One of the major themes that runs throughout Romeo and Juliet is love. Up until he sets eyes upon Juliet, Romeo believes himself to be in love with Rosaline. Rosaline is also a Capulet and does nothing to encourage Romeos infatuation with her. The fact that she is so uninterested and unobtainable shows that Romeo is in fact in love with the idea of being in love.
Romeo and Juliet fall in love at first sight. What Romeo feels for Juliet is true love and she feels the same back. When Romeo first sees Juliet he is entranced by her beauty. Shakespeare uses imagery to describe the effect Juliet has upon Romeo “…a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 43) and “…a snowy dove trooping with crows” (1, 5, 45). This helps the reader understand how much Juliet stands out from the crowd. Line 41 “O she doth teach the torches to burn bright” shows that Juliet is so beautiful that she seems to shine more brightly than the torches set out to light the party. Shakespeare uses many different images to emphasise Juliet’s outstanding beauty.
Romeos first conversation with Juliet is memorable because it is written as a sonnet. This was a popular way of rhyming in Shakespeare’s time as its structure and neat rhyming made it sound complete. The sharing of the sonnet between Romeo and Juliet isolates them from the party that is taking place around them. It also shows how well they are connected – their first conversation together is a love poem. This sonnet is filled with religious references - “holy shrine” (line 91), “Good pilgrim” (94), “lips that they must use in prayer” (99). This use of religious language makes Romeo and Juliet sound pure and innocent. Throughout the sonnet Romeo refers to Juliet as “saint” and she refers to him as “pilgrim”. Pilgrims make long journeys to the shrines in their holy lands to show their faith. This could have been written to show that this is what Romeo feels he has spent his life searching for, that his life is finally complete.
It is known from the beginning of the play that Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed lovers”. Their fate is written in the stars; whatever they do to try to prevent it, they are going to die. It is fate that brings them together in the first place. In Act 1, Scene 3, Capulet is arranging a party and sends his servant Peter out with a list of guests to invite. Peter can not read and asks the first men he sees to help him. These men are Romeo and Benvolio, who are arguing about whether or not Romeo is in love with Rosaline. They read the list and find that she, Rosaline Capulet, is invited. Benvolio trys to persuade Romeo to go to the party, as he thinks it will take his mind of Rosaline when he sees all the other beautiful girls at the party. Romeo eventually agrees to go but only as it will give him chance to see Rosaline, with whom he believes himself to be in love.
Before they enter the party (Act 1, Scene 4) Romeo tells Mercutio that he had a dream. He says that there is “Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars,” (line 107) which will result in his “untimely death” (111). This shows that he knows and accepts his destiny and reminds the audience of the tragedy that is to happen.
When Tybalt realises that Romeo is at the party he asks Capulet if he is able to fight him. Capulet tells him to leave Romeo alone as he is said to be a noble, well-mannered boy and doesn’t want him to be embarrassed. Tybalt agrees to leave him alone but is still angry and says “this intrusion shall, Now seeming sweet, convert to bitterest gall”. This means that he is going to be nice to Romeo for now. But the next time he sees him he is going to fight him and make him wish he never attended the party.
The final cruel twist of fate, in Act 1 Scene 5, is when Romeo and Juliet find out that they are from feuding families. Each asks the Nurse the name of the other. When Romeo finds out Juliet is a Capulet he says “O dear account, my life is my foe’s debt” (line 115), the person who makes his life worth living is the daughter of his enemy. This shows that without Juliet he feels he is better off dead. Juliet sends the Nurse to find who Romeo is with the words “Go ask his name- If he be married, My grave is like to be my wedding-bed” (lines 131-132), which once again reminds the reader of their terrible fate. The Nurse returns and tells Juliet that Romeo is a Montague. Juliet turns away from the Nurse to say
“My only love sprung from my only hate,
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love it is to me,
That I must love a loathed enemy.”
The rhyme and contradicting ideas show Juliet’s pain at falling in love with an enemy.
I think Act 1 Scene 5 is well written as it clearly shows the characters relationships and feelings towards each other. It shows that Romeo and Juliet are so perfect for each other that they fall in love at first sight. It also shows how pointless the families feud is, that even though Romeo has never done anything to harm or annoy him, Tybalt wants to fight him, just because he is a Montague. It also gives hints as to what is to happen later in the play. It is already known that Romeo and Juliet are going to die, but the reader is constantly reminded with lines such as “Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars,” (line 107) and Romeo dreaming of his “untimely death” (111).
