Romeo And Juliet Foil Essay

One guaranteed part of life is the necessity to make important decisions. These can come in many forms, such as where to live or how to successfully make a living. However, often times these choices require more than just the brain, because they deal with matters of the heart. A person’s idea of love can alter their choices in life, and consequently the tragic tale of the life of two star-crossed lovers can be looked to in order to see this affect. Within his play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare presents the story of how Romeo and Juliet fall in love with the only thing standing between them and happiness being their families. In the city of Verona, the two houses of Capulet and Montague remain in a place of hate and grudges

for one another, and this brings up a great deal of conflict and heartbreak. Therefore through Shakespeare’s presentation of his characters and their relations, the idea of how people's perceptions of love can change their loyalties becomes clear.
Notably, Shakespeare presents Romeo’s best friend Mercutio as a witty character.

He is often used as comic relief by bringing up sexually based jokes and making fun of the love that Romeo feels, and Mercutio’s personality and take on ideas such as romance highly differ from Romeo. This makes him a foil that Shakespeare uses to bring out how Romeo changed his loyalties. When Mercutio and Benvolio are searching for the Montague, he calls out, “Nay, I’ll conjure too. Romeo! Humors! Madman! Passion! Lover! Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh; speak but one rhyme, and I am satisfied! Cry but ‘Ay me!’ pronounce but ‘love’ and ‘dove’” (2.1.7-10). A strong contrast is made in the play between the two friends because of Mercutio’s taunting of how Romeo is often swayed by his feelings and is a romanticist. This literary device helps to display how Romeo ended up changing his loyalties from his family to Juliet and by extension, all of the Capulets. Because of Mercutio, this difference is highlighted and helps the reader to see that Romeo’s affiliation changed from what he was brought up to be to because of his view on love. While Mercutio ended up being more static, Shakespeare’s foil emphasizes the fact that Romeo ended up dying for his love. He also demonstrates this concept through familial

love.
Within the Capulet family, both Lord Capulet and Lady want the best for Juliet at the beginning of the text, but they aim for her to be able to choose who she marries. Thus, they present the possible option of marrying the Count Paris. Capulet is characterized at that point as a man who puts his daughter’s wants before his own. However, this is changed after the death of Tybalt. Paris states their conversation to Friar Laurence, stating that, “Her father counts it dangerous that she do give her sorrow so much sway, and in his wisdom hastes our marriage to stop the inundation of her tears which, too much minded by herself alone, may be put from her by society” (4.1.9-14). They both believe that her anguish was caused by the death of her cousin, when it is truly the banishment of her husband. In an attempt to quell her sadness, Capulet’s loyalties changed. He originally wanted whatever Juliet wanted. Out of the goodness of heart, he then decides himself what will be best for his daughter. Unfortunately, this is the exact opposite of what Juliet wants. Because of the upcoming threat of marriage, she tells Friar Laurence that she was willing to kill herself if he had no better option, and Capulet’s change of intention drove them apart. Juliet faked her own death for Romeo, even with the consequences of hurting her family, because of her father’s view of love. He held the idea that since Paris was good-looking and also a decent man, that Juliet would be happy to love him, and that his love would guide him to what would be best for Juliet. This perception of love, as shown through Capulet’s character, only ended up breaking apart their relationship. Unfortunately, this was only one of many that were torn apart for the Romeo and Juliet’s love.
Shakespeare presents the largest change of loyalties through the main protagonists, Juliet and Romeo.

Before meeting each other, Romeo had fallen deep in love with Rosaline, and he was heartbroken when she chose to remain a virgin for her life. Because of this, he chose to try and fall in love with another woman. As a result met Juliet and once more fell head over heels. However, his love for Juliet was different, because while before he would give up, Romeo not only was banished, but he risked his life trying to get to his wife. As soon as he heard the news of Juliet’s death, he ordered Balthasar to, “hire posthorses. I will hence tonight” (5.1.26). He risked his life by returning to Verona, and this shows how his character grew because of his love for Juliet. She, on the other hand, had to face her marriage to Paris when Romeo is banished. She receives a potion from Friar Laurence, and despite all of her fears, drinks it because, “love give[s] me strength! and strength shall help afford” (4.1.125). Before meeting Romeo, Juliet was content with marrying Paris, and she tended to be docile when it came to her parents’ wishes. However, her love changed her loyalty. By the end of the text, Juliet believed more in her own conviction, and she put her loyalty first to herself and her husband before her family. While this characterizes the lovers as dynamic and changing, it’s their choices on both parts that ended up hurting so many others. Due to Romeo’s banishment, Lady Montague

died, and because of her advice to marry Paris, Juliet broke ties with her Nurse. Because of their view of love, their choices and thus affiliations were altered, and affected all of the lives involved.
In summary, with efficient use of Mercutio as a foil, Capulet’s love for his daughter, and Romeo and Juliet’s changing characters, Shakespeare demonstrates how their choices based on their own perception of love affected their life loyalties. His use of characters and their relations show the reader how important it is to think about how choices affect connections between people because they are made up of who they surround themselves with. In this way, is someone’s love worth their life?