The Prologue to Rome and Juliet is written in the form of a love sonnet, but is used to introduce both love and hate to the play.
The second part of Act 1 Scene 1 describes a conversation between Romeo and Benvolio. We are shown a love sick Romeo who seems to be avoiding human contact. Romeo speaks at length about his unrequited love for Rosaline and of how she refuses to love him back. He even say’s that ‘she hath Dian’s wit’- Dian is the Goddess of Chastity who, in one of Shakespeare’s sonnets, manages to trick Cupid. Oxymorons such as ‘O brawling love, O loving hate’ and ‘feather of lead’ show Romeo’s confusion over love.
In the Prologue and Act 1 Scene 1 Shakespeare gives away the story of the play to the audience. We are told in the Prologue that Romeo and Juliet will die, and in death end their parents’ conflict. Then, in his conversation with Benvolio, Romeo sums up the themes of the play with one line- ‘Here’s much to do with hate, but more to do with love.’ I think Shakespeare gives away the plot in the beginning so that the audience concentrates on how hate and violence leads up to the tragic ending.
The character in the play who most personifies love is Romeo. He comes across as very naïve in his view of love, becoming easily besotted and falling into and out of love easily. He is first presented as a lover creating poems in honour of Rosaline. Then, as the play goes on, we see him mature, and progress from love-sickness to true love.
Perhaps the most hateful character in the play is Tybalt. We first see his hatred in Act 1 Scene 1 when he says to Benvolio:
What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word
As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:
Have at thee, coward!
Later in the play Tybalt is the first to see through Romeo’s disguise at the Capulet ball. He wants to fight Romeo until Lord Capulet stops him. Eventually Tybalt kills Romeo’s friend Mercutio.
Because of the Prologue, the audience knows the outcome of the play from the beginning. This means that they emphasise with the characters more and pay more attention to how the hate and violence of some of some of the characters has destroyed the love of Romeo and Juliet.
Throughout the play, scenes of violence are always contrasted with love scenes or comic relief. This seems to show the pointlessness and stupidity of violence.
One symbol of the struggle between love and hate in the play is light and dark. Generally, light is associated with good, whilst dark is seen as bad. However, in Romeo and Juliet, the roles are reversed. The night is good because it at night that the ‘star-crossed lovers’ meet, and they continue to meet up nocturnally. The day is bad because of the fights, and that Romeo and Juliet need to hide their love during the day.
