Love In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

ove is an all-pervading force, ebbing and flowing through humanity’s bones. It permeates every single relationship and interconnection; it is the backbone of society that binds us together. But true love is not romantic or untroubled as is often fictionally depicted. It is problematic, indecisive and strays from convention. This is a discussion of love and it’s intrinsic challenges, a theme espied in the 16th century; ‘The course of true love never does run smooth’. Playwright William Shakespeare foregrounded this in his play Romeo and Juliet, telling the story of two doomed and ill-fated “star crossed” lovers, born to feuding houses in medieval Verona. With love’s obstacles being a key theme, the play’s relevancy remains as potent as ever,

Love cannot be perfect because humans are not perfect; every individual and society is uniquely different and, realistically, disparity and incoherence often clash. Such differences and their effects were highlighted by Shakespeare some four-hundred years ago. If Romeo and Juliet is considered the epitome of love, then the feuding houses of Montague and Capulet are a hyper-exaggerated representation of such disparities. In the play, the houses are synonymous with self-identity and, thus, Juliet’s love for Romeo poses the stark question: does one sacrifice their identity, beliefs and values or their ‘true love’? Juliet frequently cites her predicament, “My only love sprung from my only hate… Prodigious birth of love it is to me that I must love a loathed enemy… Wherefore art thou Romeo” (1.5.136-139, 2.2.33). I, personally, cannot recall a single relationship where my individual distinctions have not manifested themselves as disagreements or complications. Today, Romeo and Juliet serve only as a reminder that friction is an inherent part of ‘true love’ because we are all different. Humanity’s

When infatuated, as Romeo and Juliet obviously were, one is completely absorbed. Love has an impulsive tendency to override rational thinking which often has negative consequences. Romeo’s immaturity and impulsiveness is recognized in his conversation with Benvolio, where he rebuts with, “O teach me how I should forget to think,” thinking he has no control over his emotions. This is echoed in the couple’s perhaps rash decision to be married after scarcely meeting each other, “Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, so soon be forsaken?” (2.3.66-67). Furthermore, love’s irrationality is seen in Juliet who knows that the marriage is “too, rash, too unadvised” and “too sudden” (2.2.18) yet is willing to risk everything, including denouncing her name and identity as a Capulet (2.2.36). I would like to think that I have never acted irrationally over something I am passionate about, however this would be untrue. I have, in the past, acted absolutely illogically when it came to something I felt strongly about. It is this same passion, seen so commonly in love, that is responsible for many conflicts and disputes in the contemporary world. Negative effects often follow impulsiveness and this is indeed evident in Romeo and Juliet, where Tybalt and Mercutio’s deaths are a direct consequence of Romeo’s impetuousness. Today, the consequences of such impulsiveness could be manifest as domestic violence, divorce or any other