Romeo and JUliet

Introduction

I am writing an essay of how Shakespeare explores different types of love in Romeo and Juliet and then how they are similar to liturgy heritage poems. I also look at a poem by Elizabeth Benet browning that is a poem that has the same structure as Shakespeare sonnets. In Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare portrays many different types of love, as it is the most important theme in the play, and appears in many contrasting forms. Love is depicted in different ways by different characters, figurative language and imagery. In the beginning of the play Romeo’s love for Rosaline is unrequited which means it isn’t returned and is build on lust and infatuation and is therefore unrequited. Mercutio and Tybalt have a very strong filial love which is love for their families and their fighting reputation is driven by this hatred. The true love between Romeo and Juliet shows that lovers are not interchangeable and that love transcends appearance. The love between Capulet and lady Capulet is forced love and is over possession and money. The nurse is constantly making bawdy comments and see’s love a sexual and marriage. First type of love we see is Romeo’s unrequited love for Rosaline.

At the start of the play in act one; Romeo is in love with a woman called Rosaline. He is acting in a peculiar way; his cousin Benvolio discovers why, incurable lovesickness. He is upset because the one he loved vowed to chastity. Romeo thinks love is about lust and is desperately in love with Rosaline. “Why then, o brawling love, o loving hate”. This is an oxymoron and this shows Romeo is confused and is love sick. Also he thinks he is doing something that nobody else is doing so he feels left out. This quotation shows that Romeo is not in his right mind. ‘Shut up his window, lock fair daylight out and makes himself an artificial night’ this is how his farther describes Romeo. The imagery Shakespeare used created a depressing atmosphere, Shakespeare created a difference between light and dark, also portrayed the miserable and sorrowful feeling of Romeo. Romeo believes love is about appearance and beauty, he reveals this when he talk to Benvolio. ‘Doth her beauty serve but as a note’ he is saying he wants to love a beautiful woman. However her beauty won’t last forever so he wants the moment now. This links to sonnet 18 because Romeo thinks love is about the moment and physical and pleasing himself. ‘Every fair from fair sometime declines’ this means everything will lose their beauty one day and won’t last forever like a summer’s day. In sonnet 18 Shakespeare is talking about looks and beauty. The modern reader can relate to this kind of love because most young people fall in love and might not all go to plan.

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Romeo totally changes his view of love when he see’s Juliet at the party in act two. ‘She doth teaches the torches to burn bright’ he is in love with Juliet even though he doesn’t know her. That quotation links to sonnet 18 ‘compare thee to summer’s day’ summers day is hot and Juliet is as beauty will never fade and not even death can take it and this is like Romeo describing Juliet. Juliet’s beauty completely erases his memories of Rosaline. ‘Did my heart love till know’ Shakespeare is saying Romeo see’s Juliet more beautiful than the rest. This shows his instability and how he is being controlled by his emotions because that’s how he judges people; on their looks. Romeo says ‘she walks in beauty’ he compares Juliet with jewels and light in the night. This quotation is similar to the one in sonnet 18 ‘too hot the eye of heaven shines’ this is saying summer can be too hot and it shadow the earth, unlike the shiny beauty of his lover. Also it has an immortal quality of love ‘thy eternal summer shall not fade’. When Romeo sees Juliet for the first time is using religious metaphors in his conversation with Juliet. Also the use of puns in the pilgrim speech between Romeo and Juliet such as "palm to palm is holy palmer’s kiss" reminds the audience that both the lovers are quite young and gives the speech a more light-hearted feel. Romeo thinks that his sinned hands might treat Juliet roughly because he describes her as a beautiful ’saint’. He is using religious metaphors he is saying his love for Juliet is pure, passionate and divine like religion. This is similar to the religious imagery used in sonnet 18 ‘heaven shines’. We see Romeo experiencing love on a next level and he feels a connection for the first time. We know that Romeo and Juliet are experiencing true love because they are exchanging words. He is taking things slow with Juliet and is quite shy in front of her, so this shows Romeo has changed his understanding of love. Shakespeare shows that Romeo’s love was fast and about the moment. Also Romeo and Juliet’s love doesn’t always run smoothly. When he kills Tybalt this shows Romeo has chosen his family over his wife. So this shows the bond between men are stronger then the bonds between a wives. The historical context is that men are more important in Shakespeare time. This is a test of their love and links to sonnet 116 ‘or bends with the remover to remove’ Shakespeare is saying true love never runs smoothly and that doesn’t mean you don’t stop loving them. Shakespeare wanted us to focus on Romeo and Juliet’s love because he believes that is the only love worth living with. Also he shows Romeo and Juliet are the happiest together. Shakespeare wanted the audience to think about true love, which is between Romeo and Juliet. The modern crowd would think Romeo’s love for Juliet is artificial because he doesn’t know Juliet for a long and they are thinking of marriage. I am going to look at how Juliet defines love.

At the beginning of the play act one Juliet is experiencing filial love for her family. Juliet is seen as a quiet and obedient girl, when she asked about marriage she says ’it is an honour is dream not of’. So this suggests that Juliet is not in love with anyone and has never thought about marriage. She doesn't want to contradict her mother. So, she doesn't say no. In today’s society the daughters would protest more and get their ideas across. She is different from Romeo because she doesn’t fall in love instantly ‘if looking liking move’ instead she takes things slowly. The modern society would react differently because the parents no longer select the partner for their daughters. The audience will feel sympathy for what Juliet has to go through. In Shakespearean times arranged marriage was accepted a lot.

In act 2 the balcony scene is very famous; Romeo and Juliet really got to know each other. Romeo comes in the scene and says ‘light through window breaks’ this quotation links to sonnet 43 ‘by sun and candle light’ and Shakespeare is repeating the light imagery. Juliet is on the balcony and is saying how she wishes her lover was not her enemy. ‘Is name that is my enemy’ she believes that the only barriers of their love are their names and family hatred. So this shows Juliet really loves Romeo. However she loves him no matter what because they have a ‘meeting of true minds’. They might disagree on their names but their love is strong. So this links to sonnet 116 because it says if there is a meeting of true minds ‘admit impediments’ they love each other’s personalities and have the same goal. The word impediment is important because it means bad mistakes. True love is tested and can be difficult but true love never runs smoothly. In sonnet 116 the idea of love is unbreakable, and will prevail through all hardship. ’never-shaken’, ‘fixed-mark’, height, all these words give a mood of strength and continuity. Shakespeare main goal was to get the readers grasp of love is an overwhelming force that is strong and undeniable through whatever endeavour. The personification Shakespeare used is very powerful and striking. ‘Love’s not time’s fool, through rosy lips’ this means time doesn’t love in anyway. Also Juliet defines love as getting married so she has high standards. We see this when she asks Romeo ‘do you love’ Juliet is clever and she knows what boys want and is testing Romeo. So Romeo swears by the moon ‘blessed moon I vow’. The word vow is important because it is linked to marriage. However this is not good enough for Juliet, the moon changes monthly. ‘O swear not by the moon, that monthly changes’ she is saying she wants love that is true and stays the same. Juliet wants a fixed mark. This links to ‘an ever fixed-mark’ that is always there to support you and guides you to a successful life. Romeo is investing himself in to this unbreakable love and is acting as the fixed mark. So Romeo and Juliet exchange vows which is linked to religion. In Shakespeare’s time marriage was forever and a divorce was serious. Also marriage was the high light of every woman’s life.

Mercutio is Romeo’s friend but has a very different idea of love to him. Mercutio view about love is for something sexual rather than it being affection and devotion like Romeo. His famous queen mab speech shows his imagination and wittiness. Throughout the play they are arguing on what truly is love and Mercutio shows us the cynical side of love in Romeo and Juliet. We see this when he makes sarcastic remarks about love for Rosaline and Romeo. ‘Too great oppression for a tender thing’ Mercutio is telling Romeo that he is letting love be affection when it shouldn’t be. Mercutio just doesn’t understand the love between Romeo and Juliet and just see’s his own love as simply confusion of emotions. Mercutio’s fighting reputation is driven by their family’s feud. We see this when Mercutio provokes Tybalt to fight him. In doing so he gets a serious wound ‘tis not so deep as a well, nor as wide as a church door’ the word church is a use of religious imagery and is used all trough the play .The themes of pride and honour are shown when they fight as well. Tybalt is the nephew of lord Capulet and the cousin of Juliet. Tybalt’s character is similar to Mercutio’s in which they like to make a scene and taunt each other. Throughout the play, he demonstrates his angry, resentful, and stubborn nature. ‘Now seeing sweet, convert to bitter’ nest gall’.

The nurse and friar Lawrence both play a major role in the outcome of Romeo and Juliet. Both the nurse and friar Lawrence have very different when it comes to personalities and conduct towards others. They both acted like substitute parents for Romeo and Juliet. They both have good intention to help the star crossed lovers. Friar is a wise and very intelligent old man. He takes things seriously and gets the point of the conversation. When Romeo and Juliet meet, and fall in love, he goes to Friar Lawrence in hope that he will marry him against their parents’ wishes. You can immediately infer from this that Friar Lawrence is trusted and respected. Friar does not agree with their wishes. ‘O she knew well/thy love did read by rote and could not spell’. The friar believes his love will not last with Juliet, like Rosaline. However ends up marrying them because he wants to end the feud between both of their families. Friar Lawrence: “for this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your households' rancor to pure love.” The friar is motivated by the best intentions; to make peace and use love to conquer hate. Nevertheless we see him being very selfish when he decides to leave the tomb in fear he could get caught.’ Come, go, good Juliet I dare no longer stay’. The nurse is a witty and very talkative character. The nurse’s type of love is the type of love that refers to physical and sexual form of love. The nurse and Juliet’s relationship is like the ones of mother daughter. She has a very bawdy sense of humour ‘go, girl, seek happy night to happy days’ the nurse is giving Juliet some advice to meet other boy and get experience before she see’s Paris. Also when she says ‘why, he’s a man of wax’ she is referring to a man of striking beauty, or a man with no imperfections. This sexual views of love added depth to the theme of love in the play. Shakespeare created characters to fill in stereotypes like the nurse being a comical character to add humour to serious parts of the play.

A modern audience might be shocked at the way Lord Capulet treats Juliet. In Shakespearean times, it was important for the upper class to marry members of the same class so as to maintain the same status. Therefore, when Lord Capulet threatened to kick Juliet out of his house when she refused to marry the County Paris, it would have seemed reasonable in Shakespearean times. Nowadays, marriage between different classes is no longer such an issue, so a modern audience would not understand Capulet's view.