Romeo And Juliet Rough Draft Essay
Alyssa Wiest
Mr. Flanagan
English Period 2
17 December 2014
Themes, Motifs, and Symbols in Romeo and Juliet
Love at first sight. Is it really love, or is it an obsession masked by emotion? In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the characters are misled by their obsessions and a perpetual feud. This, by their own doing, led them straight to their grave. The families of Romeo and Juliet had been at war for ages and although the feud is known to cause trouble, the couples’ obsession gets the best of them. Juliet states, “My only love sprung from my only hate” (22). Along with Juliet, Romeo lets his obsession with ‘love’ consume him. His infatuation with Juliet provokes his untimely death. In Romeo and Juliet, the tragic nature of an obsession as a theme, war as a motif, and the dagger as a symbol are all important literary devices to analyze in the study of the text.
Theme is a common literary device that is discussed or described in a work of literature; it is a main idea. The tragic nature of an obsession is a major theme that appears throughout Romeo and Juliet. In the text Juliet is obsessed with Romeo, causing her to make rash decisions. One of those decisions includes faking her death in order to be with Romeo. Also, to be with him, she is willing to alienate her family. Throughout the play Juliet makes harmful decisions in order to satisfy her infatuation. Along with Juliet, Romeo’s obsession is very evident in the text. Romeo first reveals his fixation with Juliet when he ascends her balcony after declaring his love for her at the Capulet party. He too commits suicide in order to be with Juliet.
Infatuation can lead to a downfall with negative consequences. Romeo and Juliet commit suicide due to their obsessive love. After knowing Romeo for little time, Juliet speaks about him, “But my true love is grown to such excess, I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth” (42), therefore showing that her ‘love at first sight’ is really her obsession for Romeo.
Mr. Flanagan
English Period 2
17 December 2014
Themes, Motifs, and Symbols in Romeo and Juliet
Love at first sight. Is it really love, or is it an obsession masked by emotion? In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the characters are misled by their obsessions and a perpetual feud. This, by their own doing, led them straight to their grave. The families of Romeo and Juliet had been at war for ages and although the feud is known to cause trouble, the couples’ obsession gets the best of them. Juliet states, “My only love sprung from my only hate” (22). Along with Juliet, Romeo lets his obsession with ‘love’ consume him. His infatuation with Juliet provokes his untimely death. In Romeo and Juliet, the tragic nature of an obsession as a theme, war as a motif, and the dagger as a symbol are all important literary devices to analyze in the study of the text.
Theme is a common literary device that is discussed or described in a work of literature; it is a main idea. The tragic nature of an obsession is a major theme that appears throughout Romeo and Juliet. In the text Juliet is obsessed with Romeo, causing her to make rash decisions. One of those decisions includes faking her death in order to be with Romeo. Also, to be with him, she is willing to alienate her family. Throughout the play Juliet makes harmful decisions in order to satisfy her infatuation. Along with Juliet, Romeo’s obsession is very evident in the text. Romeo first reveals his fixation with Juliet when he ascends her balcony after declaring his love for her at the Capulet party. He too commits suicide in order to be with Juliet.
Infatuation can lead to a downfall with negative consequences. Romeo and Juliet commit suicide due to their obsessive love. After knowing Romeo for little time, Juliet speaks about him, “But my true love is grown to such excess, I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth” (42), therefore showing that her ‘love at first sight’ is really her obsession for Romeo.