People sigh when they are upset or angry. This therefore shows how Romeo thinks that love is painful. Romeo uses the imagery, “it pricks like a thorn.” referring to love. A thorn on a rose is sharp and causes pain. Romeo is referring to how love causes pain through and image.
This play is about love and suggests the effects of love on a person. On the other hand it can be argued that love is not the sole motivation for all the comedic behaviour. Power is a powerful source which can change a person entirely which is displayed in the play. In act one, scene one Orsino, the ‘Duke of Illyria’ is vainly expressing his love for a Countess Olivia. “If music be the food of love, play on”.
He is denying the idea completely, thinking that it would just make him realise how beautiful Rosaline really is. Romeo even risks his life to see Juliet at her balcony, and if he is caught, he will probably be killed. He is that in love with Juliet that nothing can stop him from coming to her balcony – he is fully committed to her. He will even change his name if he needs to, just to be with Juliet: “I take thee…I never will be Romeo.” Act 2 Scene 2 Lines 49-51. Romeo doesn’t want any trouble with Tybalt.
Romeo decided that he was in love with Juliet upon sight without knowing who she was (Shakespeare 924). This was a terrible choice Romeo had literally no idea who she was and this could have stopped the whole conflict of the play. Romeo then ignored his dreams which he believed told his destiny (Shakespeare 921-1009). While if Romeo listened to these dreams which he believed told the future he would have been much more cautious because he would know that he was going to die prematurely. Also, by him listening to his dreams he would have made either little or no poor choices later in the play which results in his death.
He is now angry with Tybalt and wants revenge. ‘Fire-eyed fury be my conduct now.’ Romeos change in mood is significant as it leads to the death of Tybalt and Romeo being banished . Shakespeare also uses dramatic irony to make Act 3 Scene 1 such an intense and significant scene. When Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt all the other characters are confused as to why. ‘Good Capulet, which name I tender as dearly as my own.’ The audience know the reason why Romeo won’t fight Tybalt, which is because Romeo and Juliet are now married.
Romeo doesn’t love Rosaline but instead loves the idea of love, he demonstrates physical desire and lust rather than actual love and a romantic connection, a stark contrast with the love he shares with Juliet. Mercutio is anti-romantic; for him, love is a physical pursuit, which he emphasizes through his lewd dialogue, “If love be rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love for pricking and you beat love down.” Mercutio's repeated references to the sexual aspect of love, contrasts with Romeo’s romantic connection with Juliet that is portrayed as going beyond simply a physical attraction, illustrating his cynical belief that romantic love does not exist. Moreover he curses specific people, the houses of Montague and Capulet, rather than an external force such as fate or love. The Nurse, similar to Mercutio, makes lewd references to the sexual aspect of love.
Spiritual and Political Leader Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi once said, “Love is the strangest force the world possesses…”. This observation signifies how love is so common yet is always underestimated for its strength. In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, the emotion of love is a violent, ecstatic, overpowering force that takes precedence over all other values and thoughts of characters in the play. Initially, Romeo’s actions are caused by the love inside of him. Friar Laurence, Mercutio and Juliet are all embroiled in his love.
As the play begins, Romeo experiences, what he thinks to be, ‘love’ with Rosaline while Juliet is consented to marry Paris. The feast held by Lord Capulet directly results in both Romeo and Juliet attending for the sole purpose of meeting their prearranged loves, and hence drawing them together. The clash between love versus hate is especially represented during Romeo and Juliet’s first meeting. Once Juliet learns of Romeos family roots, she says, “My only love sprung from my only hate” (Act 1, Sc 5, L139). This shows her family’s hate brought about her love; the two opposing forces are vital to each other and are ever so knotted.
Instead, their youthful lust is one of many reasons why their relationship grows so intense so quickly. Throughout the play, Shakespeare only describes Romeo and Juliet's love as a short-term burst of youthful passion. In most of his work, Shakespeare was more interested in exploring the sparks of infatuation than long-term commitment. Considering that no other relationships in the play are as pure as that between Romeo and Juliet, though, it is easy to see that Shakespeare respects the power of such a youthful, passionate love but also laments the transience of it. Death In Romeo and Juliet, death is everywhere.
Romeo and Juliet frequently notice signs, such as when Romeo believes that Juliet is dead, he cried, ‘then I defy you, stars,’ (Act V, Scene I, Line 24) confirming the idea that Romeo and Juliet’s love, was not a part of their fate. The mechanism of destiny is clear in all areas involving the lovers: the feud between their families, the disasters that ruin Friar Lawrence’s plans and the tragic timing of Romeo’s suicide and Juliet’s awakening. These are not simple coincidences, but a manifestation of destiny, which causes the unavoidable deaths of Romeo and Juliet. “If only...” If only the letter was delivered to Romeo, if only Juliet had woken up sooner, if only fate was on their side. Against all odds, Romeo and Juliet did not give up their love for each other, right to the very end.