Informative Essay on Romeo and Juliet
How does Shakespeare present different types of love in the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’? In ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Shakespeare is trying to portray the nature of love through his characters. Shakespeare shows love in a different way in the younger characters than the older ones. The nature of love represented by the younger characters in the play is that teenagers fall in and out of love easily and it can be very complicated. Shakespeare used the relationship of Romeo and Rosaline to show this, Romeo is very in love with Rosaline but she is not in love with him, which is unrequited love.
However, the love shown by the older characters is the love of their families. At the beginning of the play Shakespeare portrayed that love can be divisive. ‘Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love’. Here Romeo is notifying Benvolio, that the reason why the feud between the Montague family and the Capulet family continues; is because of such love that dwells with-in each family. The two families don’t hate each other is the fact that they love their families and will do anything to protect them. To keep their reputation up, one family will make the other look bad to make them look better.
When Romeo first sees Juliet he falls instantly in love; this is love at first sight. This quickly turns into true romantic love. Romeos love for Juliet is extreme and real. ‘It is the east and Juliet is the sun! ’ This shows the audience the depth of his love. He describes Juliet as the sun. ‘Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is always sick and pale with grief. That thou, her maid, art more fair than she’. This quote illustrates Rosaline as the envious moon. This is portraying that Juliet is taking Rosaline’s place in Romeos heart. In the balcony scene, Shakespeare shows how love can change a person.
In this case it is Juliet, as before she met Romeo and fell in love, she would not have lied to her father but once she has a secret like Romeo, she has to keep it from him. As she develops and grows up throughout the play she defies her parents and she loves Romeo so much. At this point she expects no love from her parents, but she expects no love from her parents, but she doesn’t care as she has Romeos love. ‘What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet’. This is just after Juliet finds out that Romeo belongs to the family that she has ‘hated’ all her life.
She already loves him though and realises that no matter what family he belongs to, she still loves him for who he is. Shakespeare makes a big point of love in this scene. In day 2, when Romeo asks the friar to marry him and Juliet he says: ‘For this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your household’s rancour to pure love’. Shakespeare shows here that love can bring enemies together; which does happen at the end of the play. Shakespeare portrays this through Friar Lawrence as he only agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet because he hopes that the marriage will end the hostilities between the two families.
Another type of love Shakespeare portrays in this day is that love can cause problems, as once Romeo is married to Juliet her goes to find Mercutio and Benvolio, but finds Tybalt with them. ‘Till thou shalt know the reason of my love; and so, good Capulet, which name I tender as dearly as mine own be satisfied’. Romeo is saying to Tybalt that he loves him more than he will know, as they are now related. This caused problems as Mercutio fights Tybalt instead of Romeo, consequently Mercutio dies. This shows the audience how quickly young people can change their feelings about each other.
In day 3 of the play, Shakespeare shows that love can be unwanted as when Romeo is banished Capulet tries to force his daughter to marry Paris; however he does not know of Romeo and Juliet’s marriage. Capulet’s reason for Juliet to marry Paris is because he believes Paris is ‘Perfect’. ‘O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, from off the battlements of yonder tower’. This is when Juliet goes to Friar Lawrence to ask for an idea to not marry Paris. Shakespeare shows how much Juliet is in love with Romeo and doesn’t want Paris’ love. She says that she would rather jump off the tower than marry him, as she is so in love with Romeo.
She is even prepared to kill herself for her love to Romeo. The Prince has a big part in the end of the play as he is the one who uncovers the love of Romeo and Juliet. In the final part of the play the Prince says: ‘For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo’. The end of the play holds the last representation of love, that love can solve problems (between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s). Shakespeare portrays this to the audience by, at the end, the Capulet’s saying how good Romeo is and the Montague’s doing the same about Juliet. This ending concludes the whole representation of love in the play.
Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another is shown at the end of the play, when they both commit suicide. They do this saying that living without one another is a fate worse than death. Throughout the play, the love shown through Romeo and Juliet is true love, far more significant than anything else in the play. Romeo and Juliet presents numerous views and representations of love throughout the entire play. These include Romeo and Juliet’s love, Friar Lawrence’s views of love, and Romeos love for Rosaline. These many views and ideas of love are what make Romeo and Juliet a memorable and unforgettable story.
