Two beings destined for each other feel never-ending, mutual love at the very first glance. Every preoccupied thought and guarded consideration evaporates as the yearning to live for one another is quite overwhelming. They unite themselves by a secret marriage under conditions so adverse, relying solely on the protection of an ineffable power. Unfortunate events do take place, however, causing their admirable passion to be put to the test. As their faith in each other is also pushed to the limit, they are inevitably destroyed in love. They are forcibly separated from each other by voluntary deaths but are once again united to meet in another world.
William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is an emotive picture of love where the simple tendency of the whole gives it the stamp of tragedy. It has often been described as a play of opposites. The clever use of conflicting imagery immersed with the plays most natural, dominant and causal theme love makes it a Shakespeare classic. With the added use of eloquent speeches, poetic imagery and emotional drama, Shakespeare tells the pretentious story of a tragic love affair fuelled by obsessive love and bitter hate. As the plot develops, the dichotomy of love and hate are not the only contrasting ideas that are presented to us. Techniques such as duality embody the love and hate notion, while the irreconcilable difference of life and death is subtly associated with it. Other contrasting ideas, like family duty and individual desire, illustrates the lovers torn constancy between their kin and themselves. These differing concepts are explored throughout the play, essentially contributing to the imagery used by the lovers but moreover depicting their actions.
The themes of love and hate greatly interfere with Romeo and Juliet, when comparing the love of Romeo and Juliet to the hate driven by their families. Love, in Romeo and Juliet, is in its romantic form but is also brutal passion; overpowering a person as utterly and completely as its aggressor, hate, can. Juliet says, my only love, sprung from my only hate! Romeo also pines, why then, O brawling love, O brawling hate. The ideas of love and hate are almost interchangeable in both quotes. There is also the subsequent representation of duality. Romeo and Juliet are seen to be both lovers and enemies. They love each other but also know they are meant to hate each other because of their feuding families. Furthermore, the awe-consuming love of Romeo and Juliet can also be contrasted with the pettiness of the hatred between their families. Romeo and Juliet seem to know the ways of love better than their parents, even though they are young. While Romeo and Juliet experience such mature love, their families are more concerned with the trivial war of family grandeur and names.
As the play progresses, it seems that love pushes these young lovers closer to violence rather than away from it thus portraying love to be a powerful and seducing emotion. For individuals, it is an erratic and uncontrollable force that wages war against their world and at times, themselves. The nature of love is almost perfectly described by Juliet by refusing to describe it, But my true love is grown to such excess I cannot sum up some of half my wealth. In other words, love proves to be not superficial and resists any single description, let alone metaphor, because it too complex to be contained or understood.
Through Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare conveys the chaos and passion of being in love and in hate spectacularly combining the imagery of love and hate in an impressionistic rush leading to the plays tragic ending.
The matters of family duty and individual desire are forever attempting to supersede the other throughout Romeo and Juliet. The enmity amid their families coupled with their appreciation of loyalty, honour to kin and filial duty hampers Romeo and Juliet in professing their love for each other. The loyalty that Romeo and Juliet feel towards their parents is the root of their problem, in fact. It ultimately keeps them duty bound to obey their family wishes. Shakespeare has chosen a hostile world as the backdrop of the play and to also set the foundation of the storyline. The feud implicitly opposes the very existence of Romeo and Juliets young love.
The familial power, inherent in Renaissance families, wherein the father is the head of the household and controls the actions of all other family members, particularly women, places Juliet in an extremely vulnerable position. In the beginning of the play, we meet a Juliet that is obedient and faithful. For example, when her mother first asks her about the possibility of marrying Paris she politely responds (even though she is not interested), Ill look to like, if looking liking move; But no more deep will I endart mine eye than your consent gives it strength to make it fly. Herein, Juliet stresses her filial duty by saying she wont look at anyone her family hasnt approved of. Juliet, however, begins to break away from her family when she falls in love with Romeo. She is aware that her irrevocable union with Romeo and her filial duty are incompatible. Juliets plan then to seek Friar Lawrences help implies she has made a final break from her family, effectively disassociating herself, and committing to her love.
Although it is hard to determine Romeos relationship with his family because there are no scenes between them, it is clear that his sense of duty is much less stronger than Juliets. Unlike Juliet, Romeo does not consider his family in the midst of his love. For example, when Romeo wishes to cast off his name to please Juliet he tells Tybalt that Capulet is a name that he values as dearly as his own. Romeo eventually severs ties with his family and thinks himself part of the Capulet family when he calls Tybalt his own (Forgive me, cousin).
Though Juliet takes longer to abandon her loyalty to her family, Shakespeare emphasises that she alone commits to true love in her final act. The double suicide was undoubtedly caused by the lovers conflicting sense of duty to family and to self.
In conclusion, the play of Romeo and Juliet invokes the contrasting ideas of love and hate and the conflicting imagery of family duty and individual desire. Shakespeare captures a tale, where the lovers are overly faced with internal conflict and choices. Romeo and Juliet defy their hate for each other and duty to their respective family. And conversely so, succumb to their love (individual desire). From its inception, the passionate love between Romeo and Juliet critically links to death. These conflicting themes exemplify the reason of the lovers suicide and are also associated with the differing concepts of life and death. William Shakespeare in substance does not give us a dainty, clich version of love, with Romeo and Juliet, but an intricate love story that leads to as much destruction as to happiness.
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