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 have an instant ‘crush’ on Juliet. As the play progresses the audience sees the enormous risk he takes to see Juliet, climbing over the Capulet wall to watch her come out onto the balcony. It is as though the more difficult it is for the two lovers the stronger their passion for each other becomes. Their struggle becomes a metaphor for the healing power of love.
Shakespeare uses a range of dramatic devices to engage the empathy of the audience towards the young couple. In Act 2 Scene 2, the Balcony scene, many of these devices are used. There is dramatic tension in that Romeo needs to move quietly to avoid detection. There is always the danger that he will be discovered which would be dangerous enough if he was a suitable suitor for Juliet, but it is particularly dangerous because he is part of the Montague clan.
“Love were better ended by their hate then death prorogued wanting of thy love” Throughout this scene Shakespeare defines the relationship of the lovers in terms of light, the brilliance of stars seen against the night sky and the light of the sun and the moon.
“But, soft! What Light through yonder window breaks? It is east and Juliet is the sun!”
There are many references to light and darkness, portraying the different aspects of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. Although the balcony scene is set at night Juliet steps out into the light and Romeo sees her as an angel. He cannot speak to her as he is hidden in the dark depths of the Capulet garden. When Romeo starts to talk to Juliet he emerges into the light and, during the conversation the image of light is portrayed as positive.
“A thousand times the worse, to want thy light!”
Throughout the scene ‘light’ and ‘brightness’ represents hope, innocence and love.
The future of the young lovers seems predetermined by fate and this theme is echoed in the use of celestial imagery.
“Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, having some business, do entreat her eyes to twinkle in their spheres”
Romeo and Juliet describe many of their emotions using the night sky and celestial bodies as a metaphor. This gives the effect that their lives are in the hands of fate.
Dramatic tension is demonstrated throughout the balcony scene. The audience watches Romeo try to reach Juliet’s balcony while not getting caught. This adds action to the scene, but once they begin to talk the pace slows a little. However, when the nurse calls for Juliet the pace begins to pick up again as they hurriedly try to arrange their next meeting and say their good byes.
Shakespeare also uses oxymoron’s to convey the conflicting emotions that Romeo experiences in Act one, scene one. Benvolio questions Romeo about being in love with Rosaline. They notice that a fight has taken place. Romeo delivers a speech that echoes his confusion:
“…O brawling love, O loving hate…O heavy lightness, serious vanity…feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, Still-waking sleep.”
The oxymoron ‘brawling love’ is an indication of what is to come further on in the play. Everything around Romeo seems contradictory. It is effective because as Romeo reveals his feelings to the audience, we understand that love is blind and can be full of confusion.
Another type of love presented by Shakespeare is the love between the nurse and Juliet. The nurse is a mother figure towards Juliet as she has known her since birth. It is the nurse who sees Romeo to arrange the marriage. She is bawdy and sarcastic and intersperses sexual innuendos in her conversations with Juliet. Nevertheless she is loyal and has a jolly character.
“Though his face be better than any man’s, yet his leg excels all men’s; and for a hand and a foot and a body ”
However their relationship takes a turn for the worse when the nurse encourages Juliet to marry Paris. Juliet does not see this as an act of kindness or a protective gesture but rather that the nurse is being cruel and is stopping Juliet from being happy with Romeo.
“ O, he’s a lovely gentleman: Romeo’s a dishclout to him”
The nurse only promotes marriage to Paris because Juliet’s parents threaten to leave Juliet on the streets if she does not follow their orders to marry Paris.
Juliet’s parents wish to arrange a marriage between Juliet and Paris who is an eligible but older nobleman of Verona. If Juliet had not met Romeo this may well have been an excellent marriage for her as Paris is a gentlemen, kind and sensitive. Sadly he is killed by Romeo when he tries to defend Juliet’s tomb from what he believes is an act of vandalism by Romeo. Ironically, Paris is laid to rest by Juliet which is fitting as his love for her was noble and dignified.
Another technique used by Shakespeare to show love is the way he contrasts it so boldly to the hate in the play. There is Tybalt and Mercutio’s death and the constant fighting between the younger generations of the families. The hate adds drama to the love relationship and the audience is aware that Romeo and Juliet will never be able to fully consummate their love for one another. Despite this, the audience sees a deepening love between Romeo and Juliet, so strong that they are prepared to leave their families and friends to be with each other. Then, by a twist of fate, they take their own lives, rather then live without each other.
In conclusion, Shakespeare uses a range of techniques to present love through language and drama in the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’. He uses different language styles including the sonnet form of poetry, imagery, language techniques, the idea of fate and destiny and by using techniques such as oxymoron’s to emphasise and heighten the character’s feelings. He also highlights Romeo and Juliet’s relationship by structuring the play so that their scenes are separate from those involving hatred, death and darkness. This creates a play with romance, comedy, tragedy, and a deeper message about the importance of family, society, morality and their relationship to each other.
