The correlation love and death is portrayed with clever use of language in Act 3, when Juliet receives news of Romeo’s banishment. She says ‘I’ll to my wedding bed; And death, not Romeo take my maidenhead!’ Knowledge of the conclusion of the play reveals this statement as ironic. She is unwittingly tempting fate by closely associating her wedding bed and her death. Juliet is enhancing the connection between love and death by implying that Romeo’s death would be mental and physical torture and this anguish would result in a destined death. This demonstrates Juliet’s strong-willed and ardent character.
Often the idea of a destiny is subtly included in emotive periods of the play. Different types of love all clash when lady Capulet informs Juliet of the proposed marriage with Paris. Juliet says in desperation. ‘O, sweet mother, cast me not away! Delay this marriage for a month, a week. / Or if you do not, make my bridal bed in that dim monument where Tybalt lies.’ This is a critical point in the conflict of love. Juliet’s all-consuming love for Romeo gives precedence over her daughterly love for her parents and her arranged love for Paris. Here, the language displays Juliet balancing prosaic love with a fateful death in one sentence. Juliet feels Tybalt’s death was caused from the angry conflict and she can foresee her death being for the same reason. This also occurs when Romeo is leaving his love one because of his banishment, and Juliet objects. Romeo replies. ‘I have more love to stay than will to go, Come death, and welcome, Juliet wills it so. This is a comparison of the ascendancy of love and death and is frequently included when Romeo and Juliet converse passionately to one another. Juliet and Romeo’s fervent comments parallel because they both create a link between their love and death. The language is controlled by a couplet, displaying his devotion and fidelity as a character.
When Romeo learns of the death of Juliet he feels that love has been defeated by death. When he comments, ‘then I defy you stars’ Romeo is challenging his destiny impacted by the stars. The language used by Shakespeare closely links love and death to show how Romeo finds a solution. ‘Well Juliet I will lie with thee tonight’ The language incorporates a clever use of ‘lie’ that echoes their marriage night where their love was consummated. Without prevaricating Romeo decides to take his own life and join Juliet. Shakespeare does this to build up tragedy and bring the correlation between love and death even closer. Later in the same scene, Romeo is gazing at Juliet; Romeo asks why she is still so beautiful and thinks perhaps death is in love with her. ‘the learn abhorred keeps Thee here in dark to be his paramour.’ So by joining Juliet in death Romeo will prevent death from being Juliet’s lover. The language introduces the idea of eternity. ‘I still will stay with thee; And never from this palace of dim light depart again.’ Until now love and death have been opposing each other but now death has become a solution of their love to become peaceful and eternal. The language of love and death being so closely linked draws the play to its tragic conclusion. Ultimately, through their deaths their love is immortalised and the impact of their passion breaks down the barriers created through their families’ conflict. Love transcends death and overcomes violence.
Although the protagonists come from contrary backgrounds, when they set eyes on each other for the first time a world of destined tragedy and passion is unveiled. Throughout the play, use of language and characterisation displays their love in connection to death to give a sense of foreboding and to present the power of their love. As the play progresses, the problems opposing their love grow more demanding. These problems go from Juliet being deceitful to her parents, to Romeo killing Tybalt and being banished. Ultimately their love ends the feud, conquers hate and transcends death. The final challenge their love faced was death, but death almost emerged as a way out of their passionate torture and a confirmed restful, destined future together.