Romeo and Juliet. The greatest love story of all time, how far do you agree with this?

Romeo and Juliet Essay

In this essay I’m going to answer the following question ‘The greatest love story of all time, how far do you agree with this?’

The play of Romeo and Juliet s about Romeo and Juliet’s lost lust for each other that results in the families feuding for years, Romeo and Juliet struggle against their parents not approving of them being together. The play is very well known to all of today’s societies as I believe the plays are part of today’s curriculum, and recreated in many theatre productions and much more. Today’s people are still interested in Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet’ because it has a popular genre of a romantic tragedy, which is emotional and exciting to watch. This opening scene of the play shows Romeo’s lust for the sweet lady Rosaline. He discusses the situation with his cousin Benvolio and discusses the upset of his love for Rosaline as he is obsessed with Rosaline and she does not desire him. In this scene he uses oxymorons such as; brawling love! And Sick health! These are repeated throughout act 1 scene 1 as is ads depth to the play and Romeos speeches. He discusses to benvolio that he is confused with his love and expresses his feelings to his cousin. Shakespeare presents this in an infatuation way, showing Romeo’s love is more of a shallow love than true deep love for her fair lady Rosaline. A quote that shows this is; ‘This love feel I, that feel no love in this’. The oxymoron’s that he uses about the love for Rosaline can also be bad as well as good. All the quotes reflected in the play have words that contradict each other. I think Romeo in this scene represents a confused young boy and he doesn’t exactly know what he is doing. He is confused about love such a quote as; ‘Good heart at what?’ All throughout this scene he is questioning himself all the while because he is not quite sure on what he is doing. Act 1 Scene 5 is about Romeo a curious individual wanting to do more than just touch with Fair lady Juliet. He is curious about what Juliet’s soft tender lips would feel like when lips merge together like hands touch thy hands. Romeo has feelings upon his imagination for her fair lady Juliet. He is madly in love with her and thinks she is the most extraordinary person on heaven and earth and longs and hurts for her permanently beauty and sweet tender lips to touch and emerge together. We know Romeo is in deep true love for Juliet as he uses such quotes as; ‘Then move not, while my prayer’s effect I take thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged’.

Shakespeare presents the relationship between Romeo and Juliet by a young boy who is curious about Juliet as he begs to touch thy lips. Shakespeare shows Romeo and Juliet as two love struck individuals that only want to feel what true love feels like. Romeos and Juliet’s love is a deep true love that makes Romeo go weak all through his body and makes his heart hurt for Juliet. This is clearly shown when Romeo says; ‘O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; they pray, grant though, lest fourth turn to despair’

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Act 2 Scene 1 is about Mercutio and Benvolio talking about Romeo wondering how he can be in a deep and hurting love with Lady Juliet. They are curious about love yet wonder why Romeo is not after sex, just deep true love. A quote that Mercutio influences the physical love is; ‘To raise a spirit in his mistress circle’ this is a more physical though scene because it describes sex and an erection entering the vagina area. And no ‘soft’ love words are included or mentioned. Shakespeare includes this scene to show that there can be a relationship between male and female without sex and a physical relationship. He shows a love struck boy showing his feelings from a love point of view and not a physical point of view, yet Shakespeare includes Benvolio and Mercutio to represent males and young boys in a sex way of mind instead of love and an emotion side. Shakespeare includes this act at this point as Romeo had touched thy sweet Juliet’s lips and he has tried the physical side of thus relationship ands now expresses his feelings to his cousins, he tries to tell them that the love and emotion is much greater and much more thrilling than just sex. This is clearly shown when Romeo says; ‘Can I go forward when my heart is here?’ This quote represents Romeo wanting to go on but his love and feelings are too strong for Juliet, he wants to hold and never let go from his love for Juliet.

Act 2 Scene 2 is about Romeo and Juliet on the balcony scene and Romeo representing figurative speech for fair lady Juliet. This is shown by Romeo saying such a quote as; ‘It is the east, and Juliet is the sun, arise fair sun, and kill the envious moon!’ This quote is where Romeo is expressing his love for Juliet by figurative speech comparing Juliet to the sun, as the sun is warm and glowing, and Juliet is doing the same in Romeo’s perspective. And we cannot live without the sun nor can Romeo live without fair lady Juliet. This scene is known as the famous ‘Balcony Scene’. This scene has such famous words that are known by nearly everyone these are; ‘Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art Romeo?’ This section of the play brings out true love, deep love that Romeo and Juliet are longing for each other they want to be with each other even if it means Juliet not being a Capulet anymore. Their relationship at this point is very strong, they would even die for each other and risk losing their family name and respect if they get caught together they would die for each other and risk their life. This love is so strong and intense.

The death scenes are the most intense and tragic scenes of all the play. Romeo and Juliet take their own life’s to benefit each other. Juliet is not really dead just in a deep sleep and the message to tell Romeo does not get to him. He arrives to Juliet where she is ‘dead’ and takes his own life as he thinks Juliet is dead. He takes the poison and just as he goes to die Juliet wakes up and she realises Romeo has took the poison and is dead. Then Juliet takes her own life for real as she thinks that there is nothing left to live for as her earth, her light and moon have been took and ripped away from her. In my opinion Juliet’s death is the most tragic because he rushes into her death, she doesn’t think about family and people who her death will hurt, nor does she think about the good time she had with Romeo and all the things she has worth of living for the rest of her life. She just takes her life. Yet others may think Romeo’s death was more tragic as he prolongs his death he takes more time to think about what it might do to his family and remembers all the good times he had with Juliet, yet he took his time thought about everything but still took his life as he thought there was nothing left to live for.

Jake Richardson