The Theme of Love in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

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The Theme of Love in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

In the play Romeo and Juliet, the author uses many themes of loves to

portray relationships between characters such as the theme of erotic

love between Romeo and Juliet also known as Eros, the love of a friend

also known as philos and also it shows the love between family members

such as Romeo and his father.

First of all the love between Romeo and Juliet is portrayed as Romeo

being madly in love at first sight “O, she doth teach the torches to

burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich

jewel in an Ethiope's ear; 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. The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand,

and, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand. Did my heart love till

now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.”

Juliet’s reactions to the sight of Romeo for the first time was

something of a shock as she did not expect for him to grab her hand as

he did “Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly

devotion shows in this;

For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm

is holy palmers' kiss.”

The next theme of love portrayed in Romeo and Juliet is Philos, this

is such as the love between Mercutio and Romeo as both of whom would

risk their lives for each other “Nay, an there were two such, we

should have none shortly, for one would kill the other. Thou! why,

thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more, or a hair less, in

his beard, than thou hast: thou wilt quarrel with a man for cracking

nuts, having no other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes: what

eye but such an eye would spy out such a quarrel?

Thy head is as fun of quarrels as an egg is full of meat, and yet thy

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