The first notion of love in the play is when Romeo is infatuated with Rosaline. His love for her is quick, childish and unrequited. Shakespeare presents Romeo as merely being in love with the idea of being in love. Rosaline does not return the love he has for her, and Romeo grieves over this. An example of this is in Act 1 Scene 1 when Romeo says 'Well, in that hit you miss, she'll not be hit, With cupids arrow, she hath Dians wit' We have all been in that situation where you have a crush on someone and they don't like you back. The audience and people in modern society can really relate to this idea and theme.
Love at first sight. Shakespeare has conveyed this idea in Act 1 Scene 5 when Romeo sneaks into capulets party even though there familes are enemies, once he is there he lays eyes on Juliet and says 'did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For i ne'er saw true beauty till this night' Romeo was overwhelmed with desire and passion for Juliet. He realised his feelings were shallow and trivial. For Romeo and Juliet it was love at first sight. This still happens in todays society, many people relate to this and dream about such a thing happening to them. People today go to nightclubs and parties and fall in love just like Romeo and Juliet. Love at first sight is a timeless idea that is relevant in todays society.
In Romeo and Juliet shakespeare perfectly captures what it is like to be young and in love. Its a feeling that anyone can somehow relate too. The rush of being in love and the desire to make it last forever is displayed in Act 2 Scene 2 when Juliet says 'my bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep, The more I give to thee, the more I have, For both are infinite' Although the love they both have for each other is beautiful and passionate, it is because of this love that they both commit suicide.
Besides the obvious romantic love between Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare also explores another kind of love. The love between Juliet and the Nurse. Juliet and the Nurse share a very close bond. Juliet sees the nurse as a confidant, friend and a mother figure. The Nurse just wants to protect Juliet and see her happy. This can be seen in Act 3 Scene 5 when she tries to stand up to Lord Capulet when he is yelling at Juliet. 'You are to blame, my lord,to rate her so'. Although the audience in the modern society may be able to relate to this relationship on some level, it isn't really relevent in modern society. Today it is very abnormal for a 13 year old girl to still be under such constant care by someone other than her parents. Women's rights have dramatically changed since the elizabethan time period.
In conclusion although some ideas are not relevent today, the theme of love and the meaning behind the play are still relevant in modern society. Teenagers will always be falling in love, teenagers will always think there parents don't understand them and unfortunatly suicide will still be committed by some. Thankyou.
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