Romeo's And Juliet's Love example essay topic

'Romeo and Juliet' is a tragic love story full of depth and emotion, where two 'star-crossed lovers' are compelled to take their lives because of a family feud. The word love in the play is portrayed in many different ways, whether to do with marriage or not. The characters differ in their interpretations of the word love. In the first act we witness the literary background of the play, where we first encounter Romeo acting in a love sick manner. Romeo is not yet acquainted with Juliet and his feelings are aimed at a young woman called Rosaline (whom he choses not to name). Romeo is very melancholy, absent minded, self indulgent and self pitying.

He will not sleep or eat and cuts himself of from society because he is 'Out of her favour where I am in love' in other words suffering unrequited love. Romeo is also seen by Benvolio walking underneath the sycamore grove which Shakespeares audience would have recognised as being associated with dissapointed love. Romeo's language is very misshapen and unclear. He talks in riddles which portray images in the listeners mind.

He producing speeches are poetical and lengthy. Romeo submits contradictory statements which was fashionable in the love poetry of Shakespeares era. The strange phrases like 'O loving hate', 'O heavy lightness' and 'sick health' are known as oxymoron's. Romeo trys to produce a point that he is extremly deep in love, but we are given the impression that Romeo is more in love with the idea of being in love and trying to act how he thinks a lover is supposed to act rather than acting on impulse and the feelings and reactions which should come naturally. Romeo's behaviour is following a medieval tradition as a conventional courtly lover.

Mercutio's perspective of love are very different to those of Romeo. Mercutio's view is very negative and crude. He only considers the physical side of love and relishes the sexual puns from his very sexual imagination. Mercutio is very cynical 'If love be rough with you, be rough with love, Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down' and imposes his views. Mercutio can get very impulsive for example when he is telling the Queen Mab story.

He starts off quite calm and talking about dreams but then he gets quite vivid and describes some very disturbing events. We do not know why Mercutio is so bitter, we have no evidence. In some versions of the play Mercutio is seen to be in love with Romeo himself and does not want Romeo to be with anyone else. Thats why he talks so coldly about the subject to put Romeo off. Others (including Romeo) say that Mercutio has never experienced love 'He jests and scars but never felt a wound'. The Nurse's perspective of love is similar to Mercutio's.

She also refers to the physical side of love especially to Juliet (about Romeo) 'Go seek happy nights to happy days'. The Nurse's view is much more positive and enthusiastic. She encourages and teases Juliet and is deliriously happy and overwhelmed with joy for her. She longs for the day to see Juliet married to a handsome young man. She also emphasises on the point of pregnancy and what a bond it is. Neither Mercutio or the Nurse comprehend or recognize the depth and sincerity of the love which Romeo and Juliet possess.

The bond of love between the Montagues is reflected in their devotion to their beloved son Romeo. In contrast, the Capulets are lacking in love between each other and show indifference towards their daughter Juliet. As regards Montague and Lady Montague, although we do not see much of them during the play, there seems to be no sense of tension or discontentment between them. They also appear to love and care for Romeo very much. At the beginning of the play they are concerned with Romeo's behavior and confide in their nephew Benvolio to identify his depression 'Many a morning hath he there been seen, With tears augmenting the fresh mornings dew'. Lady Montague shows deep affection for Romeo approaching the end of the play when she discovers Romeo has been banished from slaying Tybalt and then dies from heartache for her son.

The Capulets, by comparison of love, differ immensely to the Montagues. Capulet and Lady Capulet's love is very distant. Capulet appears very aggressive, overpowering and does not like it when things do not go his way or when people do not agree with him. When Juliet refused to marry Paris he becomes very hot headed, threatens to throw her out of the house 'Graze where you will, You shall not house with me' and even threatened to disown her 'hang, beg, starve, die in the streets'. Lady Capulet, after the argument about Juliet not marrying Paris, does not show much affection towards Juliet and instead she also rejects her 'Talk not to me, for I'll not speak a word' she even curses Juliet from the tension of the argument 'I would the fool were married to her grave'. Lady Capulet does not seem to have much love for anyone in her family except for herself.

The relationship between Lady Capulet is very formal because they have not bonded as mother and daughter. Capulet and Lady Capulet are always too busy arranging parties, rather than spending time with their daughter. Juliet is another excuse for them to have more parties (i.e. with engagement to Paris.) Juliet has a much closer relationship with the Nurse rather than her mother. Her occupation is as a wet nurse to Juliet (which is a social background to the play). A wet nurse takes over the job of the mother from when the child is born because the mother does not have time for the child. The Nurse treats and loves Juliet like her own daughter.

The Nurse and Juliet have a very special connection, they respect and honour each other and confide in each other for advice. Another reference to the social background is the subject of arranged marriages. The fathers would find a suitable and practical husband for their daughters. We do not know if Capulet and Lady Capulet had an arranged marriage but that would explain why their relationship is estranged. In the play Capulet thinks he has found the perfect, most eligible young male to marry his daughter. The young man's name is Paris.

From the beginning Paris shows great affection towards Juliet although her affections are aimed at someone else. Therefore this makes their relationship quite distant and formal. He attempts to comfort and sympathise with her after Tybalt's death but she dismisses him. Paris's love for Juliet is also quite possessive. When Juliet is very distressed she visits Friar Lawrence for him to console her and she tells him of her troubles.

They then meet Paris. He notices she is crying and says 'Thy face is mine, and thou hast slandered it'. This made his love for her clear to all. In the end Romeo slays Paris for trying to arrest him and his last dying wish is 'lay me by Juliet' which indicates his love for her. He wants to lay dead next to her body because he can not bear the thought of being apart from her.

Romeo obeyed Paris's wish in respect for Paris also loving Juliet. The most spiritual love in the play which overpowers all the others, is the love shared by Romeo and Juliet. Romeo's and Juliet's love has a purity and innocence to it. They are like positive and negative particles which attract, then fuse together and cannot be separated.

From the moment they met there was a chemical reaction and throughout the play there is never a doubt of the strength of their love. Their first conversation was spoken as a sonnet. This shows the connection and how their intellect is very similar. The love Romeo has for Juliet has more depth than the sterile love he had for Rosaline. When Romeo and Juliet establish who each other are their love seems impossible and 'death-marked'. Juliet soon realises 'Whats in a name?' and believes that it does not matter who Romeo actually is and the feud is not important, she loves him as a person and not as a name.

Juliet is very modest and honest. During the balcony scene she shows great awareness of how young men act, and talks plainly but passionately to him. Romeo still is very romantic towards Juliet although she is more practical towards him. Romeo and Juliet have to be very cautious and discreet with their love especially the balcony scene in Capulets mansion because 'If they do see thee, they will murder thee'. The night proves a friend to Romeo and Juliet because they can be together without anyone seeing or knowing 'I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes'. The word love can be portrayed and defined in many different ways.

It can be shown from parents, through friendship or between partners which Shakespeare has captured and displayed. But the most effective love is displayed between Romeo and Juliet which concludes love conquers all. From their tragic deaths a feud has been solved 'Doth with their death bury their parent's strife'. The culmination of their love caused a new type of love to evolve between the Montagues and the Capulets..