Examine the different types of love and analyse the language that Shakespeare uses to describe them.

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GCSE Coursework Assignment

Romeo and Juliet

In this essay I am going to examine the different types of love and analyse the language that Shakespeare uses to describe them.

        Shakespeare shows ‘Courtly Love’ through Romeo’s ‘love’ for Rosaline (act 1 scene 1 lines 167-172, 208-215) and Paris’ ‘love’ for Juliet (act 5 scene 3 lines 12-17).

    Courtly Love was a European tradition dating from the Middle Ages. It was a set of rules and expectations about the way ‘lovers’ from the aristocratic classes should behave.

‘The man should fall in love with a lady of a higher social class’.

‘She would probably be married, and therefore unobtainable’.

‘He can neither eat nor sleep thinking of his lady’.

These are a few rules of courtly love.

    Romeo’s ‘love’ for Rosaline was strong, even though that Romeo had never seen Rosaline. The audience find out later that Romeo is in love with the idea of being in love, I know this because:

‘This love feel I, that feel no love in this’ meaning he was in love with the conventions of love rather than actual love. The courtly love is written like a poem to make the reader realise this is not real love, I know this has when Romeo speaks the words are written as a poem. Shakespeare uses personification in act 1 scene 1 line 169 where ‘love’ is in capital and it is referred to as Cupid and not as a feeling.

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‘Alas that Love, whose view is still muffled’

Oxymoron (a combination of contrasting words), ‘loving hate’, ‘heavy lightness’ these are here to once again show the falseness of Romeo’s love for Rosaline. Rosaline is also a Capulet and Romeo is treading dangerously.

‘There’s much to do with hate, but more with love’ meaning some to hating the Capulet’s but more to do with loving Rosaline. Romeo’s speech is hyperbolic (exaggerated) to show Romeo’s view of his love for Rosaline.

    Negotiations between Paris and Juliet’s arranged marriage did not surprise the audience, as this was the age when girls ...

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