How Does Shakespeare Present Marriage In Romeo And Juliet

Connor J. Daugherity

Mrs. Hallowell

English 1A

22 May 2018

Concepts of Love and Marriage in Romeo and Juliet Love is a force, more powerful than any other, with the ability to do tremendous things. In William Shakespeare’s novel, Romeo and Juliet written in 1597, the main characters Romeo and Juliet fall in love with each other and show lots of affection throughout the book. The only problem is that Romeo and Juliet are from rival families who despise each other. They manage to work through this problem, but then when everything seems to be going good, Juliet’s parents force her to marry an older man named Paris, whom she does not want to marry. They live in the time of the Elizabethan Era, and so Romeo and Juliet can’t resist their parents

From the website Shakespeare's treatment of Love and Marriage, Herald C.H. and T. Fisher Unwin write about how people in the Elizabethan Era viewed love. They saw love as a “passion, kindling heart, brain, and senses alike”. When the civilians in the Elizabethan Era would fall in love, it would usually be love at first sight. Back then, love-relations almost always resulted in marriage. However, before Elizabethan times, the majority of marriages were used as a means to get power and money, and were usually not for love (Jen McGowan). The idea of marrying for love didn’t evolve until many years into the Elizabethan Period, and it didn’t become very common until after the time of Romeo and Juliet. According to Maggie Secara, people would think that it was foolish to marry for love. This would make sense because many people back then were selfish, and would likely be tempted to marry for riches and power, instead of for a loving relationship. However, following true Elizabethan principal, Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is built on love. Their love is true, and it is obvious that they care deeply about each other. “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” Romeo and Juliet (2.2.140-142). This is a quote spoken by Juliet to Romeo during the balcony scene. She is trying to assure Romeo just how much she loves him while

Another example of how strong Romeo and Juliet’s love is, is when Juliet says, “Did my heart love til now?” (1.5.55-60). Because Juliet and Romeo are so deeply in love with each other, their love masks any other love that they have had previously. Here, Juliet is questioning if she has ever even loved before she met Romeo. She feels this way because her love for Romeo is true, and it is likely the first time that she has felt so passionately about someone else. Romeo feels this very same way. When he first sees Juliet, he completely forgets about his