“Take away love, and our earth is a tomb”, a popular quote from an English poet and playwright Robert Browning, that best describes the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet felt that they should be together and they did not care what it took. They were willing to give even their lives. Their love ended in death. The play Romeo and Juliet showed that the ruling passion of true love surpasses the three other kinds of love shown in the play; physical, courtly and family love.
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart”, a quote by Helen Keller, stating that the things you see and touch aren’t the most beautiful things until you love them with all your heart. When Romeo first fell in love with Rosaline, even with Juliet, he only sees them as being the most beautiful girl in his eyes. At first, Romeo thought that Rosaline was the most beautiful girl in Verona that he has ever seen, so he was deeply in love with her even though she doesn’t love him back, but this eventually vanishes after she sees Juliet. Romeo says, “Did my heart love ‘till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night,” (1.5.52-53) it was really ironic since he said on the first part of the play that he is also in love with Rosaline. This proves that physical will not last because there will always be a girl who is more beautiful than the other. True love based on physical appearance without a deeper understanding doesn’t exist. Physical love is best shown by the character Mercutio, his view of love is very coarse and bawdy. He only thinks of woman in sexual way. Examples are when he said, "O Romeo, that she were, O that she were An open-arse, thou a poperin pear!" (2.1.37-38), referring to a man’s (Romeo’s) private part, and “I conjure thee by Rosaline’s bright eyes, By her fine foot, straight leg and quivering thigh, And the demesnes that there adjacent lie, That in thy likeness thou appear to us!” (2.1.17-21) he only thinks about love as intercourse between two people without emotion.
Paris’ courtly love for Juliet comes not from his heart but from what she is, the daughter of old Capulet, and head of the house of Capulet. Paris was only in love with Juliet’s name and title. This kind of love is a common spark in arranged marriages. During those times, arranged marriages were normally practiced among families of higher classes, so Shakespeare was trying to show that true love can transcend traditionally accepted practices of showing love.
Family love is so evident during the time of the novels writing that Shakespeare wanted to explore its limits and show its flaws. Romeo a Montague and Juliet a Capulet are from feuding families, but it didn’t stop them from loving each other. They get married without their parents’ permission and disobeyed their parent’s rules. When Lady Montague suffers deeply and dies due to being separated from her son it showed that she really loves his son. Capulet parents, Montague parents, and even the nurse show that they love either Romeo or Juliet in different ways. Friar Laurence showed deep concern for Romeo. He believes in paternal love. He showed care for Romeo when he says “That’s my good son…” (2.3.47), he loves Romeo as a son but this love of family is sacrificed when Romeo and Juliet fell in love for each other.
Romeo and Juliet were victims of unkind fate, they happen to be in the centre of ill fateful events.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Is love even a real thing, Romeo and Juliet is a play written by William Shakespeare. The story is about two star cross’d lovers that end up killing themselves over what they call “love”. (Document: A) In the story the Capulets and Montagues already hate each other, the families start fighting which escalates the hatred between them. Two teenagers Romeo and Juliet meet at a party and instantly fall in love, not knowing that they are enemies at first but they soon come to find out. They exchange vows so Romeo goes to Friar Lawrence who is a monk that lives in the church. He asks Friar to marry them, and Friar ends up marrying them. Everything was going fine until Tybalt Juliet's cousin wants to fight Romeo, Romeo insist on not fighting him because he is Juliet's cousin. So Mercutio who is Romeo’s best friend decides to fight Tybalt, Tybalt stabs Mercutio and he dies so Romeo wants revenge. Romeo finds Tybalt and begins fighting him and kills him. For Romeo’s punishment he is exiled, which means he has to get out of Verona. Things tend to happen which leads to Romeo and Juliet’s death. At the end of the story the Prince wants to know who is to blame for Romeo and Juliet’s death, the Montagues and Capulets are…
- 735 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Discuss the relationships between parents and children in Romeo and Juliet. How do Romeo and Juliet interact with their parents? Are they rebellious, in the modern sense? How do their parents feel about thDiscuss the relationships between parents and children in Romeo and Juliet. How do Romeo and JDiscuss the relationships between parents and children in Romeo and Juliet. How do Romeo and Juliet interact with their parents? Discuss the relationships between parents and children in Romeo and Juliet. How do Romeo and Juliet interact with their parents? Are they rebellious, in the modern sense? How do their parents feel about them? the relationships between parents and children in Romeo and Juliet. How do Romeo and Juliet interact with their parents? Are they rebellious, in the modern sense? How do their parents feel about them?e they rebellious, in the modern sense? How do their parents feel about them?uliet interact with their parents? Are they rebellious, in the modern sense? How do their parents feel about them?em?Discuss the relationships between parents and children in Romeo and Juliet. How do Romeo and Juliet interact with their parents? Are they rebellious, in the mDiscuss the relationships between parents and children in Romeo and Juliet. How do Romeo and Juliet interact with their parents? Are they rebellious, in the modern sense? How do their parents feel about them?odern sense? How do their parents feel about them?Discuss the relationships between parents and children in Romeo and Juliet. How Discuss the relationships between parents and children in Romeo and Juliet. How do Romeo and Juliet interact with their parents? Are they rebellious, in the modern sense? How do their parents feel about them?do Romeo and Juliet interact with their parents? Are they rebellious, in the modern sense? How do their parents feel about them?Discuss the relationships between parents and children in Romeo and Juliet. How do Romeo and Juliet interact with their parents?…
- 388 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
October 16th was the opening night for a Carroll production of Romeo and Juliet. Many familiar faces around Carroll are involved with the shakespearian production and everything seems to be going smoothly. On Thursday night (the 15th), a dress rehearsal was given to an open audience and was very well received with seemingly everything going according to plan. However, behind the show are some interesting characters as well.…
- 515 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
iRomeo and Juliet were written by William Shakespeare. The play is about two star crossed lovers who are born into two different families who have an ancient grudge. This leads to both Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. The play has strong violence and conflict involved in it. Shakespeare uses different types of conflict throughout the play. The Prologue shows that there will be conflict in the play when it mentions, ‘From ancient grudge... Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.’ The word Civil makes me think that people who are not involved in the grudge still suffer pain. This gives you a quick impression of what the play is going to be about.…
- 828 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, two lovers with feuding families do everything they can to try to be together, but both end up dying to stay together. These two lovers, Romeo and Juliet, have an eternal love for each other, which they prove in ending their lives to be together. Romeo is a passionate lover and it causes him to make very quick decisions. Romeo is overcome with love and it makes him impulsive and rash.…
- 688 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In the play Romeo and Juliet, the two characters Romeo and Mercutio, despite being close friends, are quite different when it comes to their personalities and the way they view things. What is a rather large difference between the two is their sharply contrasting views on love. Romeo is a romantic that takes love too seriously, although he has a bit of a habit of switching his feelings towards different girls. His character seems to suffer from a type of manic depression. He easily becomes enraptured in his feelings towards the girl he is currently in love with, and just as easily crushed when either the girl doesn't return his feelings, like what happened with Rosaline, or when he is unable to be with her, like the case with Juliet. An example that shows his feelings towards love is shown in the following quote:…
- 978 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
To what extent does Shakespeare make you feel sympathy for Romeo and Juliet in Act 1 and Act 2?…
- 1150 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Shakespeare portrayed many views on love in the romantic tragedy play Romeo & Juliet. Shakespeare presents this idea as a force of nature, so strong that it transcends social conventions. Many of the friendships in the play are as sincere as Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other. Close relationships were formed between Juliet and her nurse, Romeo and Mercutio and Mercutio and Benvolio.…
- 362 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Why are the young characters of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet interesting? Every young character has a different set of characteristics which makes him/her interesting. Shakespeare portrays many important qualities of his young characters.…
- 460 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Before Romeo enters the Capulet’s party, he spills his heart out and tells Benvolio all about how he's feeling about Rosaline because he is very heart-broken that she doesn't love him back. Romeo himself has never spoken to Rosaline and has based his "love" on her looks. “What doth her beauty serve but as a note/ where I may read who passed that passing fair? / Farewell. Thou canst not teach me to forget." (Act 1, Scene 1, 228-230) Romeo keeps saying that he will never forget someone like Rosaline and that she is the one and only that he could ever be with. But then he sees Juliet and forgets all about Rosaline. Romeo compares Juliet to a jewel that is hanging off an Ethiop's ear meaning that it stands out. He says that she is the most beautiful girl in the world and that she outshines all the other women like a white dove in the middle of a flock of crows.…
- 1005 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy set in Verona Italy. All three characters, Mercutio, Friar Lawrence and the Nurse play a role in the death of Romeo and Juliet. Mercutio’s self-centred personality, Friar Lawrence’s negligence in delivering the letter and the Nurse’s motherly love all contributed to Rome and Juliet’s demise.…
- 639 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Romeo’s point of view on love is that there is one true love for each individual and the belief in “love at first sight”. Romeo is a very handsome, wealthy, young, heartfelt and clingy individual. Romeo’s “lover boy” personality is so obvious, that it is commonly mocked by Mercutio, his best friend, for being too sensitive and turned into a sex related joke. Many people see Romeo as a person who determines love by his eyes not by his heart due to his sudden disintegration of mad love towards Rosaline in exchange for one glance of Juliet. In addition, many people question Romeo’s loyalty among Juliet as his wife. As a result, his perspective on love pursued a negative effect and…
- 515 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Everyone in the world can teach us something, even characters in literature. The leaders of the Montague and Capulet households in William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, teach important lessons through their hatred. Their families have been heated rivals for a long time, feuding over something no one is even sure what it is. Servants, kinsmen, and family members go to war with each other and blood is shed often. The plot of the story is set in motion when their only children fall in love secretly. Because of the strong hatred between the two sides, and their children's love, the audience learns two very important lessons: Families can divide us, and never hold a grudge.…
- 513 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In many literary works, there are methods that authors use to make a story better. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, dramatic irony is the driving method. Dramatic irony is something in which characters do not know something, but the reader or audience knows what the true reality is. According to some researchers, “A staple of Elizabethan and Shakespearean drama was dramatic irony” (Halio 25). Furthermore some researchers also belive that dramatic irony is very prominent in the play, “ One of the more prominent literary devices in the play is irony” (Sauer 673). Romeo and Juliet, and also their friends and families face a lot of instances of dramatic irony in the story. Dramatic irony creates suspense and adds to the conflict that exists between the Capulets and the Montagues in Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet occurs when Juliet and Romeo fall in love with each other at first sight, when Romeo’s friends don’t know that Romeo and Juliet have fallen in love with each other, and when Lady Capulet thinks that Juliet is crying about Paris, not Romeo.…
- 1091 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
For this essay I chose the last topic, number 18, which consists of choosing a novel or play that depicts a conflict between a parent and a son or daughter. I chose “Romeo and Juliet”, the play by William Shakespeare because I think it’s a perfect example of how the relationship between parents and their son and daughter influenced a lot more than they intended to. Even if it was not directly, Romeo and Juliet’s parents are to be held responsible for their early and meaningless death.…
- 790 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays