in love with her. His love for her, says Mercutio, is based on a weak foundation, much like how dreams do not hold strong ground.
Romeo sees Juliet at the Capulet feast and falls instantly in love with her. Rosaline is simply a long-lost memory at this point. Even Romeo admits that he never really saw what true beauty or love was until this night, that he beholds Juliet. It is at this point that Romeo himself realizes the difference in the love he thought he felt for Rosaline and the love he now feels for Juliet.
While Juliet is waiting for Romeo to arrive at her bed chamber, she speaks about her love for him. She says that he will be the stars in the night sky, and that all of the world will be in love with night, if this is so. She also is impatiently waiting to consummate her new marriage with Romeo.
Juliet meets with the friar to discuss the issue of having to marry Paris. Her love for Romeo is so strong that she would rather kill herself than have to marry Paris, and thus, betray Romeo and their marriage together. This notion of what Juliet is willing to do for love comes up again here, as it did before, when she said she would denounce her name as a Capulet. The threat that she will kill herself if she has to marry Paris is foreshadowing the actual death to come at the end of the play.
The friar gives Juliet a sleeping potion that will make it look as if she is dead. She knows that this will be a difficult plan to carry out, but she looks to her love for Romeo to give her the strength to make it through.
Romeo learns that Juliet is dead, and leaves for Verona immediately. He buys poison along the way, intending to kill himself when he gets to Juliet in the Capulet tomb. He would rather kill himself than have to live without Juliet, his wife.
This notion of love and death also appears over and over again. Just like Romeo would rather kill himself than have to live without the love of Juliet, she too says the exact same thing earlier in the play.
Romeo gets to the tomb and sees Juliet. He gives a brief speech about his love for her. He promises that he will remain beside her forever, even if it is in death. He drinks the poison, and dies. This is the ultimate act of love - killing oneself for love. Love and death are inseparable here. Throughout the play, there is a lot of talk about love and death, but it is here at the climax and end of the play that they finally come together.
The prince takes drastic measures to ensure that his society stays peaceful.
We are now going to look at a few love scenes .Firstly we will be focussing on Act 1 Scene 5. This is an important scene if we are discussing the theme of love in the play as Romeo catches sight of Juliet for the first time. He is deep in thought by Juliet’s beauty describing her in simile when he says
“As a rich jewel in Ethiops ear .Beauty too rich for use ……”
This is effective because she shines brightly and is quite heavenly and angelic. He also uses hyperbole to extravagantly describe how bright she is. The use of personification in the line
“O she doth teach the torches to burn so bright…………….”
It is also in this scene that the lovers meet for the first time their first conversation is written as a sonnet which is a fourteen line love poem made up of a iambic pentameter and a popular and a high esteemed activity. Romeo compares Juliet to a shrine or a saint this is shown by the line
“If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this…….. “
This poetic effect gives the speech rhythm and makes it more of a sweet song then a declaration of love.
This religious imagery shows how devoted he is to Juliet and how he values her equally with God. When they kiss Romeo tells Juliet that he kisses “by the book” he could mean that he kisses expertly or without passion. Things do seem to be happening very quickly and Juliet possibly doubts his sincerity but she cannot deny that she has fallen in love with him too. A line which represents this is
“Prodigous birth of love, it is to me That I must love a loathed enemy………..”
They have both realised with dismay that they have fallen for their family’s hated enemies. It is at this stage that our other major theme is introduced: that of death. Juliet speaks in a sombre mood personifying death asher bridegroom. The line in which it I said is
“My grave is like to be my wedding bed……………”
This is ironic as very soon she will die to her love. She literally kills herself in the tomb when she believes Romeo has died for her. This is an example of dramatic irony.
Another famous love scene in the play is Act 2 Scene 2 otherwise known as the balcony scene. This is because Romeo is hidden from Juliet seeing her at an upstairs window and talk to themselves about how much he loves her. He compares her to the sun. The line which he expresses himself to Juliet is
“Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon…………..”
and the heavens
“As daylight doth a lamp. The airy region so bright that birds would sing and think it were not a night …………………. “
This seems again rather exaggerated but he is without doubt deep in love and he is following her every move and seems quite obsessive. A line which signifies this
“See how she leans her cheek upon her hand…………”
Juliet also declares her love for Romeo and begins to question why her lover should be named Romeo a despised Montague. She fells it is in the trouble Romeo himself. She uses a comparison by saying
“That which we call a rose. By any other word would smell as sweet…………………”
When Romeo reveals himself to her. She fears for his safety because she knows her family will kill him if they find him with Juliet. She does admit she is embarrassed a being overheard telling of her love but she still wants to know if he loves herb back. A line which she demonstrates her feelings is
“`O gentle Romeo If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully……………………”
Against this backdrop of love and passion there is also the prominent theme of death. Act 3 sc 1 opens in a public place in Verona where a fight is to ensue between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s. Mercutio taunts Tybalt but Tybalt ignores his insults because he is seeking Romeo’s blood.
“Romeo the love I bear can afford. No better term: this thou art a villain”
This is because Tybalt is enraged that Romeo has audacity to fall in love with his cousin. He therefore asks Romeo to
“run and draw”
But Romeo refuses the challenge to fight and tries to placate him much to Mercutio’s disgust. Mercutio then challenges Tybalt himself.
“Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? Make haste,lest mine be abrut you ears ere, it be out”
Romeo tries to make peace and steps between Tybalt and Mercutio but his intervention is fatal because as he is hidden by Romeo Tybalt thrusts his sword under Romeo’s arm and mortally wounds Mercutio. Even though he knows he will shortly die Mercutio still uses comical language saying his injuries are merely
“A scratch, a scratch, marry,’tis enough”
He does however mock both men as repeats at least 3 times
“A plague a’ both houses! ”
This is ironic because both families will soon lose a loved on close to them. Romeo blames himself for Mercutio’s wounds and is resentful for Tybalts insults. When her finds out Mercutio is dead he vows to kill him
“This day’s black fate on moe days doth depend, this but begins the woe others must end”
Romeo fears that the evil outcome of today’s violence in the future and it does seem from this point in the play that the tragedy really begins.
Another scene in the play which cannot be ignored when discussing the theme of death is Act 5 Scene 3. This act takes place at a churchyard outside the tomb of the Capulet’s. Paris is visiting Juliet’s tomb to lay flowers and mown his page whistles to him and warns him that someone is coming. Romeo has arrived to force open the tomb but as Paris steps to challenge him. He is slain with Romeo. Romeo is dismayed in finding who he has killed as a result dyeing wish and he lays his body by Juliet. Romeo then gazes on Juliet and admires her beauty. He imagines that death wants Juliet as a lover.
“Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty: Thou art not conquered, beauty’s ensign yet Is Crimson in thy lips and thy cheeks. And death pale flag is not advanced there “
He personifies death and actually feels jealous that Juliet has been taken away. A line which he expresses this is
“Shall I believe That unsubstantially Death is amorous, And that the lean abhorred monster keeps Thee here in dark to be his paramour”
He is also traumatized by this and decided to join her in death
“The doors of breath seal with righteous kiss. A dateless bargain to engrossing Death! ”
In conclusion I would say that there are man morals which run throughout the entire play. The morals are based on mainly on Romeo and Juliet. I think that Shakespeare is trying to tell us that if you are ever in love you should take it easy and rush into these sorts of mater. This was not done by Romeo and Juliet as they rushed their love too quickly and this cost their lives.
I feel that this play is tragedy as two star crossed lovers take their lives and are prepared to do anything in the name of love and for this they have to die. This is a classic as this is very true in many of modern dramas and films and follows the same outline of Romeo and Juliet.
