Major Theme in Act I of Romeo and Juliet

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Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, was one of the first plays about romantic love. In Act I of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare demonstrates different forms of love that characters face. Additionally he establishes the characters conflict and emotions towards love. These emotions acknowledge an important matter that is known throughout the world, love. Love is important because it is a universal issue that everyone relates to. Shakespeare cooperates unrequited love, false love, and ill-fated love into Act I to connect different types of audiences. These forms of love create a major theme about romantic love.
One of the forms of love Shakespeare indicates is unrequited love. Romeo has fallen deep in love with Rosaline, but he is, “out of her favor where [he] is in love”(Shakespeare.I.i.173). Unrequited love is love that is not returned or reciprocated. Romeo is madly in love with Rosaline who does not love him back. This unrequited love has given dread to Romeo, he feels like he cannot love anyone else again. As a hopeless romantic, Romeo loves the idea of love, but the love he is experiencing is pain through his heart. He realizes that, “love, whose view is muffled still,/ Should without eyes see pathways to his will”(I.i.175-177). Since Romeo has only been surrounded by hate he always tries to look for love. And when he found love he never thought that it would be so painful. He mentions that love is supposed to be blind, but it can still make one do whatever it wants. His feelings towards love causes him to think that love is worthless. Although Rosaline does not love Romeo back, her reason is not that she is stubborn. Rosaline cannot, “be hit/ With Cupid’s arrow. She hath Dian’s wit,/ And, in strong proof of chastit...

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...Act I.
In Act I of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare demonstrates different forms of love that characters face. From the beginning, Romeo struggles to find true love and what love really is. As for Juliet, she also struggles on what love is, but also finding her own voice. And when finally finding true love they discover that they have fallen in love their own enemy. They both realize that the idea of love can be amazing, but also a painful experience. Shakespeare demonstrates love versus evil and the forms love takes that is acknowledged as an universal issue that connects different types of audiences. Audiences are captured by relating on love and the emotions that are displayed. From Romeo and Rosaline’s unrequited love, Paris and Juliet’s false love, and Romeo and Juliet’s ill-fated love, create the forms of love that establishes love as a leading theme in Act I.

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