Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare at a relatively early stage in his literary career, most probably in 1594 or 1595. During most of the twentieth century, critics belittled this play in comparison to the four great tragedies that Shakespeare wrote in the first decade of the seventeenth century (Hamlet, King Lear, MacBeth, and Othello).
Romeo and Juliet appears to lack the emotional depth and the structural complexity of Shakespeare’s later tragedies. But over the past three decades or so, many scholars have altered this assessment they are now calling Romeo and Juliet as work of art in its own right. One of the major themes in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is the relationship between love and death, and violence and passion. Shakespeare uses language to show the relationship between love and death.
In the chorus’s first speech they declare that Romeo and Juliet are doomed to die “a pair of star-crossed lovers” this is instantly showing a relationship between love and death. Romeo and Juliet frequent thoughts of death also show the relationship between love and death, “my grave is like to be my wedding bed” (Juliet).
The lovers’ thoughts of suicide show how readily willing they are to die because they are so much in love; Romeo threatens to kill himself after killing Tybalt because it was Juliet’s cousin. In this way the author gives the impression that there is Romeo and Juliet don’t mind dying because they are in love, thus showing the relationship between love and death. Shakespeare uses language to show the relationship between passion and violence The Chorus’s first speech declaring that Romeo and Juliet are doomed to die and “star-crosse per Norton.” The lovers’ frequent thoughts of death: “My grave is like to be my wedding bed” (Juliet, I. v.
The Essay on Romeo And Juliet What Is Love
ter> Has Shakespeare convinced you that Romeo and Juliet are in love at the end of act one? What is love? Love means a warm liking or affection for a person, affectionate devotion. Does the way Romeo describe Juliet sound like love to you? In my opinion love does not occur at first sight, it is something that you need to work towards. Romeo just describes Juliets beauty and not her inner- ...
132).
The lovers’ thoughts of suicide, as when Romeo threatens to kill himself after killing Tybalt. Friar Laurence’s warnings to behave reasonably if Romeo and Juliet wish to avoid tragedy: “These violent delights have violent ends… Therefore love moderately” (II. v. 9-14).
The lovers’ mutual impression that the other looks pale and deathlike after their wedding night (III. v).
Juliet’s faked death by means of Friar Laurence’s potion. Romeo’s dream-vision of Juliet kissing his lips while he is dead (V.
i).
Romeo’s outbursts against fate: “O, I am fortune’s fool!” (III. i. 131) and “Then I defy you, stars” (V. i. 24).
Light / dark imagery.
