Romeo and Juliet - What different types of love are represented in the play, and how is Shakespeare drawing on historical, social and cultural features of medieval and Elizabethan Englandin the ways that he represents these types of love?

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Pre-1914 Drama Coursework:

Romeo and Juliet Essay

By Charlotte Gatehouse

1SD

GCSE English / English Literature

Band X Set 1 2001 - 2003

Pre-1914 Drama Coursework:

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Teacher: S Webber

What different types of love are represented in the play, and how is Shakespeare drawing on historical, social and cultural features of medieval and Elizabethan England in the ways that he represents these types of love?

The entire theme of Romeo and Juliet is love. The plays plot is about Romeo and Juliet's love affair, but the romantic love is not the only type of love present in the story. As well as using realistic social situations familiar to an Elizabethan audience, Shakespeare draws upon popular medieval and Elizabethan conventions of poetry, literature and art in the way that he represents the different types of love in the play.

Shakespeare draws upon conventions of art and literature from the Elizabethan and medieval world, for the first type of love that appears in the play that is the Infatuation which Romeo has for Rosaline.

In the opening scenes Romeo is depressed because he is in love with a woman who does not return his affections. This depression is apparent when Benvolio talks to Lord and Lady Montague about Romeo. He says,

"...underneath the grove of sycamore.../

So early walking did I see your son/

Towards him I made, but he was ware of me/

And stole into the covert of the wood"

(Act 1 Scene 1 Lines 112-116).

This shows that Romeo is very upset about his unrequited love with Rosaline as he is pining for her as he sits under a tree and is afraid of being seen in such a state of misery. Therefore he runs from a friend, who would want no more than to ease his pain, into the cover of the wood and from the world.

Another example describing the extent of Romeos melancholy is when Lord Montague talks about Romeos recent behaviour at home. He says,

"Many a morning hath he there been seen, /

With tears augmenting the fresh morning dew, /

Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs, /

But all so soon as the all-cheering sun/

Should in the farthest east begin to draw/

The shady curtains from Aurora's bed, /

Away from light steals home my heavy son, /

And private in his chamber pens himself, /

Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out, /

And makes himself an artificial night: /

Black and portentous must his humour prove, /

Unless good counsel may the cause remove"

(Act 1 Scene 1 Lines 122-133).

This describes Romeo as leaving the house to stay in the wood in the early hours to avoid his family to sit and mope, and cry as he is tormented and frustrated by his infatuation with Rosaline who does not even know he is there. It also tells the audience that Romeo stays in the wood until sun set, and then retires to his bedroom inside of which he isolates himself from his family and friends through locking himself in there like a prisoner of his torment and pulling the curtains to shut out the light and the outside world; leaving him in the dark to dwell upon his unrequited love.

Another example showing Romeos deep depression is when Romeo describes his pain to Benvolio as a sickness. He says,

"Bid a sick man in sadness make his will- /

A word ill urged to one that is so ill: /

In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman"

(Act 1 Scene 1 Lines 193-195).

Here, Shakespeare is drawing upon a popular convention of the medieval and Elizabethan word, as love was thought to be similar to a sudden attack of sickness or disease. This is exactly how Romeo is describing his pain as, both mental and physical, because he is going insane and is physically fatigued and drained due to his depression.

Shakespeare uses a similar presentation of love used in Chaucer's "The Knight's Tale" from the Canterbury Tales of the fourteenth century. For example the opening scene mirrors the emotions of Romeo at the beginning. It reads,

"This sorrowful prisoner, this Palamon, /

Was pacing round his chamber to and fro /

Lamenting to himself in all his woe."

This is exactly the same, but his pain is of literally being a prisoner against his will.

Another example in The Knight's Tale that has been used by Shakespeare is where it perfectly illustrates love acting like a disease. It reads,

"He chanced on Emily to cast his eye /

And, as he did, he blenched and gave a cry /

As though he had been stabbed, and to the heart. /

And, at the cry, Arcita gave a start /And said, "My cousin

Palamon, what ails you? /

How deadly pale you look!"

This depicts Palamon as very suddenly becoming white as if he is seriously ill and cried out in pain as if he had been stabbed in the heart. Of course this is not true of what really has happened, he has seen a beautiful woman outside and immediately was struck by love. This is exactly how Romeo describes how he is feeling to Benvolio in Act 1 Scene 1 Lines 193-195.

Another example of similarity between "The Knight's Tale" and "Romeo and Juliet" is when Palamon describes love as deadly. It reads, "I have been hurt this moment through the eye, /Into my heart. It will be death to me." Palamon is saying that love is dangerous and very much like a fatal wound, and if you live through it there will be scars with detrimental effects. This is exactly how Romeo feels as he describes himself as a dead man. He says,

"She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow /Do I live dead, that live to tell it now" (Act 1 Scene 1 Lines 214-215). Love has the power to make you ill, to strike you down and to kill you. All of which Romeo suffers during his infatuation with Rosaline.

An example of Shakespeare drawing upon conventions of art is the painting "Bacchus and Ariadne" by Titian. The painting portrays the Greek myth of Ariadne walking on the sea shore with friends and Bacchus also walking on the sea shore. The painting is trying to capture the split second in which their eyes meet and they are struck down by love at first sight. This is similar to Romeo's feelings for Rosaline because he was also struck down by love at first sight, but this love is unrequited meaning the pain just becomes unbearable.

Another example of Shakespeare drawing upon popular art convention in the early scenes to describe Romeo can be seen four Elizabethan portraits. The first portrait being Nicholas Hilliard's Miniature "A Courtly Sonneteer circa 1588. The painting shows a young man who is obviously rich due to his extravagant clothes. The man has one of his hands upon his heart which shows that he is suffering from love. In the picture the man is enclosed by rose bushes; roses being the symbol of love implies that he is trapped by love. Also, the fact that roses, even with their beauty, have ugly, sharp, thorns which can hurt you. The rose is a metaphor for love as like the rose love is beautiful but it can cause grief and suffering. This is of course how Shakespeare is portraying Romeo's unrequited love in the play.

The second portrait is again by Nicholas Hilliard's miniature "A Burning Lover". Again it shows an isolated man but instead of roses he is surrounded by flames. Flames can keep you warm, but can also severely burn. This is a metaphor for love as similarly love can bring warmth and comfort, but it can also be agony. The fire is also a metaphor for the man's passion for his love, as it burns him inside. In Elizabethan times burning was an excepted form of punishment for criminals, especially of religious martyrs. The burning flames are a reflection of this as the man is a martyr for love. The man is dressed in dishevelled clothes that fall open to expose his chest and his heart. This shows he is a victim for love and his vulnerability because he leaves his heart on his sleeve unprotected making it easy to hurt. Also the man has keeps sakes such as a locket with a picture of his mistress and a ring that was given to him from her. Evidence of Shakespeare drawing upon this fire metaphor is when Romeo comments to Benvolio that love is like fire or flames. He says, "Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs, / Being purged, a fire sparking in lovers' eyes".

The third portrait is Isaac Oliver's miniature "An Elizabethan Musing" circa 1590. The painting shows a young man leaning against a tree trunk in a sad and thoughtful posture and frame of mind, which is the exact image of Romeo when he mopes around in the wood in act one, scene one. The painting shows the man isolated from society physically and mentally due to his dejectedness. His physical isolation is highlighted by him being far from the house and garden behind him. Also there is a couple in the background which highlights the fact that he is solitary. All of which is mirrored down to the posture and facial expression in Shakespeare's portrayal of Romeo in the opening scene.

The forth portrait is of John Donne circa 1595 as a melancholy lover which is a similar mood to Romeo. The painting has a deliberately dark and gloomy background and it looks like John Donne is fading into the darkness and doom of it all. He is wearing a floppy hat and an undone collar which are both marks of the distracted lover in a usually tight laced age. The fact that his collar is undone implies that he can not be bothered with his clothes. John Donne is isolated and dwarfed by the bleak and black surroundings and sits cross armed looking into the distance pining for his love. All of this is similar to Romeos behaviour in the opening scene as he hides in the darkness constantly, by staying in the woods or closing the curtains in his room. Also there is an inscription, to an unidentified lady, which prays for her to light up his shadow: "Illumina tenebras nostras domina" which is roughly translated to, "Enlighten our darkness, Lady". He preys to her as if she is a goddess or a saint that can grant his prier.

The theme of unrequited love carries on with Paris for Juliet as he asks her hand in marriage from her father who is happy with the arrangement. His love for Juliet is true, but his affections are never returned but are abused. Evidence of his feelings for her are made apparent when Paris shows genuine compassion for Juliet after Tybalt is killed. He says, "Pour soul, thy face is much abused with tears" (Act 4 Scene 1 line 29). He shows his concern saying that her soul is drained and her face is in pain due to the floods of tears that she cries because of Tybalt's death. He is upset to see her in such a state because he loves her so deeply. This shows that Paris suffers for love even when it is not his fault.
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Tragic events which are beyond Paris' control ensure that Paris cannot marry Juliet, the main one being on the wedding day that he finds his brides dead body. He says,

"Beguiled, divorced, wronged, spited, slain! /

Most detestable Death, by thee beguiled, /

By cruel, cruel thee quite overthrown! /

O love! O life! Not life, but love in death!"

(Act 4 Scene 5 Lines 55-58).

What Paris means is he has been enchanted by Juliet, then separated from her, and wronged because of it, and it happened despite his ...

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