Types of love in Romeo and Juliet

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The play Romeo and Juliet was written by William Shakespeare in 1595. In Romeo and Juliet, there are two emotions that revolve around the play and are extremely important; these two ideas are love and hate. The idea about ‘cogs driving the same wheel’ is associated with them. The entire plot of the story is the ‘wheel’ and love and hate are the ‘cogs’ that contribute to the story.

These two emotions are crucial from the start right through to the climax of the play. In my opinion I believe that Shakespeare spends more time talking about love however many of the key events of the play are due to hate as well as love. However the play itself begins with the families of Capulet and Montague in a bitter brawl also this is indicated in the two films. Sometimes equally love and hate contribute and explain some aspects of the play such as the death of Tybalt is a result.

Throughout the play, are several types of love that are used, these include courtly or petrarchan love, sexual love, dutiful love and finally true love.

Petrarchan love is a love that is an infatuation because it is not genuine and this love is indicated in the opening scene as Romeo falls in love with Rosaline this is unrequited love. Romeo however is convinced that she is the only woman for him but he is confused at this time and he uses poetic techniques such as oxymoron’s to describe her. “Well, in that hit you miss.” L206 act1scene1. It is indeed this infatuation Romeo has with Rosaline that provides him with a natural motive to go to the Capulet ball as he sees her name amongst the guests.

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The love of Paris and Juliet is similar to that of Romeo and Rosaline, where he loves Juliet but she does not love him and an arranged marriage had been planned and the love these two characters is called dutiful love. Lady Capulet is eager for Juliet to marry Paris because he is a wealthy, respects Juliet and is an honourable man. Lord Capulet unlike Lady Capulet as he wants to delay the marriage as he believes Juliet to be a “stranger in the world.” She is his only daughter and in fact his only child and he wants to ...

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