Romeo And Juliet Research Paper

700 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Love story english essay

Romeo and Juliet is one of the most known tragedies of our time. This play follows the tragic tale of two teenagers falling in love, only to have their love divided by a family feud. But were these two people truly in love? What is love? How does their relationship compare to others? In my eyes, Romeo and Juliet were never in love throughout the entire play.
Yet first, we should discuss what “love” even is. What is the definition of “true love?” When looking at the definition of romantic love, the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes it as, “a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person.” However, it is still more than that. In terms of romantic love, an emotional bond has to be formed. There has to be some emotional intimacy. …show more content…

However, it is not love that they are feeling. Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is one based more around passion. Romeo and Juliet barely even know each other before they run off and decide to get married. When they first meet, Romeo only focuses on kissing Juliet. He does not focus on Juliet’s personality at all. His first words to Juliet are, “If I profane with my unworthiest hand / This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: / My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand / To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss” (1.5.91-94). Romeo does not say hi to Juliet or even ask her name. His only focus is on kissing her. In a way, this makes Romeo look selfish since he only seems to care about kissing Juliet. However, Juliet only wants to kiss him back, and she goes along with him by saying, “Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much. / Which mannery devotion shows in this; / For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch, / And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss” (1.5.95-98). Here, she is just going on with Romeo’s analogy of saints and pilgrims to lovers. Later in the play while Juliet is waiting for news about Romeo, she talks about being “sold” but not yet “enjoyed” by saying, “O, I have bought the mansion of a love, / But not possessed it; and though I am sold, / Not yet enjoyed…” (3.2.26-28). Juliet is anxious to see Romeo again, but not necessarily

Show More
Related

  • Obsession and Infatuation in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

    552 Words  | 2 Pages

    Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous love tales, but what if the play is not actually a tale of love, but of total obsession and infatuation. Romeo has an immature concept of love and is rather obsessive. Romeo is not the only person in the play who is obsessed though. Many people throughout the play notice his immaturities about love. Very rarely was true love actually shown in the play. attention. Romeo childishly cries to his friend, Benvolio because Rosaline will not love him back and says " She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow/ Do I live dead that live to tell it now" (I i 219-220). Romeo is stating that he's ready to die for loving Rosaline. This is exactly the same attitude Romeo had towards Juliet a little later in the play. During Scene I, Act ii, Romeo's friend, Benvolio tries to get him to go to the Capulet's party to help him get over Rosaline and meet other women Romeo gets very angry and emotional when he suggests this. “Now Romeo is beloved and loves again, / Alike bewitched by the charm of looks” (II 5-6). The chorus expresses Romeo’s juvenile way...

    Read More

  • Romeo and Juliet is Not a Love Story

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a play commonly viewed and known as a true love story; however, after analyzing several hints portrayed by the protagonists, it is evident that Shakespeare did not intend to make Romeo and Juliet seem like a true love story but a criticism of how superficial society’s view on love is.

    Read More

  • Romeo And Juliet Love Quotes

    586 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the party, they truly fell in love at first sight. Romeo loved Juliet much more than he loved Juliet. The quote from the Chorus “Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie, and young affection gapes to be his heir”(Act 2, prologue, line 1) proves the point. The Chorus is saying that Romeo’s old desire for Rosaline is dead, and his new desire for Juliet emerges. Furthermore,Romeo was willing to give up his own identity; his family name and honour for Juliet on the first day they met. The quote from Romeo “My name dear saint is hateful to me, because it is an enemy to thee: had I it written, I would tear the word.”(Act 2, scene 2, line 55) orives the point. Romeo is saying that he hates his last name Montague, because the were at feud with Juliet’s family, the

    Read More

  • Romeo And Juliet Capulet Quotes

    697 Words  | 2 Pages

    Juliet is a very loving person, especially towards Romeo. During the balcony scene when Romeo is about to leave, Juliet says, “A thousand times goodnight!/(2.2.154) I shall forgot, to have thee still stand there, Rememb’ring how I love thy company.”(2.2.173-174) Juliet feels true love with Romeo, as she expresses this through her actions, each time he speaks, each time they kiss, Juliet never wants to leave Romeo’s side. Shakespeare continues to make it clear that Juliet is a loving person through the people she close with. Romeo and Juliet have fallen in love so quickly that the nurse hopes that Juliet will get married while she’s alive, even if it means that Juliet marries at a young age.

    Read More

  • The Hastiness of Youth and the Induced Calamity in Romeo and Juliet

    754 Words  | 2 Pages

    Romeo, son of Montague and Lady Montague, is introduced into the story as a depressed, upset young man, moping over a girl who will never love him back. As he says to Benvolio, “She’ll not be hit with Cupid’s arrow. She hath Dian’s wit, and, in strong proof of chastity well-armed, from Love’s weak childish bow she lives uncharmed” (Romeo and Juliet I i 203-206). Romeo states that his true love will not love him as he thinks of her, as she intends to stay chaste and turn into a nun, thus upsetting Romeo and putting him in a depressed state of mind. He is a very extreme person, and in a way, that contributes to the hastiness of the whole play, as Romeo is always at either of his two extremes; his mood either quite happy or relatively dismal. He shows that in his thoughts, as he is at first convinced he should never love another woman, but then he meets Juliet only days afterward and forgets about his previous love. His encounter with Juliet is hasty, but he claims he “never saw true beauty till this night” (Rom I v 52). Romeo reveals his personality, and how quickly he is able to get over someone whom he thought he was in love with. However, after encountering Juliet and falling in love once more, Romeo develops an obsession of sorts w...

    Read More

  • Lust In Romeo And Juliet

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    By the end of the play, Romeo and Juliet have completely fallen in love, which ultimately led to their premature deaths; with their relationship beginning as lust and blossoming into love. While Romeo and Juliet's interest in each other starts off as just physical attraction, through spending time together and learning about each other, their relationship transitions into true love because of the constant fear of living without each other.

    Read More

  • Chad Arnold

    771 Words  | 2 Pages

    We all know the story of Romeo and Juliet, the star crossed lovers who kill themselves for each other. But when you think of Romeo and Juliet, you probably think of a great romance story. But is it really? Romeo and Juliet is a play written by the great William Shakespeare and most people think this play was written as a love story that just ends very badly. Well I think otherwise. Most people are tricked into thinking that Romeo and Juliet is a love story from what others say, but in all reality Romeo and Juliet is more of a tragedy.

    Read More

  • Predictable Behaviour In Romeo And Juliet

    521 Words  | 2 Pages

    Juliet is completely fallen in love with Romeo, as he is with her, and this causes a change is her portrayal since she acts unfaithful to her words. “Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much.” She teases Romeo, Romeo suggests a kiss “O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do. They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.” Juliet accepts the proposition “Saint do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake.” This is the first appearance of Juliet’s behavioural change as she shows signs of disobedience when she kisses Romeo, when she is supposed to fall in love with man her parents suggested

    Read More

  • Romeo And Juliet Deception

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    After making the plan to fake her death with Friar Laurence, Juliet tells her father, “Pardon, I beseech you! / Henceforward I am ever rul’d by you” (4.2.22-23). Here, Juliet is lying to her father by telling him she will marry Paris when she really plans to fake her death. This is important because it reveals that Juliet’s eagerness to be with Romeo causes her to lie to her parents, putting the person she just met above the parents that raised her and love her very much. Not caring about how her actions will affect them may also cause conflicts later on in the play. Romeo is also deceptive to his role model, Friar Laurence. After learning that Juliet has “died”, Romeo tells Balthasar, “Is it e’en so? Then I defy you, stars! / Thou knowest my lodging. Get me ink and paper / And hire posthorses. I will hence to-night” (5.1.24-26). Here, Romeo is being deceptive of Friar Laurence by not staying at Mantua like Friar Laurence told him to. This is important since Romeo is still banished, so going back to Verona may cause even more conflicts later in the

    Read More

  • Obsession in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

    678 Words  | 2 Pages

    Despite what many people think, Romeo and Juliet is not a love story; rather a story of desperation and obsession. People have been reading Shakespeare for hundreds of years and several people have mistaken it for a love story, due to the fact that Romeo loves Juliet so much he is willing to kill himself when he finds her supposedly dead; she does the same when she wakes up to find him dead. But in fact, Romeo is more taken aback by her beauty than he is in love with her. Juliet is intrigued by the fact someone could love her because her parents are very unsupportive of her. When the two find each other, they immediately become obsessed, mistaking this for love at first sight.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Lust In Romeo And Juliet

    691 Words  | 2 Pages

    It shows that he prioritized her looks above anything else which by definition is not true love. Subsequently after “meeting” the couples short term infatuation becomes more apparent. Romeo pulls Juliet into a hallway and convinces Juliet to kiss him, “My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a render kiss” (1.5.95-96). Romeo’s actions once again prove that he is not truly in love. Instead of getting to know Juliet he decides to kiss her. The two demonstrate that any non physical characteristics are close to irrelevant to each other. After their affair Romeo leaves the Capulet’s party. Juliet then turns to nurse to and asks for Romeo’s name. Nurse responds by telling Juliet that she knows not who the man was, “What’s he that follows here that would not dance”? “I know not” (1.5.132). The simple action is all that is

    Read More

  • Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

    1132 Words  | 3 Pages

    Romeo first notices Juliet during her parents' banquet, which causes them to fall in love at first sight. His reaction in Act I, scene IV illustrates that Juliet's appearance significantly affects him: “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night. As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear- Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! (Act I, scene IV, 45-48). Romeo swiftly decides that he is in love with Juliet though he hasn’t spoken to her yet. Juliet is more sensible and declines his first moves, but soon lets him kiss her. At this time, the feelings of both lovers look to be the same. Nevertheless, fate checks their loyalty by revealing their identities. Juliet is a Capulet, and Romeo a Montague, which is an unearthing that shocks them both, but they do not doubt the love they have together. In fact, this leads the reader to accept their love as genuine. In final, their compassion and devotion towards one another is too strong for it to be lust, which proves they are in true love.

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although this is a love story is is confusing where the true love occurs. This is shown in III, ii, 7 “Leap to these arms, untalked of and unseen: Lovers can see to do their amorous rites” This quote shows how Romeo and Juliet care more about physical attraction rather than personalities. This in fact is not love but more so lust. This quote shows how eager Juliet is to be in love and cannot wait to consummate the marriage with Romeo. Their eagerness shows the immaturity between the couple and wanting to have sex more than anything

    Read More

  • Why Romeo and Juliet's Love is Real and Not an Infatuation

    535 Words  | 2 Pages

    True love is one of the most genuine, not to mention precious feelings in the world. In Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, a pair of lovers denotes the strength of true love and it's ability to overcome nearly all obstacles. However, this kind of love is a rarity due to it's pureness but somehow many cheap imitations are still mistaken for real love. Romeo and Juliet's love is authentic and by no means an infatuation seeing as first of all, they both risk their lives to see each other and would rather die than be separated. Juliet also has an unusual level of loyalty towards her partner for her age which supports the idea of true love. In addition, throughout the play, Romeo's demeanour started to change and he began to mature in a considerably short period of time. Young love is a petty sentiment nonetheless when it develops into a fully-fledged unconditional love, both partners will begin to evolve and will do nearly anything for the other.

    Read More

  • Love And Infatuation In William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

    1014 Words  | 3 Pages

    (II.2.73) after Juliet asks if he is a Montague. He is willing to do anything for the girl he just met (again, touching on the theme of infatuation), and the fact that their two families don’t get along only makes the stakes higher for Romeo.

    Read More

More about Romeo And Juliet Research Paper

Open Document