Romeo and Juliet

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Romeo and Juliet

     In this play it seems that love is fated from the start by the citizens full of hate in Verona. The whole play could have been based on loving hate, as love will always overcome hate. From the start of the play love is fated, in the prologue it says that Romeo and Juliet are doomed to die. “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life”(Prologue, lines 5-6)

     There’s always an interruption in the love scenes because hate is the background. The lover’s whole state is full of danger. This is illustrated both in the Balcony scene (Act 2 scene 2) and after the lovers have consummated the marriage (Act 3 scene 5). Throughout the balcony scene there is always the fear that Romeo may get caught by one of Capulet’s guards and possibly will be killed: “The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, And the place death, considering who thou art, If any kinsmen find thee here.”(Act 2 scene 2 lines 63-65)

     The dispute in the play has ruined many people especially Sampson, as his idea of lovemaking is simply destructive. His hate for the house of Montague is so extreme that he even wants to rape their women. “ Tis true, and therefore women being the weaker vessels are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will push Montague’s men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall.” (Act 1 scene 1 lines 14-16) In this speech there’s a sexist comment from Sampson saying that women are a lower standard to men. In my opinion love is equal so here we see Sampson talking of sex in a crude way and women as being less important. The result of these words shows us that the feud has taken over the hearts of these men so that they no longer know what love truly is.

     Courteous love is a fictional convention and Romeo is the stereotypical lover who pines for the love of a woman who is unavailable, although Romeo goes too far in his vocation as a well-mannered lover therefore making his love seem make-believe. Romeo illustrates what was expected of a well-mannered lover: He stays in sycamore groves, “Where underneath the grove of sycamore” (Act 1 scene 1 line 12) He shuts himself away displaced from society, preferring night to day, “Shuts up windows, locks fair daylight out, and makes himself an artificial night” (Act 1 scene 1 lines 130-131) Romeo is very over emotional and one of his lines can sum up the whole play: “Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love” (Act 1 scene 1 line 166) We get the idea that Romeo is in love with the idea of being in love.

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     Romeo uses the language he expects lovers to use because he wants to be a well-mannered lover. But he uses too much so it begins to seem it’s false. It’s a clever use of language but it’s too extreme. Romeo’s second speech is a very intellectual use of wording: “Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes, Being vexed, a sea nourished with loving tears” (Act 1 scene 1 lines 182-183). In this speech it shows us that there’s two sides of love – happiness and rejection. Romeo sees both sides of love but rarely sees the happy ...

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