The idea that love and hate run as very close parallels is a very clear theme throughout the play and is first identified in the first speech in which the scene is set. It talks of “two households both alike in dignity” who are fighting and states that “from forth the fatal loins of these two foes a pair of star-cross’d loves take their life” This highlights the similarity of the Capulets and the Montagues and emphasises that having the capacity to hate someone brings with it the capacity to love them. This point is also raised by Romeo who when talking of the fray between the Capulets and the Montagues in the opening scenes, says “Here’s much to do with hate but more with love”. This suggests that all the tragedies that occur in the play are consequential to love and not, as it first appears, hate. Even the feud itself is not solely a result of hate but of love within the two families and the resulting need to protect and honour one another. Romeo and Juliet, related in this way through both love and hate are victims of this feud within which they are trapped. Upon finding out that Romeo is a Montague, Juliet says “my only love sprung from my only hate” and I think at this point Shakespeare is playing with the idea of hate giving birth to love thus presenting again the idea of these two emotions being so closely entwined. This also links love to suffering because it is because of their love, which must be hidden amongst hate, that they are killed. Also, it is the suffering caused by their deaths that leads to the reconciliation between the Capulets and the Montagues thus again linking love to suffering and death, and showing love being born of hate and pain perhaps because love is so powerful that it is able to overcome even an emotion as extreme as hate. Shakespeare uses this complex web of emotions to present a very ambiguous view of love, suffering and hate and their links to one another.
Another way in which Shakespeare presents love and it’s links to suffering and death is by using characters. For example Mercutio who throughout the play mocks love and romance for example saying sarcastically to Romeo “You a lover; borrow Cupid’s wings”. He believes that Romeo’s love is not genuine and is merely a dramatic game that he is playing. I think that Shakespeare presents many of his own personal views through Mercutio for example in the Queen Mab speech, which is a very key speech in the play. It explores the view of love being a form of madness, which is another argument towards the view of love being foolish and insincere. However throughout the play the audience are left wondering whether Mercutio, who often appears slightly mad himself, despite his mocking words, is actually a victim of love himself, either having been hurt through love or perhaps even feeling love towards Romeo that he knows can never be returned. Another relation is Mercutio’s death, which is a direct result of love, primarily his love for Romeo but also Romeo’s love for Juliet, which made him unwilling to fight Tybalt thus leading Mercutio to fight for him. Tybalt’s death too was brought about by love, this time Romeo’s loyalty to Mercutio but this too links directly with suffering as Tybalt’s death causes distress to Juliet, who Romeo also loves. This creates a very tragic and perhaps frightening link between love and death.
After Romeo and Juliet’s deaths, the Prince says “See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love” and I think this refers to the emotions felt by the two lovers. Throughout the play, they are the only two characters who seem completely untainted by hate and this is because of their love for each other which makes them realise that in many ways the true meaning of the feud between the two families is itself love. Thus their deaths provide an escape from the environment into which they were thrown and this brings irony to the play, as it is at this point that the feud is resolved.
In conclusion, I think that Shakespeare links love with suffering and death in many interesting ways and emphasises the power of love, which can be divine but equally destructive, and it’s parallels with hate. He presents the audience with various aspects of love and leaves them to decide which are examples of real love and which are false whilst highlighting their links with various degrees of suffering and in some cases death.