Contradictions of Love

Franz Kafka once said, “Love is a drama of contradictions.” In other words, love can cause joy as well as sorrow. Often in life, people are in love and therefore have many contradictions with those that they love. William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet explains the rivalry between two households, the Montagues and the Capulets. Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet, fall in love, but since their houses experience strong hatred toward each other, they must withstand difficult challenges and face the consequences of their love. The primary message Shakespeare conveys in Romeo and Juliet is that love is a contradiction, meaning that people who love each other, often dislike one another as well. Characters that portray the concept of contradictions in love are Capulet, Romeo, and Juliet because they all love someone, but feel enmity toward them as well.
Capulet, Juliet’s father, is a prime example of a character who conveys the contradictions in love. Throughout the story, it is shown how inconsistently he acts when presenting his love toward Juliet. Capulet is supportive of Juliet and believes she acts responsibly and has the ability to make her own decisions. An example of this occurs when Capulet lets her choose who to love and marry. When Paris asks for permission to marry Juliet, Capulet answers, “But woo her gentle Paris, get her heart;/ My will to her consent is but a part./ And, she agreed, within her scope of choice/ Lies my consent and fair according voice,” (1.2.16-19). When Capulet states the phrase “within her scope of choice,” he means that Juliet can choose her own love. This statement clearly shows that he trusts Juliet. However, this trust does not last because Capulet believes Juliet needs a man to support her after Tybalt’s death. Capulet decides that Juliet must marry Paris and has no concern for Juliet’s opinion. He announces, “Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender/ Of my child’s love. I think she will be ruled/ In all respects by me. Nay, more, I doubt it not,” (3.4.13-15). Shakespeare uses the phrase “Of my child’s love,” to show how Capulet owns his daughter’s love and can force her to love anyone he chooses. Capulet will not let Juliet choose who to love or to marry, unlike before, and does not expect her to disobey his decisions. It is shown that Capulet experiences the contradictions in love when dealing with who Juliet may love.
Another character that displays this theme is Romeo. He loves Tybalt, who is Juliet’s cousin, but also dislikes him for his actions. After Romeo and Juliet get married, Tybalt challenges Romeo to fight, but Romeo does not want to fight him since they are family. Romeo says, “I do protest I never injured thee/ But love thee more than thou canst devise/ Till thou shalt know the reason of my love./ And so, good Capulet, which name I tender/ As dearly as mine own, be satisfied” (3.1.69-73). Shakespeare uses the phrase “ love thee more than thou canst devise” to show that even though the Capulets and Montagues are supposed to feel resentment toward each other, Romeo is putting all the hatred aside and caring for Tybalt, like a brother. Romeo thinks of Tybalt as family, but their family’s rivalry brings contradiction to his love toward the Capulets. Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo’s best friend, during a fray so Romeo decides to get revenge for his friend’s death by killing Tybalt. He angrily says to Tybalt, “Alive in triumph, and Mercutio slain!/ Away to heaven, respective lenity,/ And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now.--/ Now, Tybalt, take the “villain” back again/ That late thou gavest me , for Mercutio’s soul,” (3.1.127-131). The words “fire-eyed” and “fury” display Romeo’s hatred toward Tybalt, and show that the love he once had for Tybalt is now gone. His views on loving Tybalt change drastically during a short period of time, proving that he experiences contradictions in love.
Juliet claims to love Romeo with all her heart, but it is shown that she also experiences strong dislike toward him. Juliet first meets and falls in love with Romeo at the ball. Afterwards, when the party ends, Romeo sneaks into her backyard and shares his feelings for her. When Juliet talks to Romeo in her balcony she says, “It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden/ Too like the lightning which doth cease to be/ Ere one can say “It lightens.” Sweet, good night./ This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath,/ May prove a beauteous flower when we next meet” (3.2.125-129). Shakespeare uses the word “lightning” to show how love, if it occurs too quickly, can be brief and may not last forever. Juliet believes that if they meet again, their “bud of love” will turn into a “beauteous flower.” Juliet clearly shows her love for Romeo during this scene, but this ends shortly after she learns that he kills her cousin, Tybalt. Even though Juliet loves Romeo, she is mad at him for killing Tybalt, and for being banished from Verona. While talking to the nurse, she says, “O nature, what hadst thou to do in hell/ When thou didst bower the spirit of a fiend/ (…) Was ever book containing such vile matter/ So fairly bound?” (3.2.86-87, 89-90). The author specifically uses the phrase “Was ever book containing such vile matter” to show that love is perfect on the front, but once you go further into the book or search inside love, it can turn into something malevolent, which cannot be cured. Even though Juliet loves Romeo, she shows her hatred toward him when he is banished, which shows that she has contradictions to love.
The characters in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet such as Capulet, Romeo, and Juliet, all convey contradictions in love for another character in the play. Their views on love change drastically over time. Capulet loves his daughter, but he later decides who Juliet is going to marry, without her opinion. Romeo loves Tybalt because of his relation to Juliet, but then contradicts love by killing him for his terrible actions. Juliet contradicts love for Romeo when he is banished from Verona. If all the characters hadn’t had contradictions for love, the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare would not be considered the most romantic play ever written.