Mercutio’s attitude towards love is very sarcastic; it is uses bawdy humour and innuendo. Mercutio is always twisting words so that they become rude. One innuendo he uses would be
“An open-arse, thou pop’rin pear.” Mercutio is not at all a the person who would show any sign of affection, but a person who would joke about love and feelings. He mocks Romeo when he hears about Romeo’s love for Rosaline. Sampson, Gregory and the Nurse all use bawdy humour, but Mercutio is the wittiest. “this is the hag, when maids lie on their backs, That presses them and learns them first to bear, making them women of good carriage. This is she-” He is constantly punning, this shows how he generally behaves. Mercutio does not provide much help to the love of Romeo and Juliet mainly because he doesn’t know about their secret love, but even if he did know he is the kind of character who would mock. He thinks that Romeo is wasting his time with Rosaline, and mocks him.
At the beginning of Act 2 Scene 3, Friar Lawrence thinks that Romeo. He treats Romeo like a son, as Friar has known him since he was born.
“Young son, it argues a distemper’d head” which means that Romeo, a young man should be getting sleep and shouldn’t be disturbed”
“But where unbruised youth with unstuff’d brain” meaning Romeo shoudn’t have any worries when going to sleep unlike an older man like Friar Lawrence that stay awake with worries.
Friar Lawrence is happy when Romeo says “I have forgot that name” when he is asked about Rosaline. Young Romeo then tells Frair Lawrence that he is certain he loves Juliet. Friar Lawrence then goes to mock Romeo by saying
“Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes” Friar Lawrence does not believe Romeo is really in love, but only cares about their appearance i.e. their looks. Friar Lawrence shows love in this scene towards Romeo by taking great interests in what he is doing, but also by doing the type of things a father would do. “The sweetest honey is loathsome in his own deliciousness” The Friar says this to Romeo suggesting that anticipation is more than what it turns out to be.
Friar Lawrence marries the couple and tries to help them whenever possible. He wants the best for them and thinks that if they marry then possibly the feuding will end; “In one respect I’ll thy assistant be: for this may so happy prove, to turn your households’ rancour to pure love”
The Nurse in Romeo and Juliet is a character who is treats Juliet as her own child. She has always been looking after Juliet since she was a baby. Even though Juliet’s real mother is Lady Capulet, she does not seem to be so interested in her. People only hired people like the Nurse if they were very wealthy and powerful. Juliet and the Nurse are closer to each other than Juliet and lady Capulet have ever been. The nurse has a blunt attitude towards love and sex, but s affectionate and loving woman who wants Juliet to be happy. In the beginning, the nurse aids Juliet’s love for Romeo but in the end she tries to persuade Juliet to marry Paris.
Old Capulet has a certain type of love towards his daughter Juliet; he has never really bonded with her a lot. Capulet was saying just before how his daughter is really young to be married “and soon marr’d are those so early made” but Paris is arguing and saying that there are girls younger than Juliet that have got married. This means that Capulet, as a concerned father thinks those who get married too young could end up being hurt, and if Juliet does not choose Paris as the one she loves, he should love her anyway. I think he shows a caring side here because he is worried about the age of Juliet. He also says if Juliet picks Paris out as someone she loves then Capulet will agree. When the audience hear Lord Capulet in act 4, scene 5 and act 5 scene 4 they would be shocked because due to his sudden reaction when he hears that Juliet refuses to marry Paris. He is so angry that he can’t keep his feelings in.
Benvolio is Romeo’s cousin, and is also one of his closest relatives. He definitely shows a very caring character treating Romeo with respect, as if he was his brother. He is always advising Romeo what to do. “Be rul’d by me, forget to think of her, by giving liberty into mine eyes, examine other beauties
Tybalt is part of the Capulet family and is very protective over what his family represent. He is willing to fight for his life, as we can see with an incident occurring with Romeo. When Tybalt realises that his most hated enemies are attending their party, he goes straight to the head of the house (Capulet) and complains he wants them to leave at once. “Tis he, that villain Romeo.” Capulet considers the ideas of Tybalt but realises that there will be an uproar and the party will most likely be spoilt. “Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone, ‘A bears him like a portly gentleman…”
Paris is the man whom Capulet wants Juliet to marry. Paris explains his feelings for Juliet to Capulet. It seems that Paris does love Juliet because when Romeo kills him he asks to be put in her tomb, “If thou be merciful, Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet.”
In conclusion, the play of Romeo and Juliet, shows many different types of love. Romantic and true love compared with courtly unrequited love and the sexual love of Mercutio. It also compares the fatherly love of the Friar with that of Capulet and the motherly love of the nurse with that of Lady Capulet. Benvolio and Tybalt meanwhile illustrate brotherly love and the extreme love of the family name. In the play, it is less to do with love and more about wealth and family status. In act 5, scene 3, Romeo resolves to kill himself that night in Capulet’s monument. I think this is a brave decision, because it shows the depth of his love for Juliet. It is extremely romantic act “this love feel I, that feel no love in this.”
By Scott Stoneham
