How does Romeo’s response to love change throughout the book?
Throughout the play Romeo’s attitude changes largely, mainly towards love. He begins as a gloomier and less mature character that is confused and depressed about love. However this personality changes swiftly into a passionate adult who is so certain about love that he could eventually die for it. In this essay I will begin to discuss how Romeo as a character changes and grows throughout the play.
In Act 1 Scene 1, Romeo is confused and forlorn. We can tell his bewilderment of love through his use of oxymoron’s for example ‘cold fire’ or ‘sick health’ Earlier on Benvolio discusses Romeo’s state to his worried father, he talks about Romeo having a ‘troubled mind’. From the text we can infer that Romeo is feels alone and isolated and depressed about a love that is not being reciprocated, a much different type of love that the one he will discover later on. He seems to have a sort of teenage aura around him, ‘that love feel I, that feel no love in this.’-unhappy that he is not getting what he wants. From the quote we can see that Romeo is involved in a very egoistical type of love, there is never a mention of Rosaline, however just about him and what he is feeling. By this stage Romeo is feeling very sorry for himself, more on the selfish thoughts and he is grieving to Benvolio about this superficial love and that he is not gaining what he thought would be the perfect love/world. We can find this from when he says ‘why such is loves transgression..’. We can also see Romeo’s distress of his situation due to the fact that he becomes very metaphorical. For example he says ‘love is a smoke’ from this we can tell that Romeo thinks that love is like a fume, unsubstantial and it eventually disappears.
The Essay on "Romeo & Juliet" By William Shakespeare. How Does Romeo Change Throughout The Play?
In the beginning of the play Romeo appears to be somewhat pretentious. He speaks dramatically of his “love” for Rosaline which, in fact, is probably not love at all. He speaks in rhyming couplets which makes his words sound insincere and rehearsed. He over dramatises the situation while talking to Benvolio (his cousin) which suggests that he is seeking sympathy or attention – ...
In Act 1 Scene 5-Zeforelli’s film, Romeo watches as both Rosaline and Juliet Dance. Zeforelli directs the film so that Rosaline’s dance is fast and loud and Juliet’s is slow however very calm and poised. This could portray the different types of love that Romeo has had or will experience. One is accelerated and quickly over, however the other is contrasting in that it is in a way slow however at the same time gives and infinite aura, that something so calm and precious could last forever. As we watch Romeo watch these two girls is facial expression visibly changes. As he watches Rosaline his face is sad, like he is pining over her. However, then he looks over to Juliet and his face lifts, his eyes become wider and instantaneously he is in love with her; ‘She doth teach the torches to shine bright. His whole persona and expression changes. This quote along with many others In the play, is referencing Juliet to the sun, showing how much he is obsessed with Juliet’s beauty that he cant take his eyes off her. The so called love he had experienced only a few hours ago was now completely wiped off his memory. Romeo also now begins to talk in rhyming couplets in a lyrical manner, showing his passionate affection for Juliet. Along with the rhyming couplets, Romeo also uses many similies such as ‘like a jewel’ comparing her to jewellery illustrating that Romeo thinks she is one of a kind and precious. Also to add to his overblown excited speech, Romeo also uses hyperbolies to exaggerate his enchantement for Juliet. He is now much more adult that he was when he loved Rosaline, the love he is now involved in is much less selfish and he focuses on her rather than only being self involved and thinking about himself. Romeo also uses oxymorons again, however now in a very different way. Rather than showing his depression and confusion, he is infatuated by Juliet wants to continuously state this by saying things such as ‘snowy dove’.
The Essay on Superficial Love Romeo Juliet Person
In William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, the two main characters are madly infatuated with each other, but they are not truly in love. There are several differences between true love and infatuation. First, true love takes time to develop and cannot happen at "first-sight." People who are truly in love with each other have had time to learn everything about the other person and ...
I think that in conclusion, Romeo’s attitude and response to love changes quite a lot throughout the play. Although throughout the play he remains rash and impetious- (whether he’s trespassing on Capulet property to see Rosaline or running off to elope with Juliet) he does become much and less selfish as the play develops. His initial childlike love for Rosaline does give way to a more mature, reciprocated love. He becomes obsessed with the idea of the actual person he is in love with, rather than just the idea of love and the pain it carries along with it.
