Love And Hate In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

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Science has proven that there is a thin line between love and hate. “Like love, hate is often seemingly irrational and can lead individuals to heroic and evil deeds,” according to Professor Zeki of University College London. This is significant because love and hate coexist in a society; both love and hate can cause positive and negative actions. Through the text Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare was able to show that love and hate are not so different like many people believe. An examination of Romeo and Juliet reveals that Shakespeare wrote this text to show the direct correlation between love and hate. To begin with, Shakespeare intentionally created the rivalry between the Montague and Capulet families in order to show the hate and suffering
Throughout the text, there were many terrible actions caused either out of love, or out of hate. Out of hate and vengeance for Mercutio’s death, Romeo felt honor-bound to kill the man responsible: Tybalt. “Either thou or I, or both, must go with him.” (III.i.123-125). By this quote alone, Shakespeare was able to show how hate can overpower love and cause violent actions. Even though Romeo regarded Tybalt as a relative, he still wanted to attack Tybalt, because his respect for Tybalt was clouded by his desire for revenge of Mercutio 's death. Later in the story, when Romeo heard news of Juliet’s death, Romeo rushed to the apothecary and asked him, “Let me have A dram of poison, such soon-speeding gear As will disperse itself through all the veins. That the life-weary taker may fall dead.” (V. i.63-65). Romeo was ready to commit suicide out of his love and affection for Juliet. This is significant because Romeo’s strong love for Juliet was able to stimulate his brain into making believe that he should die because he can’t live without Juliet. Love can take control of a person and cause very extreme measures, such as suicide. Therefore, Shakespeare was able to conclusively show the actions love and hate have

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