How Is the Theme of Love and Hate Presented in Romeo and Juliet?

The play Romeo and Juliet has two themes that rely on each other to create an understanding of the dynamics of relationships - the power of love and hate. One could easily conceive that hatred is the stronger theme when looking at the tragic denouement that befalls the star - crossed lovers. The ongoing feud between the Capulets and Montagues, functioning as a mean of hatred results in the deaths of the youths. However, a more profound exploration widens our horizons. Romeo and Juliet has become forever associated with love. The play has become an iconic story of love and passion, and the name “Romeo” is still used to describe young lovers. Shakespeare’s treatment of love in the play is complex and multifaceted. He uses love in its many guises to thread together the key relationships in the play.
At the beginning of the play, the prologue insinuates that the unfortunate deaths of the protagonists of the story put an end to their parents’ feud. The very phrase “star-crossed lovers” refers to a pair of lovers whose relationship is thwarted by outside forces. The term encompasses other meanings, but originally means the pairing is being "thwarted by a malign star" or that the stars are working against the relationship. By heralding the despondent ending, the play stirs sympathy inside the audience.
Shakespeare shows the contrast between love and hate by combining “honor” and “sin” in one line – “Now, by the stock and honor of my kin, To strike him dead I hold it not a sin.” Tybalt is presented as an aggressive villain, who is concerned with honor and does not consider murder as a crime, arousing hatred amongst the audience along with passing the significance of honor at that particular period of time. The rhyme “kin” and “sin” emphasizes the theme of hatred, which runs through the entire play. The word “kin” originally means relative, in other words, somebody close, someone we can trust. In the next line, this word rhymes with “sin” foreshadowing the tragedy in the end - as soon as Tybalt becomes Romeo’s kinsman, he is murdered, shining spotlight on the central idea of the play, which is the hatred is so strong that it can even overcome love, symbolized by “kin”. Another good example of a mixture of honor and hatred is presented in line 35 of Act 1 scene 1, “You mean however they dare. I’ll bite my thumb at them. That’s an insult, and if they let me get away with it they’ll be dishonored.” The general perception of the term “honor” is positive, however, when combined with a brusque gesture, the audience can sense the distinct hatred instilled in the servant’s psychology.
Love, in Romeo and Juliet, is a grand passion, and as such it is blinding; it can overwhelm a person as powerfully and completely as hate can. The passionate love between Romeo and Juliet is linked from the moment of its inception with abhorrence. In relation to love, despite there being a profusion of lines filled with aura of affection, they are never sole, there are always subtle signs of hatred to accompany them. For instance, “If I profane with my unworthiest hand. This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.” As always, along with intrinsically being a love poem, or a romantic request for a kiss, it adds a violent tone by putting divine “pilgrim” and “sin” together. Additionally, it could be argued that this line is an allusion to blasphemy, as bestowing Juliet the title of “pilgrim” is placing her on a pedestal, thus offending the religion at that time. The next line however is genuinely aimed at portraying the beautiful love shared by the youngsters. 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.” Both “devotion” and “pilgrim” gives the audience an image of perfect love, smoothing their turbulent emotions caused by previous ominous lines. After Juliet finds out that Romeo is a Montague, her arch-rival, she exclaims that her only love sprung from her only hate, by linking love and hate dramatizes the message that the lovers’ destinies are doomed and they are incapable of preventing fate from acting upon their fragile lives. A more direct implication can be found in the most famous balcony scene, “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore are thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name, Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.” The only way to implement love is to change one’s name, suggesting the super power of hate over love. At the first glance this line appears to be touching, especially to the audience who lacked education, the deeper insinuation reads that unless hatred comes to an end - Juliet changes her name, love can never exist. The reaction from the audience is pity as they know that Juliet is unable to alter her name, which leads to her downfall in the end. Hatred appears to be stronger than love, as love does not possess adequate power to conquer hate.

In retrospect, hatred can be viewed as an umbrella conception of the play “Romeo and Juliet”. Even though the audience can sense brightness in the scenes of love, there is never a lack of bleakness and hate, making the audience feel pity for the two unfortunate young lovers.