Analysis of the different types of love in Romeo and Juliet.
Love in its many forms, is an important theme in the play. The Nurse and Mercutio speak in vulgar terms about love, referring to its physical side. Romeo's love for Rosaline is simply superficial, childish infatuation. Paris represents a contractual love. He does not actually know Juliet, just her family and what she represents. He is marrying a name not a person. Juliet questions Romeo at first to his intentions, the type of love he has to offer. The love between Romeo and Juliet is spiritual, romantic love. They alone die for their love.
Different characters talk about love from very different points of view.
First there is Idealistic love, Romeo's early sadness is a kind of intellectual love; he is in love with the idea of being in love. At the beginning of the play Romeo is an immature and impulsive boy who imagines that he is love with Rosaline. His talk is full of bookish and artificial expressions of emotion and he seems to be wallowing in self-pity (Act 1, Scene 1)
"Grief of mine own lie heavy in my breast,
Which thou wilt propagate to have it pressed
With more thine; this love that thou hast shown
Doth add more grief to too much of mine own."
When he meets Juliet and falls in love with her, it has a dramatic effect on his character. He becomes more mature as his love and relationship with Juliet develops.
Real love is the feeling between Romeo and Juliet, this is the love that people "crave"; they share a bond, which makes their love even more special. When they first meet they share a common biblical language and they speak in the form of a sonnet.
Romeo (to Juliet)-"This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this,
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."
Juliet-"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much
Which mannerly devotion shows this,
For saints have hands that pilgrims, ready stand
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."
Their true love allows them to grow and develop as individuals.
Different characters talk about love from very different points of view.
First there is Idealistic love, Romeo's early sadness is a kind of intellectual love; he is in love with the idea of being in love. At the beginning of the play Romeo is an immature and impulsive boy who imagines that he is love with Rosaline. His talk is full of bookish and artificial expressions of emotion and he seems to be wallowing in self-pity (Act 1, Scene 1)
"Grief of mine own lie heavy in my breast,
Which thou wilt propagate to have it pressed
With more thine; this love that thou hast shown
Doth add more grief to too much of mine own."
When he meets Juliet and falls in love with her, it has a dramatic effect on his character. He becomes more mature as his love and relationship with Juliet develops.
Real love is the feeling between Romeo and Juliet, this is the love that people "crave"; they share a bond, which makes their love even more special. When they first meet they share a common biblical language and they speak in the form of a sonnet.
Romeo (to Juliet)-"This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this,
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."
Juliet-"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much
Which mannerly devotion shows this,
For saints have hands that pilgrims, ready stand
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."
Their true love allows them to grow and develop as individuals.