Comment on the various sorts of love shown in Romeo and Juliet Essay

Shakespe bes Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy based around a pair of young contendrs. The play is set in twelfth century Verona where a pair of families, the Capulets and the Montagues have been feuding for many years. The play revolves around Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet go deeply in shaft and the blushts that befall these ii forbidden cheatmakingrs. The play covers an array of diametrical types of love and love related issues from brotherly love to bodily lust, Shakespeare uses the characters to portray stereotyped ideas of love and how it affects spate.Before even the branch scene is out, the play has al wee touched upon the idea of brotherly love. Benvolio, the cou sliminess of Romeo, finds Romeo in a state of near depression and says to Romeo What sadness lengthens Romeos hours? With this line Shakespeare is showing Benvolios concern as a man might unto his brother. Romeo is sad because he has fallen in love with a girl, Rosaline In sadness, cousin, I do lo ve a woman. save Romeos chosen spouse does non return the affection, as Romeo states She will non stay the siege of loving terms. Benvolio offers to Romeo the idea of looking for a different more attainable woman.He gives this advice in order that his cousin may once again be happy thus showing his affection for Romeo. Throughout the play Shakespeare writes about short when referring to love, he duologue of it in the prologue before the play is even afoot A pair of star-crossed lovers wear their life It does not stop here however, on Romeos first encounter with Juliet he says O she doth teach the torches to abridge bright Meaning that she brings light to his dark troubled state of mind, where there was the haze of rejection her light shines by means of brightening his mood.Again in scene two upon see to iting with Juliet his love Romeo compares her presence to light But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? To Romeo meeting Juliet is like the sun rising, just as the sun lights up the world she lights up his mood and, as the sun clears the morning mist, so Juliet clears the fog of his mind going away it clear. I think Shakespeare uses these references to light to show that in dark times often love arouse show the way. Perhaps showing that in the face of a problematic social environment love can be a beacon to those who embrace it.When Romeo first visits friar Lawrence in Act two picture three they speak of Romeos newfound love for Juliet and mixed bag of heart to Rosaline With Rosaline, my ghostly stupefy? no I have forgot that name, and that names woe By this he is telling the friar that he has not only stopped doting on Rosaline but, has in fact undergone a total change in spirits forgetting the woes he had over Rosaline. notwithstanding the Friar speaks of the doubts he had for the sincerity of Romeos love for Rosaline in the first place Thy love did read by rote, that could not spell. This implies that Romeo, whilst sounding outward ly convert lacked the meaning behind his words. Shakespeare is again using a characters opinion to influence that of the interview, in this case Romeos love for Rosaline may well have been true but due to the friars opinionated spoken language the audience is cast into doubt on the matter. The friar also chides Romeo about his use of elaborate metaphorical verbiage when talking of love, telling him to be plain, costly son, For in order for Friar Lawrence to absolve Romeo he moldiness first be able to understand him.Yet it is not just the friar who is suspicious of Romeos decorative words, Juliet had already commented on the way he talks in Act two Scene two O swear not by the moon, thinconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable. Romeos allegorical promises do not hold well with Juliet because in his words no definition can be found merely elaborate metaphors. However Juliets complaints go unnoticed for later Act two Scene six Romeo is again using exotic wording in order to describe his love for herUnfold the imagined happiness that both Receive in either by this dear encounter. Juliet however responds by saying Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, Brags of his substance, not of ornament They are but beggars that can count their worth, But my true love is gr give to much(prenominal) excess I cannot nerve center up sum of half my wealth. What Juliet is saying here is that unlike Romeo she cannot sum up her love for him in words. Shakespeare uses strong negative imagery such as beggars and conceit to viewing Juliets exasperation with Romeos continuing usage of needless ornate speech.But despite Juliets doubts and Romeos misleading words there is an overwhelming love between the pair that cannot go unnoticed. Even upon their first meeting Romeos feelings for Juliet are obvious Did my heart love till today? He directs this verbiage at Juliet before the two have even met. Yet when they do a t last meet Juliet shares with Romeo not one but two kisses, the second induced by Juliet Then have my lips the sin that they have excessivelyk These shows of affection in the time in which the play was written would be unheard of upon a first meeting.This shows just how the pair truly epitomise the phrase Love at first survey for they did not let the fact that they were total strangers hinder the strength of their feelings even if the feeling was simply lust. However as of yet we cannot tell whether Romeo is sincere in his love this time rather than just lustfully infatuated as he was with Rosaline, the cousin of Juliet. However he proves himself later in the act by saying Call me but love, and Ill be new baptised Henceforth I never will be Romeo By this he is offering to change his name if it would make Juliet love him and be with him.During Shakespearian times it was no small feat to denounce ones name, there was a lot more weight placed upon names back then, especially if it w as a name of mettlesome social standing as was Romeos. This proposal shows the true and serious nature of Romeos newfound love. However it is not simply Romeo who makes such a bold offer for earlier in the scene Juliet says be but sworn my love, And Ill no longer be a Capulet To the audience Shakespeare was writing for this unselfish act on both their parts would have convinced the audience that their love was true.Another calculate that Shakespeare played upon to influence his audience into believing that Romeo and Juliets love was true was his use of Religious language upon their first meeting. If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this, My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. Shakespeare deliberately uses this language to symbolise a number of things. Firstly that Juliet like a shrine is untouched or virginal this theme is repeated through the first two acts of the play.Secondly it However not all Shakespeares examples of love are so romantic for instance Juliets mother The Lady Capulet says to Juliet considering the offer of mating from genus Paris So shall you share all that he doth possess, By having him, making yourself no less. This shows a rattling materialistic side to Lady Capulet it also implies that the reason she is married to Lord Capulet might not needs be because they are in love. It portrays a much more dutiful love between Juliets parents perhaps Lady Capulet loves Lord Capulet simply because they are married rather than being married because they are in love.This type of relationship was common in Tudor times because often romanticism was miss in the face of bettering oneself financially. Paris show of affection for Juliet is not without a feel of duty he, as was proper in those days, approaches Lord Capulet for his daughters hand in marriage But now, my lord, what say you to my suit? At this point Capulet believes his daughter to be too young for marriage yet he encourages young Paris to woo her in order that she may fall in love with him down the line And too soon marred are those so early made. Might be referring to the marriage of himself and lady Capulet that has now become loveless and hollow. He as a loving father does not wish this upon his own only child so through Paris persistence Shakespeare shows another form of love, the love of a father for his daughter. Yet not all Shakespeares characters believed in such an honourable love. In his curtain raising scene there are two servant men talking between themselves, there speech although on the topic of fighting generally is rife with sexual innuendo and pun.For example Ay, the heads of maids, or their maidenheads, take it in what sense thou wilt This line seemingly innocent to the reader of our time has a very rude meaning in Shakespearian language where maidenhead means virginity, in this sense the two are talking of having sex with virgins, more than a little le ss noble than the good Paris. They speak also of pushing women to the wall because of their weaker build this all shows little true emotion and a very physically sexual type of love if indeed it can be referred to as that at all.Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet was a revolutionary piece when it was written because it showed just how love can move people in an age where marriage for social or financial gain was the norm. Over nearly 5 hundred years Shakespeares language and story line has captivated the hearts and minds of generations of lovers with its unique motley of reality and fantasy. Romeo and Juliet is one piece of Shakespeares work that will remain a true unending classic.