The way Romeo and Juliet describe their love for one another in Act II Scene 2

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The way Romeo and Juliet describe their love for one another in Act II Scene 2

Shakespeare’s most famous love story, Romeo and Juliet, tells the tale of two star-crossed lovers from families with a passionate hatred for each other. This, obviously, poses a problem and the lovers decide to run-away to be together. The balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet is one which scholars and students have been studying for years due to the beautiful language and evocative poetry. It is the night after the two have met and Romeo has stolen up under her balcony and there he lies in wait to talk to her.

There is a big contrast in this scene between the way Romeo describes Juliet and his old love, Rosaline, whom he described as love’s heavy burden and makes references towards his feelings towards her being dark and grief-stricken. Earlier in the play we see that Romeo possesses a very erotic sort of love towards Rosaline with references towards Roman mythology and the idea that love is blind.

However with Juliet, he does not speak to her about his fantasies, different to those that he possessed with Rosaline to sleep with her, Nor ope her lap, but about true love and what is supposedly ‘meant to be’.

        With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls,

        For stony limits cannot hold love out.

In this quote, Romeo uses hyperbolic language in an attempt to impress Juliet and show her how much he cares for her. With Rosaline, Romeo acts the way he has been taught by friends, family and society. This is shown throughout the play with men, and women, making references towards women being objects of sexual desire and being part of economical transactions, both very different concepts but both relate to the fact that women’s lives were controlled by their fathers and husbands.

        Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch!

                - Lord Capulet when Juliet refuses to marry Paris.

        

        I think you are happy in this second match/ For it excels your first.

                - Nurse talks to Juliet about why she should marry Paris and forget Romeo.

At first, Romeo portrays the image of being a knight following the chivalric code written in a courtly tradition, as he acts the way a knight is expected to. He wears the right clothes, has been taught to fight, even though he prefers not to, speaks with knowledge and wisdom and also tries to woo Juliet in courtly fashion, poetically and with the aim of winning her body. He behaves in a very melancholic fashion and describes her as a goddess.

It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night / as a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear.

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 O shows a snowy dove trooping with crows.

Even though Romeo is described as a very young boy, he still believes that the love he feels for Juliet is pure and strong. He describes her with a particular notion towards light, as light is seen as pure, good, and godly which was very important to people in the times when the play was written as religion was a huge factor in their lives. He describes her as, the sun and a Bright angel. Also her eyes in heaven / would through the airy region stream so bright. These images portray ...

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