Should Romeo And Juliet Be Romanticized?

In classic and modern literature alike, the romanticisation of love is a very common theme. From “Romeo and Juliet”, to coffee shop poetry, love seems to be the basis of everybody's lives. However, love isn’t always as it seems. In literature and in the real world, love ends tragically, and breaks people down from their true potential, therefore, should not be idealized.

Love in literature is cruelty romanticized, and these romanticized thoughts are brought over to the real world, where people begin to believe these things. Though, in reality, love is a traumatic experience. When authors write love out to be something that makes a person ethereal in every aspect, they are shading far from the truth. Yrsa Daley-Ward, a poet, wrote about

In the Shakespearean play, “Romeo and Juliet”, the young couple fight so hard for a romance that has only been known for two days, which is unrealistic to begin, only for both of them to end up dying over it in the end. Romeo and Juliet’s love was forbidden, and due to this, they could not be public about it. Juliet says that, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, Retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title.” (Text #3) In this quote, Juliet is weeping over Romeo, and how if he were to be born into any other family, he would be able to be with her freely. But since his family rivals hers, they are not allowed to be together, even when the only thing keeping them apart is their last names. This proves that love is not always easy, and can ultimately be tragic. Furthermore, the loss of love can lead to horrible behaviors. The character in Guy de Maupassant’s short story had experienced the loss of his lover, and stated that, “YEsterday I returned to Paris, -- our room, our bed, our furniture, everything that remains of the life of a human being after death-- I was seized by such a violent attack of fresh grief that I felt like opening the window and throwing myself out into the street.” (Text #6) This means that Maupassant’s character was stricken by sadness so hard that

Mrs. Baroda, a married woman, is angered initially over the fact that her husband would invite one of his college companions to their house. She leaves the house angered, but when she thinks her husband is going to come retrieve her, Gouvernail appears in his place. Upon seeing him, Mrs. Baroda thinks, “She was not thinking of [Gouvernails] words, only drinking in the tones of his voice. She wanted to reach out her hand in the darkness and touch him with the sensitive tips of her fingers upon the face on the lips. She wanted to draw close to him and whisper against his cheek-- she did not care what-- as she might have done if she had not been a respectable woman.” (Text #5) This statement is describing Mrs. Baroda’s sudden attraction for her husbands friend, which is disloyal to her husband, who she had married out of love. This proves that feelings change, and true love cannot exist, because there will always be other people that one could be attracted to. Likewise, towards the end of the passage, Mrs. Baroda is thrilled upon hearing of Gouvernails return to their house, and exclaims, “I have overcome everything! You will see. This time I shall be very nice to him.” (Text #5) This statement could mean that her attraction towards him is strong enough to disregard her negative feelings, or, she could be