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Romeo and Juliet Essay
By Lindsey, Shonagh, Taylor, Vahri and
Jules.
Introduction
• ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by William Shakespeare is a tragic
play that explores many different forms of the theme
of love. From the elevated pure love that Romeo and
Juliet portray; to the bawdy physical love that the Nurse
and Mercrutio personify. “Romeo and Juliet” follows
the story of two young star-crossed lovers from feuding
households to their tragic death.
Sampson & Gregory
• Sampson & Gregory introduce first reference of
love. It is purely physical.
• “ ’Tis true, and therefore women being of the weaker
vessels are ever thrust to the wall”
• Highly disrespectful, derogative, purely physical,
no consideration for the emotions or feelings of
others, never known real love/romance,
immaturity towards love.
Romeo’s love for Rosaline
• Romeo is obsessed with the idea of love, and pines for
it but he has not experienced real love yet. He believes
that he knows what real love is and goes on to describe
his feelings
“Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and
it pricks like a thorn”
• Romeo is describing love to what he believes it to be,
what he longs to feel. He is overcome by this false
reality and fantasy. Romeo speaks in common place
antithetical language of contemporary love poetry. This
suggests Romeo’s love is artificial- this highlights his
further confused emotional state.
Mercrutio
• Romeo’s best friend and confidant Mercrutio has a very
immature and unrealistic view of love.
“prick love for pricking”
• He feels that love is something to be fought against. He
feels that love is just a petty form of desire. He feels
that Romeo’s love for Rosaline is just him pining for
physical love.
“If love be blind, it cannot hit the mark.”
• This may mean that Mercrutio does not believe in love
or that love could never find him as he has such an
obsession with prefection.
The Nurse
• The Nurse portrays a more physical perception of love. She sees
marriage as just another part of life. She also makes jokes about
Juliet's future sex life.
“Dost thou fall upon thy face?
Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit”
• The Nurse always talks about love and sex as the same thing but
always talks about her husband with affection. Showing that she
loved the man that she married.
• The nurse and Juliet have a very close relationship. The nurse
sees Juliet as her own child and this is some of the only affection
Juliet has ever experienced.
• Romeo and Juliet both had people close to them (the nurse and
Mercutio) who have a very physical view of love. Which
contrasts with their very deep and loving connection.
Lady Capulet
• Lady Capulet does not believe that love and marriage are the same
thing. She feels that Juliet should marry for status and wealth.
“So shall you share all that he doth possess, by having him making yourself no less”
• This shows her pragmatic nature
• As far as we know, Lady Capulet is very inexperienced in real love as
she married very young for social standing.
Paris : “Younger than she are happy mothers made.”
Lord Capulet: “And too soon marr’d are those so early made”
• This shows that Capulet, who is significantly older than his wife,
understands that having a young bride does not lead to a fulfilling life.
• She is a flighty and ineffectual mother to Juliet. When she wishes to
speak alone with Juliet she dismisses the nurse but realises she cannot
speak to Juliet alone. This emphasizes her lack of understanding with
her own daughter.
Romeo and Juliet
•
In contrast to other characters and people of this time Romeo and Juliet
have a very pure and elevated love.
Juliet: “My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.”
•
This proves Romeo and Juliet’s love is unconditional but in reality it is
unrealistic due to it’s ferocity and circumstances.
•
The love between the two has many reoccurring motifs throughout the play.
Romeo: “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright.”
•
This comparison of Juliet to light emphasizes his blinding passion as he
says she burns brighter than any light he has seen.
•
Their love is never explained but is unquestionable.
•
Romeo also describes Juliet as a “Bright angel” this celestial imagery
continues the light motif and shows how spiritual their love is.
•
Romeo & Juliet's love is very different from the other characters as it is
purely about instant affection.
Conclusion
• Shakespeare's “Romeo and Juliet” portrays many
different aspects of love through many various
characters and their views. The theme of love is
introduced as very physical and bawdy but in
contrast the main love story is very pure and
elevated. Shakespeare effectively creates a tragic
ending through the death of Romeo and Juliet
as their love is ultimately their downfall. This
makes it more tragic as they are purer people
and their relationship are truer to their real
feelings.