To Explore and Examine the Different Forms of Love Within Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet was written by William Shakespeare as a play for the theatre. William Shakespeare took his idea from an Italian folk story and is heavily influenced by sonnets which where developed by Francesco Petrarch an Italian poet. Shakespeare took most of his inspiration for Petrarch for demonstrating love with in the poem.
William Shakespeare wrote most his plays with three main themes. These themes are gang warfare, Young love and a moral in the tale. William Shakespeare is now widely regarded as the greatest playwright of the English history. Although Shakespeare has been dead for about 400 years, his play and sonnets are still very well known today for their universal themes. This was one of the only forms of entertainment in Elizabethan times.
Romeo and Juliet is one of the world’s most infamous love stories. Romeo and Juliet has been adapted into many different ways. Some of these ways include a modern day film, a ballet and many more ways. Romeo and Juliet has also been adapted into an award winning musical ‘West Side Story’. Which demonstrates how adaptable and successful the storyline and characters continue to be.
In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses a sonnet for the prologue this is in order to point out the play’s theme, of love. Sonnets were often used to address the subject of love in conflict. In the opening scenes of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is presented as a typical Petrarchan lover; feeling turmoil over Rosaline, then celebrating his marriage to Juliet and having to suffer with the consequences. Shakespeare allowed the audience to witness to all kinds of love: sexual, unrequited, sensually, compassionate as well as loveless marriges. I will look at all aspects of love that are present in Romeo and Juliet. I will do this by looking at all the love presented to the audience through the characters, storyline and word used to discuss their ideas, feelings and expectations of love.
The first aspect of love I have looked at is
William Shakespeare wrote most his plays with three main themes. These themes are gang warfare, Young love and a moral in the tale. William Shakespeare is now widely regarded as the greatest playwright of the English history. Although Shakespeare has been dead for about 400 years, his play and sonnets are still very well known today for their universal themes. This was one of the only forms of entertainment in Elizabethan times.
Romeo and Juliet is one of the world’s most infamous love stories. Romeo and Juliet has been adapted into many different ways. Some of these ways include a modern day film, a ballet and many more ways. Romeo and Juliet has also been adapted into an award winning musical ‘West Side Story’. Which demonstrates how adaptable and successful the storyline and characters continue to be.
In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses a sonnet for the prologue this is in order to point out the play’s theme, of love. Sonnets were often used to address the subject of love in conflict. In the opening scenes of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is presented as a typical Petrarchan lover; feeling turmoil over Rosaline, then celebrating his marriage to Juliet and having to suffer with the consequences. Shakespeare allowed the audience to witness to all kinds of love: sexual, unrequited, sensually, compassionate as well as loveless marriges. I will look at all aspects of love that are present in Romeo and Juliet. I will do this by looking at all the love presented to the audience through the characters, storyline and word used to discuss their ideas, feelings and expectations of love.
The first aspect of love I have looked at is