"It is primarily the love between Romeo and Juliet that makes the play so enduringly popular." To what extent do you believe with this statement?

Humour coupled with love and violence is also constantly used in this play. Throughout the play the sexual innuendos of the Nurse and Mercutio until he is savagely murdered provide a contrast to the love of Romeo and Juliet and in some places violence and tragedy. As soon as the first scene we can see an example of this kind of contrast. In act one scene one we meet the two serving men of the house of Capulet, Sampson and Gregory. In this scene Sampson refers to his sword being a “naked weapon”. In context to the play at this current moment the serving men have just been discussing women just before the Montague serving men move into the fair street of Verona where they stroll. Therefore by referring his sword as his “naked weapon” we are amused as the audience may think of an action of love linked with men and women. After this crude joke however a fight breaks out between the two houses and we meet the fiery Tybalt a loyal Capulet who is eager to fight, “Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.”  Benvolio a loyal Montague proceeds to cease the outbreak, “I do but keep the peace” but his efforts are in vain. After this Prince Escales persists to stop the profaners and after this is achieved he threatens death in the future if any more trouble is caused between the houses in the streets or Verona. A place in the play where humour contrasts to the love between Romeo and Juliet is Act two scene four. In this scene the nurse, Juliet’s messenger, who is regularly the person providing the humour is mocked by young Mercutio. The Nurse who we already assume is not particularly blessed in figure or complexion is ridiculed for her looks and size in this scene in a entertaining manner. Mercutio exclaims “A sail, a sail” as he sees the nurse in the distance. He is indirectly using imagery to compare the size of the nurse to a large sailing ship; he believes that her clothes droop over her figure like the sails droop from the masts of a ship. Behind the Nurse’s back this is rude but provides humour for the reader as it instils a comical visual picture in the audiences mind. Reasons why this is effective is because two scenes later in act two scene six, Romeo and Juliet are gathered in Friar Lawrence’s cell to be wed. The humour now contrasts to the love and makes the love seem stronger and true because of the different types of lexical choices used. For example after Romeo has just kissed his bride, Juliet she pronounces “my true love has grown to such excess”. This descriptive sentence summarising Juliet’s love for Romeo now seems of even more meaning compared to the humour in the previous scene, the audience will feel that the love they share is not adolescent love but a true showing of the strong feelings they feel for each other. This point in the play is also known as the point of peripeteia, meaning the point where the characters fortunes have reached their highest. From here the love that our couple share is in great danger or on a downwardly slope until as described in the prologue Romeo and Juliet takes their lives.

Thirdly is violence compared to the love? Yes. An early example of this in the play is act one scene five at Capulet’s gathering. Romeo has just noticed the radiant beauty of Juliet and asked a serving man “What lady’s that which doth enrich the hand of yonder knight”. By this he means he his astounded at the beauty of this marvellous lady and Shakespeare’s use of the word ‘enrich’ makes us feel as though Romeo is feeling blessed being able to breathe the same air as f air Juliet and being able to look upon such a beauty. We feel from the moment he sees her he feels not only love for this woman but respect and awe. Sadly after this we feel already that Romeo’s and Juliet’s future is in jeopardy even before they have met. We realize as we read on that fiery Tybalt has noticed Young Romeo and he is outraged that this Montague feels he can come to his sovereign’s feast. He exclaims in anger “A villain that is hither come in spite”. With the use of the noun ‘villain’ we sense that Tybalt feels that Romeo is below him in status and that he is a wicked or malevolent person. Tybalt proceeds to tell Capulet but he says that “Verona brags of him (Romeo) to be a virtuous and well-governed youth”. Capulet by pronouncing Romeo is ‘virtuous’ means that in his mind Romeo has moral excellence so hence Romeo is lucky here as he could of easily been killed but Capulet is not willing “Here in my house do him Disparagement”. Disparagement meaning to damage someone’s reputation. The violence after the loving aura makes us appreciate the love further that Romeo and Juliet share throughout the play. It makes us cherish it as we are constantly feeling that their love is under threat so we treasure this mood while it is still a prominent and unique factor.

Lastly is fate contrasting love? In my opinion fate is always a foremost factor in the readers mind throughout the play. Since the prologue we feel an underlying pathos. This is because of the line stating “pair of star-crossed lovers take their life”. This sentence mentioned at the start of the play means that many a reader will feel dramatic irony for Romeo and Juliet; this is because we know that whatever path they take they will eventually die. During loving scenes we may feel sadness for the characters rather than joy. We can visualize the love that Romeo and Juliet express for each other but whatever happens they are to die. The prose that Romeo and Juliet talk to each other in makes us realise their love is true along with the expressive language and descriptive adjectives used to describe each other and the love they share. But the reader could feel that all attempts are in vain. Some readers may think that Shakespeare by revealing the plot at such an early stage is giving a reader no point to persist and continue but in my opinion it entices the reader. The reader will want to read on to see how the lovers take their lives and the events that cause the lovers tragedy. Also another use of fate is when tragic words are entangled in the sentences at loving moments; these in effect constantly remind us of the fate and underlying pathos. A key point in which this features in the play is act two scene six. Once again I mention the wedding scene. Here both Romeo and Friar Lawrence mention death and tragedy yet it is supposed to be the most cherished and affectionate part of the play. While Romeo is waiting for his fair maiden to arrive Shakespeare uses personification, Romeo pronounces “love-devouring Death do what he dare”. Shakespeare turns death into a person with the use of the pronoun ‘he’ and uses imagery to make the reader picture death ‘devouring’ love. In my mind this is a rather gruesome image as it compares death eating love and it can lead to a number of images in a persons mind.  This kind of sentence can make us think of the grave during times of delight and when constantly mentioned can make the audience think of both good and bad at once.

In conclusion many factors contribute to the play and it is not only “the love between Romeo and Juliet that makes the play so enduringly popular”. The use of all moods mentioned juxtaposing the love creates tension and anxiety which in my mind create a fully rounded and enjoyable play. In summary love is constantly compared with humour, violence and fate as it makes the reader constantly speculate the plot in advance and challenge Shakespeare’s choices. The audience also has a wide range of views that they are enticed to ponder and possibly think of alternatives upon. This has provided most with an enjoyable play and it provides variety so that Romeo and Juliet can appeal to many different audiences .Variety in moods in this play also welcomes many different opportunities to use imagery and lexis which are intriguing and imaginative. So in final conclusion I feel strongly that “It is not primarily the love between Romeo and Juliet that makes the play so enduringly popular”.