Romeo’s friends persuade him to go to the Capulet’s party. They gathered that Romeo might find someone fairer than Rosaline. Romeo agreed to go the party because of the fact he read that Rosaline would be attending the party.
The convention of the ball was ‘Masks’ and this would allow easy entry for Romeo and his friends into their enemy’s house. Romeo sets out to find Rosaline but immediately falls in love at first sight, with Juliet. ‘Oh she doth teach the torches to shine bright’ (I 5 45). Romeo uses religious imagery which is symbolic that love is deeper, and suggests the idea of meeting with great passion. It is written as a sonnet which makes the event much more important. This is a form of poetry which reflects the language, especially love poetry in Shakespeare’s time.
Juliet feels the same way for Romeo as he does for her, and they both realize they have fallen in love with the enemy. Romeo’s love for Juliet means him risking his safety to be with his love. Romeo is prepared to risk everything, even his family name for Juliet’s sake. The marriage must remain a secret and Friar Lawrence agrees to help the young lovers. Romeo must make practical arrangements with the nurse for the wedding night…
After the success of the secret marriage, Romeo’s attitude towards his enemies, the Capulet’s changes. Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel and Romeo refuses. Mercutio especially and Romeo’s other friends are angered and insulted with his refusal to fight. Tragedy occurs when Romeo tries to prevent Mercutio and Tybalt fighting. For a moment in time, Romeo’s friendship for Mercutio overcomes his love for Juliet and his marriage, guilt and sorrow at his friend death vanishes his intensions to be loving towards his in laws, killers of his friend. In revenge Romeo kills Tybalt and is vanished.
Romeo is distraught in what he has done; Juliet is his love, his soul mate, being without such love, unimaginable. This will destroy her. Friar Lawrence tries to comfort Romeo, but Romeo ignores his attempt to stop him weeping and tries to stab himself. The friar tells Romeo to be a man and to comfort his love, his wife.
The nurse brought a ring from Juliet to Romeo which makes him realize that this tragedy has not destroyed what they have- each other and their love for one another. To send a ring in Shakespeare’s time was a token of love. Some people might do that today, where others use it as a sign of friendship. Romeo would not physically do anything to hurt Juliet and cares more about Juliet than his own sorrow. The poetry of the lovers wedding night reflects the emotion of their love.
That night, Romeo has a dream that ‘his lady found him dead’. This is a sense of dramatic irony (5 1 6).
Back with the nurse at Juliet’s house, she has been proposed to by a rich young man, and is to marry him this coming Thursday. Juliet panics and doesn’t know what to do. She tries to send a message to Romeo to tell him of ‘her death’, but it fails to get there. Juliet has everything planned, she is willing to give up everything, her life, well nearly, to be with Romeo and so she swallows the poison.
Balfazar hears of Juliet’s death and at once tells Romeo, but Balfazar does not know that Juliet will wake from her long sleep, to make a new start with Romeo.
Romeo cannot live alone; his word also suggests his eternal quality of his love and defies even the stars to join his lady in death. Here once again, Romeo is willing to give up his life as he can not bare not to be with his love, Juliet. Love is consuming as Romeo found out.
