Examples Of Hyperbole In Romeo And Juliet

No Greater Love?

Ah! Romeo and Juliet! It is widely regarded as a classic story of true love, but was their love really true? And why should we care about something written over four hundred years ago? Shakespeare’s representation of true love in Romeo and Juliet is still relevant today because he manages to portray the complex, multi-faceted ways in which humans display love. This is particularly important to young people today, because like Romeo and Juliet, they can be led astray by their emotions, by physical appearance and selfish desires.

Shakespeare clearly shows us that Romeo and Juliet are not truly in love; their love is based on blind emotions. In one of the most quoted lines from the play, Romeo says, “Did my heart love till now?

He said of Juliet, “Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! / So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, / As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows.” (1.5.54-56). Shakespeare’s use of hyperbole in Romeo’s speech emphasises how much Romeo focuses on Juliet’s appearance, rather than her personality or character. Furthermore, his metaphor of a snowy dove among crows adds to this, highlighting how Juliet’s beauty far outshines that of any other person at the ball, blinding Romeo to everyone else. This is not a sign of true love on Romeo’s part; on the contrary, it shows his selfish desire to have the most beautiful woman in Verona for his own. Shakespeare’s message is just as relevant today as it was over four hundred years ago. Like Romeo based his love for Juliet on her physical beauty, we too can be swayed by popular beliefs, and base our affections on appearance. Every movie, every book, every newspaper will tell you that love is based on outward beauty, but we need to rise above this. We need to base our love on the person, on their character, not on their appearance. The unprecedented divorce rate of modern society speaks volumes about how successful beauty-based love actually is. Don’t become another ink-blotted page in the book of divorces – base your love on the person, not their

However, their actions were mainly driven by their selfish desires. For example, when Romeo finds Juliet unconscious in the Capulet tomb, he says, “Shall I believe / That unsubstantial Death is amorous, / And that the lean abhorréd monster keeps / Thee here in dark to be his paramour?” (5.3.103-105). Romeo’s love for Juliet was based on her beauty, and even at her ‘death’ he maintains his selfish desire to have Juliet for his own. His suicide, often seen as a sign of his love for Juliet, was actually an attempt to prevent death from gaining possession of Juliet. Like Romeo, youth today can act selfishly, often with disastrous consequences. Consider the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet – three murders and two suicides, all stemming from Romeo’s selfish desire to have the most beautiful woman he could find for his wife. We need to consider the consequences of our actions, and not make rash decisions based on our desires . After all, who wants to end up like Romeo or