The second half of the scene changes the focus from the theme of violence to the theme of love, which Romeo has for Rosaline. Romeo describes how he feels through a series of oxymorons “ O brawling love, O loving hate.” This shows him as a young inexperienced lover as the play progresses he uses more developed expressions this shows how he grows up and matures through out the play. Romeo has many emotions in his head this reflects the chaos that is occurring in Verona. Shakespeare repeatedly shows through oxymorons how closely linked are the battles of love and hate.
In Act one, Scene five Romeo and his friends go to the Capulets bawl wearing masks so they cannot be recognised. As soon as Romeo sets eyes on Juliet he falls in love with her. Unfortunately Tybalt recognises his voice and sends for his rapier to kill him. There is opposition in this because whilst Romeo is in love and feeling happy Tybalt is planning to kill him because of the hatred he feels towards Romeo. Once again there is the love and hate opposition. As soon as Juliet realises that Romeo is a Montague she knows their relationship is ruined. Juliet concisely expresses the connection between love and hate and marriage and death: “My only love sprung from my only hate.” She also declares immediately that if she cannot marry Romeo, she would rather die: “If he be married. / My grave is like to be my wedding bed.” It refers to the love and hate opposition, this is dramatic because the audience know something that the actors don’t- that Juliet's grave will be her wedding bed- this makes them feel anger towards their families because they know the children’s fate.
There is also the young and old theme as lord Capulet has ordered young Tybalt to leave Romeo alone and not to cause a fight. This contrasts with his usual character, as he normally hates the Montague’s and often fights with them himself.
When Romeo first falls in love with Juliet he initially describes her as a source of light, like a star, against the darkness: “she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night.” As the play continues the theme of light and dark is associated with the lovers. The dark relates to the secrecy of their relationship and how after Romeo is banished they can only meet up at night under the cover of darkness. The light relates to how they see each other as something bright and positive in the hateful atmosphere that surrounds their families. The association of both Romeo and Juliet with the stars also continually reminds the audience that their fate is “star-cross’d lovers take their life.”
At the start of Act three, Scene1 Benvolio and Mercutio are loitering on the streets of Verona when Tybalt arrives looking for Romeo. This builds up the dramatic tension because the audience can tell that something bad is going to happen. Benvolio wants to keep the peace but Mercutio tries to provoke Tybalt so there will be a fight. When Romeo appears Tybalt starts to insult him trying to challenge him to a fight, Tybalt is unaware that Romeo is now related to him Romeo. Mercutio and Romeos characters contrast each other as Romeo is happy and cheerful and trying to keep the peace where as Mercutio is trying to start a fight. When Romeo refuses to fight, Mercutio willing takes out his sword and fights for him. When Mercutio is stabbed fatally and is crouched down dying his exclaims, “A plague o’ both your houses!” This violent scene of flaring tempers and death strongly contrasts the romantic, peaceful previous night that he spent with his love Juliet.
Since Romeo married Juliet he no longer sees himself as a Montague but as a Capulet this mirrors the seen on the balcony were he says, “Call me but love…Henceforth I never will be Romeo.” This does not change the fact that Tybalt still wants revenge for him coming to their ball. Although Romeo does not consider himself a Montague Tybalt still does and were Romeo is willing to love Tybalt as family, Tybalt is unwilling to do the same and still feels hatred towards Romeo. It is Romeo love that worsens the fight because Tybalt feels he needs to do more to get Romeo to respond. After Mercutio death Romeo does respond to Tybalt at this point of the play hatred is winning over love and peace as Tybalt has got his own way and gotten Romeo into a fight.
Once again light and darkness comes into play during Act three, Scene five when the two lovers don’t want to end their final night together so Juliet tries to tell Romeo that it is not a lark their hear but a nightingale- a bird of the night. They finally separate at daybreak to avoid the Prince’s threat of death; this once again shows love and hate. This part of the scene shows their love flourishing in the darkness but when daylight comes it brings with it separation and sadness. Juliet says, “Window, let day in, and let life out.”
As Romeo leaves, Juliet has a frightening vision of Romeo “as one dead in the bottom of a tomb.” This vision will prove true in the final scene when Juliet awakes from her drugged sleep to find Romeo lying dead next to her. Once again this shows love and death, the audience can see the joy on their wedding night will soon be ruined by their deaths.
When lady Capulet tells Juliet about her proposed marriage to Paris and Juliet refuses her mother- who is a cold character like Tybalt- exclaims that she wishes “the fool were married to her grave.” Once again the image of Juliet's grave being her wedding bed is used this links love with death. This is dramatic because the audience know Juliet s already married where as her mother doesn’t. There is also dramatic tension because they know that Juliet's parents will probably find out about her being married to the enemy Rome. Her father also continues to act coldly like his wife and goes on to call her a “baggage” and “carrion” because she refuses to marry Paris.
Marriage is meant to be a time of joy but for Juliet it is a time of sadness and hatred because she is being made to leave behind her true love Romeo and forced to marry someone that her parents want her to. Juliet's nurse is more like a mother figure to her and when she tells her to forget about the “dishclout” Romeo, she betrays Juliet's trust. This shows that even the very people she thinks are on her side and are supposed to love her are willing to hate her because she loves their enemy. It is at this point that she realises that every member of her family has abandoned her and goes to friar Lawrence to get advice. She decides that she would prefer to die than marry Paris- “If all else fail, myself have power to die.”
The final scene of the play (Act five, Scene three) brings the reunion of Romeo and Juliet and the triumph of love over hate. The tomb becomes a symbol of birth and death, as Juliet's should come out alive as if she has been reborn whereas instead she along with Romeo and Paris are found dead. This scene occurs at night he time when their love should flourish, Romeo final speech also makes references to the opposition light and dark by saying: “her beauty makes / This vault a feasting presence full of light.” This shows how closely linked the oppositions of love and hate, light and dark are. Images like this one make the audience even more aware of how close the lovers actually were. Romeo drinks the poison when Juliet awakes she sees his body and stabs her self- in away this shows love as they are together in peace at last but it also shows hatred as this what their families have made them do. When their families find out about their deaths they finally end there on going feud, so love eventually triumphs over hatred. Although both families lost something that was very precious to them they also gain a precious friendship with the former enemy, which would prevent any more of their families getting killed.
The whole play uses the main oppositions- love and hate, romance and conflict. These are repeatedly shown through out the scenes by the fighting between the two families, (the Capulets and Montagues) whilst Romeo and Juliet are having their secret relationship. This brings out the opposition of light and dark and links it with love and hate because their love is great at night but come light and day they can’t see each other and Romeo is often forced to fight with Tybalt. In the final scene when both children take their own lives their families finally see sense and end their long lasting conflict, so in away love triumphs over hate as their love and death has caused peace between their families. Through out the play dramatic is created by the way in which Shakespeare directs the actors to deliver the lines particularly the fight and love scenes.
