Theme of love in Romeo and Juliet. Serena Muhsan, Saara Hafiz

Introduction ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a heart wrenching play written by William Shakespeare which portrays the dramatic romance between two young lovers caught in an ancient family feud. The conflict between the two rival families forbids them from being together. After finding love at first sight they find themselves fighting to see each other.

Sampson and Gregory. Throughout the play a series of distinct views on love are shown through different characters. In Act 1 Scene 1, Shakespeare presents the two individuals Sampson and Gregory who depict a crude and bawdy outlook on love as nothing but a physical act. They describe women as: “ Women being the weaker vessel are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will; push Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall.” Sampson and Gregory don’t perceive love as a connection between two but see women as worthless objects purely for the pleasure of man. They have never experienced real love so create their own vulgar perception. They are childish and unrealistic. Typical teenagers approach.

Romeo’s Love for Rosaline A contrasting view of love is portrayed by Romeo as when we first encounter him he is distraught over Rosaline. His love for her is exaggerated and unrealistic. He is mature enough for love but Rosaline doesn’t fulfil his expectation. He says: ‘ O brawling love, O loving hate, / O anything of nothing first create! / O heavy lightness, serious vanity, / Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, / Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! ’ The oxymorons used show how he feels his world has been turned up-side down. His love for Rosaline has done him no good. He has great love to share but Rosaline destroys him.

Nurse The nurse takes a comical view on love. She teases Juliet about the physical aspects of her relationship with Romeo. Her jokes are crude although she cares greatly for Juliet – as it she was her own daughter. She rambles on about past memories about Juliet as says: ‘ ‘Yea’, quoth my husband, ‘fall’st upon thy face? / Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest to age ’ The nurse has great affection for Juliet as we hear how she became a motherly figure and taught Juliet to walk. She turns most conversations towards the idea of sex suggesting that Juliet would later find herself lying on her back. ‘No less! Nay bigger women grow by men.’ She suggests that once a man and woman get together it isn't long until she is pregnant and growing bigger. Straight relation between marriage and sex.

Mercutio Party animal Cares for Romeo in a brotherly sense just as the nurse cares deeply for Juliet. Mercutio continuously makes sexual references thinking that Romeo needs to have sex to get him out of his ‘in love with Rosaline’ phase. He has a similar approach to love as the nurse does. Mercutio also creates a contrast to the soppy love shown by Romeo. ‘if love be rough with you, be rough with love / Prick love for pricking you and beat love down.’ Mercutio thinks Romeo should cure himself of love by living life and having sex with other women (i.e. one night stands)

Lady Capulet Lady Capulet isn't a very affectionate person. She shows little love towards Juliet and they do not hold a tight ‘mother-daughter’ relationship. She seems distant and only cares about status. When she talks of marriage with Juliet she only discusses Paris’ looks and fortune and never asks of her daughters opinion of him. ‘So shall you share all that he doth possess, by having him make you no less’ She iterates that she has no care as to whether Juliet loves him or not, she only considers Paris’ status and wealth. She has an unromantic view of love that causes her to push her daughter away from her.

Romeo and Juliet Romeos love for Juliet occurs at first sight. He is a mature, deep romantic. He speaks with lots of rhymes in a poetic style reminding us of the many sonnets that would have been written in this time period. He now reconsiders his pathetic love for Rosaline and says: ‘Did my heart love till now? Forswear it , sight! / For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.’ This shows that Juliet’s beauty was overpowering and shocked Romeo. He fell in love in an instant and knows this is true. Romeo is a dear romantic as he approaches Juliet for the first time. ‘O them, dear saint, let lips do what hands do’ They portray their love in a spiritual manner, relating it to praying and thanking god. Also suggests Romeo thought Juliet was very angelic as he relates to God and therefore heaven.

Romeo and Juliet His love is always increasingly passionate. He feels great love towards Juliet and shows her in every way possible. He sneaks into her house, breaking many rules, just to see Juliet. He says: ‘what light through yonder window breaks? / it is the east, and Juliet is the sun.’ He is deeply in love with Juliet and this time his love is true. His world revolves around her and he cannot wait to continue their lives together.

Romeo and Juliet Romeo comes across rather desperate at times. His passion overrides his other thoughts ‘My life is better ended by their hate, / than death prorogued, wanting of thy love’ He is violent because he would die for Juliet, as he does later on in the play when he thinks Juliet is dead. His love alters his mind as it takes control of his body. He wants nothing more than to be together and will do anything for this to happen.

Conclusion In conclusion, Romeo and Juliet demonstrates many views of love including complete contrasts, such as that of Mercutio and the Nurses crude ideas to the passion displayed by Romeo toward Juliet. Romeo’s love grows throughout the play as he realises his initial affection to Rosaline is not real and he discovers real love with Juliet. Their love is pure as they forget all hatred between the families. They betray all around them and break rule to pursue their deep love. The only way they can be together is by killing themselves. Their love only survives ironically in death.