Hate And Love In Romeo And Juliet

Romeo states in Act 1, "Here is much to do with hate, but more with." By analyzing the many forms love takes in the play, explore whether Romeo was right in his contention.

Romeo and Juliet, the tragic play by William Shakespeare, centers around the love story between Romeo, the young heir of the Montagues, and Juliet, the daughter of the house of Capulet. Because of an on-going feud between the two families, Romeo and Juliet are forced to keep their love a secret, marry in secret and, due to ill-fated consequences; they die together in the tomb of the Capulets.

Romeo and Juliet has to be one of the most famous love stories ever written, however to every good thing there is in life, there is a bad, an opposite or an inverse. In our play, hate is contrary to love, and this is displayed from start to finish. Unfortunately our play does not start in favor of love, we see a skirmish between the rival families and an undeniable sense of hatred. "What drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues and thee. Have at thee Coward." We do however see an act of love quite soon after this event when the prince enters the stage to stop the feud. I would believe this to be an act of love mainly because I think that he stops the fight in an attempt to protect the people that he reigns over.

Romeo, I think sums up the whole play when he says, "here is much to do with hate, but more to do with love." Obviously in our play the main form of love we see take the stage is true love, between our two main characters Romeo and Juliet. I think this is an instant love at first sight. On the other hand you could argue it is just lust at this point because when they first see each other they only talk about each other's looks.

At the ball Romeo says, "For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night." Juliet also says, "Go ask for his name - If he be married. My Grave is like to be my wedding bed." This Means that she is in love with him so much that if he were married then she would rather die than not be with him. Considering this I think that the balcony scene is the point in which the couple really do fall in love; " O speak again, bright angel for thou art." This shows not only that she is on a balcony, but that he regards her as a holy object, in this case an angel.

Another form of love that we see take the stage is the love that can exist between friends. This is best shown between the characters Romeo and Mercutio. When Romeo goers to the ball with Mercutio, he does so because he feels great lust for the character Rosaline who we have yet to meet and will never do so. This is our first case of unrequited love, a love where only one half of the relationship feels any form of love for the other.

Due to the fact that Rosaline is not interested in Romeo, he is such forth sent into a deep depression, and considering the love that Mercutio feels love for Romeo, he shows this through a hate of Rosaline. "Why, that same pale-hearted wrench, that Rosaline, torments him so, that he will surely run mad." Mercutio also gets involved with the fight between what was supposed to be between Romeo and Tybalt, but he steps in because he knows that there was no way Romeo could win. This shows great devotion between the pair.

At the same time that we see this happening, Tybalt spies Romeo and his friends from across the Capulet mansion, due to the honor, pride and overall love he shows for his family, he is filled with hate of the opposed family. However as he attempts to make a stand and another expected brawl between the families, Lord Capulet benevolently stops him in his tracks. "Tis he that villain Romeo" Tybalt says when he sees Romeo. "Content thee gentle coz, let him alone" this shows Capulet isn't all too bothered that Romeo is in his house. This also shows that Capulet is not too concerned about Romeo, so perhaps if Romeo and Juliet just told him about the love, what would be seen as an affair, then he would not be troubled about it and that would have saved all of the death and hate.

I think throughout the play there is a constant battle between love and hate. Friar Lawrence's place in the play is in between these two opposites, as is the nurses. In Act 2, scene 5 after returning from her first mission to Romeo, Juliet's Nurse tells her impatient mistress, "I am the drudge, and toil in your delight". At this point, we are inclined to take the Nurse at her word. When we first encounter her in Act I, scene 3, the Nurse of Romeo and Juliet appears to be a comic character given to bawdy humor and innuendo,