The nurse is one of the main servants in the play and is treated like one of the Capulet family members. Even though she is an employee, Juliet didn’t see her like that. She is closer to Juliet than her own mother. For example she refers to Juliet as “Jule”, yet Lady Capulet seems to have more of a formal relationship with Juliet and refers to her as “madam”. The language in which the nurse speaks is comical and of sexual nature. For example when telling the story of when Juliet falls over and breaks her brow, she finds it so ecstatically funny that she thinks she has to repeat it several times. Also in this scene the nurse refers to the bump on Juliet’s head as “as big as a young cock’rel’s stone”, and strengthening the audiences feelings of the vulgarity the nurse uses in her language of speeches. The nurse also uses successful metaphors when she speaks which is very unusual for someone of her social status.
In contrast to this, Lady Capulet also has a long speech, in which Shakespeare likes to refer to Paris as a book, which is an extended metaphor. Lady Capulet uses almost sonnets which in those days were elegant, sophisticated and knowledgeable. Lady Capulet speaks in a formal manner which is poetic, comparing Pairs to a book, explaining “in gold clasps locks in the golden story”. Shakespeare suggests how Lady Capulet exaggerates the wealth of Paris and that that is the main reason why Juliet should marry him in Lady Capulet’s point of view, she uses repetition on the word gold again to show Juliet how much money Paris has. The clasps however could either mean the clasps of the book or the hugs that Paris would give Juliet. Lady Capulet talks of Juliet’s future whereas the nurse speaks about Juliet’s past.
At first Romeo and Juliet have different attitudes to love but when they meet it all suddenly changes, this is a contrast between their ideas of love. Romeo is a person who falls in and out of love frequently. In the beginning he was in love with Rosaline but it was unrequited love, although when his and Juliet’s eyes meet he forgets all about Rosaline. Juliet is still a sweet innocent child who is not thinking about anything to do with marriage let alone boys, at the precise moment. She is still daddy’s little girl, as Lord Capulet tries to tell Paris, “She‘s the hopeful lady of my earth”. Shakespeare wants it known that Juliet is Lord Capulet’s only child and the hope of his life, she is also going to be the heir of his estate. “Earth” has many different explanations to it, which Lord Capulet tries to get across to the audience to let them know how he feels about Juliet. Lady Capulet’s attitude to love is not important to her at all, but marriage, money and status is. The nurse’s idea of love is lust, which is all she thinks about; sexual content. Then you have Mercutio who thinks that love is soppy and he doesn’t like the way it changes people. As you can see the characters differentiate from one another when it comes to love. When Romeo and Juliet actually set eyes on each other they both fall in love at first sight. The audience’s reaction to this is very pleasing but it is an obvious thing that is going to happen as the title of the play is named after Romeo and Juliet.
When Romeo sees Juliet for the first time he speaks about her, using metaphor: “She doth teach the torches to burn bright”. This tells us that Juliet's beauty is much brighter than that of the torches - so she is very beautiful. She is so much brighter that she teaches the torches how to shine - a poetic exaggeration, since torches can't really be taught. It is important for Romeo to say this, as the audience cannot see Juliet's beauty directly from the stage. Shakespeare develops the sonnet form in Romeo and Juliet and deliberately using it when the lovers first meet which is in act one, scene five. Shakespeare is very clever and uses a sonnet at this particular point in the play and how the lovers’ lines knit together as they fall in love. During their sonnet they use religious imagery, they are trying to convey to us how serious they are about each other and emphasising their depth of emotion for one another. The sonnets are written in poetry style and concentrates on the modern theme of love.
The attitudes to fighting throughout the play contrast in many ways and both families have different issues on it. At the start of the play, Benvolio does not want to fight Tybalt but keep the peace whereas Tybalt is eager to fight Benvolio. Shakespeare makes out Benvolio to be quite a coward by saying “I do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword, or manage it to part these men with me”. Benvolio is saying that the only wants to keep up the peace. When the Lords’ want to get involved in the feuds their Lady’s stop them and tell them not to be a part of the physical violence, which is very frustrating to them but they actually listen to their ladies. When it arrives to the night of the party, Lord Capulet’s attitude to fight changes when Tybalt approaches his uncle and explains that Romeo, a boy from the Montague household is present at the party, but Lord Capulet doesn’t mind and replies with “Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone, a bears him like a portly gentleman”. Lord Capulet speaks in a respectful manner to Tybalt but tells him not to worry as Romeo is a dignified gentleman and he will not cause any harm. In the film we can see it clearly stated throughout the party that the servants are rushing around everywhere and are busy preparing tables and food whilst the guest relax and mingle amongst one another. Also Lord Capulet and his cousin are reminiscing on the parties they used to have while Romeo and Juliet are enjoying the parties they are having now. These are evidently all contrasts.
Also in the Luhrmann’s film, the Capulets’ party is fancy dress and they are wearing different costumes that symbolise their character in the play. Romeo is a knight which symbolises that he is Juliet’s brave knight in shinning armour and is saving her from Paris, whereas Juliet is a fairy/angel representing her innocence, beauty and purity. Tybalt is a devil because he is likes to fight, he is evil, seeking trouble and devious. Paris is an astronaut who is rich, successful and out of this planet representing why he is the right person for Juliet to get married to. Lord and Lady Capulet are king and queen of Verona Beach and dress up as Marc Anthony/Julius Caesar and Cleopatra who also die in a similar way to Romeo and Juliet.
This play is full of many opposites and contrasts: love and hate, peace and conflict, young and old. It is all mainly to do with historical, cultural and social context. The play sadly ended with the two star-crossed lovers having to give their life for their families to end their fighting. Romeo and Juliet end with these words: “For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo”.
