Explore how Shakespeare presents love through language and drama in the play Romeo and Juliet

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Explore how Shakespeare presents love through language and drama in the play Romeo and Juliet.

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays and has been described as a romantic tragedy. I will be looking at the different types of love in the play and how the language and drama reflect these.

The play opens with a Prologue from the Chorus who warn of the tragedy to come.

“……….A pair of two star-cross’d lovers take their life:……. ”

 Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet are the star-crossed lovers who die because their families, who have been feuding for generations, cannot accept the young people’s love for one another. The phrase ‘star-crossed’ evokes the recurring theme of celestial forces directing the outcome of the story.  When Romeo first meets Juliet it was ‘love at first sight’ which quickly developed into something deeper and more profound.  

 This is reflected in the language which changes from blank verse to sonnet form (I.5. 93-106). This raises the tone of the emotion and illustrates for the audience, the empathy in thought and feeling, between Romeo and Juliet. The imagery is religious, tender and sensual.

“My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand”

Romeo is hoping for a kiss from Juliet who stalls him by playing along with the imagery.

“For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss

There are lots of ‘o’ and ‘s’ sounds which slow the pace of the exchange, and this is in contrast to Tybalt’s harsh, clipped language.

In Romeo and Juliet we see how Shakespeare creates dramatic tension using the contrast between the public and private scenes. We notice that the private scenes are between Romeo and Juliet and their relationship. These are followed by public scenes which involve fighting and feuding, and this reminds the audience of the enmity between the two families, the tragic background to the love affair. These conflicts create drama and action in the play. Changes in location, pace and mood is another dramatic device which also keeps the audience engaged. The private scenes take place indoors and usually at night creating a secret and romantic atmosphere.  On the other hand the public scenes are set in the open, in the streets and during the hot day which is associated with stress, noise and action.

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When we first meet Romeo he is in love with a girl called Rosaline. However, we soon see that this ‘love’ is idealised and he is in love with the idea of being in love. Romeo’s love for Rosaline is young and innocent, he is confused and his ‘love’ is not reciprocated. He finds it painful,

 “Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn.”

His friends tease him about his teenage ‘crush’ and want Romeo to lighten up. Then in the next scene Romeo meets Juliet and seems to ...

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