the love between romeo and juliet essay

Love in 'Romeo and Juliet'

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The play "Romeo and Juliet" has become forever associated with love. It's a truly iconic story of romance and passion—even the name “Romeo” is still used to describe enthusiastic young lovers.

But while the romantic love between the titular characters is often what we think of when we consider the love theme in "Romeo and Juliet," Shakespeare ’s treatment of the concept of love is complex and multifaceted. Through different characters and relationships, he portrays some of the various types of love and the different ways it can manifest.

These are some of the expressions of love Shakespeare threads together to create the play.

Shallow Love

Some characters fall in and out of love very quickly in "Romeo and Juliet." For example, Romeo is in "love" with Rosaline at the start of the play, but it is presented as an immature infatuation. Today, we might use the term “puppy love” to describe it. Romeo’s love for Rosaline is shallow, and nobody really believes that it will last, including Friar Laurence:

Romeo: Thou chid'st me oft for loving Rosaline. Friar Laurence: For doting, not for loving, pupil mine. (Act Two, Scene Three)

Similarly, Paris’ love for Juliet is borne out of tradition, not passion. He has identified her as a good candidate for a wife and approaches her father to arrange the marriage. Although this was the tradition at the time, it also says something about Paris’ staid, unpassionate attitude toward love. He even admits to Friar Laurence that in his haste to rush the wedding, he hasn’t discussed it with his bride-to-be:

Friar Laurence: On Thursday, sir? the time is very short. Paris: My father Capulet will have it so; And I am nothing slow to slack his haste. Friar Laurence: You say you do not know the lady's mind: Uneven is the course, I like it not. Paris: Immoderately she weeps for Tybalt's death, And therefore have I little talked of love. (Act Four, Scene One)

Friendly Love

Many of the friendships in the play are as sincere as Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another. The best example of this is in Act Three, Scene One, where Mercutio and Romeo fight Tybalt. When Romeo attempts to bring peace, Mercutio fights back at Tybalt's slander of Romeo. Then, it is out of rage over Mercutio's death that Romeo pursues—and kills—Tybalt:

Romeo: In triumph, and Mercutio slain! Away to heaven, respective lenity, And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now.— Now, Tybalt, take the “villain” back again That late thou gavest me, for Mercutio’s soul Is but a little way above our heads, Staying for thine to keep him company. Either thou or I, or both, must go with him. (Act Three, Scene One)

It is out of friendly love for his companion that Romeo acts out.

Romantic Love

Then, of course, is romantic love, the classic idea of which is embodied in "Romeo and Juliet." In fact, maybe it is "Romeo and Juliet" that has influenced our definition of the concept. The characters are deeply infatuated with one another, so committed to being together that they defy their respective families.

Romeo: By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am. My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself Because it is an enemy to thee. Had I it written, I would tear the word. (Act Two, Scene Two)

Perhaps Romeo and Juliet's love is fate ; their love is given a cosmic significance, which suggests that the universe plays a role in the creation of deep romantic love. Despite their love being disallowed by the Capulet and Montague households , they inevitably—and irresistibly—find themselves drawn together.

Juliet: Prodigious birth of love it is to me That I must love a loathèd enemy. Act One, Scene Five)

All in all, Shakespeare presents romantic love as a force of nature, so strong that it transcends expectations, tradition, and—through the combined suicides of lovers who cannot live without one another—life itself.

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The Definitive Guide to Analysing Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’: Summary, Context, Themes & Characters

Thinking to yourself, “Notes, o notes, wherefore art my notes?” Well, if you’re struggling with your analysis of Romeo and Juliet for English, we’ve got your back with a summary featuring the key characters, context and themes!

On top of that, we’ve got a free example of an analysis table (also known as a TEE table ) and a sample paragraph on Romeo and Juliet for you to download! 

So, let’s dive into our analysis of Romeo and Juliet! 

Romeo and Juliet Summary Key Characters in Romeo and Juliet Context Themes Explored in Romeo and Juliet Analysis of Romeo and Juliet

Summary of Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story by Shakespeare about two lovers who are not meant to be together as they come from feuding families.

To summarise it, Romeo of the Montagues and Juliet of the Capulets were born to be sworn enemies due to the life long conflict between their families. Yet, they embarked in a forbidden love together that led to their deaths, which finally reconciles the two families. 

The play is set out in five acts and we’ll dive into more detail on what happens during each of the acts. 

Access the Romeo and Juliet Downloadable Sample Paragraph and Examples of Analysis PDF here!

Act I of the play starts with a Chorus who introduces two powerful families in the City of Verona, Italy. These are the Montagues and Capulets, who have been on bad terms with one another for a long time.

The Capulets are holding a party for their daughter, Juliet, to meet Count Paris for an arranged marriage. Meanwhile, Romeo, the son of Montague, disguises himself and crashes the party with his friends in hopes of seeing Rosaline, his previous lover.

Instead, Romeo falls in love at first sight when he meets Juliet and the two become very attracted to each other. 

However, Romeo and Juliet soon discover that they come from opposing families and realise their doomed love . At the same time, Tybalt who is Juliet’s cousin, recognises Romeo and drives Romeo and his friends out from the Capulet house. 

In Act II, as Romeo’s friends were leaving the Capulet place, Romeo stays behind to find Juliet. Romeo sees Juliet in her window, and they confess their love for one another and agree to marry the next day .

Romeo runs to Friar Laurence, who agrees to help as he believes Romeo and Juliet’s marriage will end the feud between the Montagues and Capulets. With the help of Juliet’s nurse and Friar Laurence, Romeo and Juliet marry in secret. 

In Act III, Tybalt challenges Romeo to a fight. Romeo declines the fight and remains calm while being disrespected by Tybalt. This angers Romeo’s friend, Mercutio who starts a fight with Tybalt.

Romeo tries to stop the fight, but Mercutio is accidentally killed . Enraged, Romeo chases Tybalt down and kills him.

The Prince of Verona banishes Romeo for his crimes. Before Romeo leaves for Mantua, Friar Laurence helps Romeo and Juliet stay the night together.

Meanwhile, Lord Capulet arranges for Paris and Juliet to wed the next day. Juliet is upset because she does not want to marry Paris, and this angers her parents as they do not know about Juliet’s secret affair with Romeo. 

In Act IV, Juliet asks Friar Lawrence for help and he gives her a sleeping potion that will make her appear dead . The next morning, the Capulet family finds Juliet in her bed and believes that she had died.

Friar Laurence sends a messenger to inform Romeo about Juliet’s plan and instructs Romeo to collect a sleeping Juliet from the Capulet house. 

Act V is the most intense part of the story as the very important message did not reach Romeo in time due to the plague that delayed the messenger’s journey.

Instead, Romeo hears the news of Juliet’s death and buys himself poison. Romeo goes to Juliet’s tomb in the Capulet’s house, kills a grieving Paris, drinks the poison and dies before Juliet wakes up.

Friar Laurence enters but is too late. He tells Juliet what had happened and Juliet stabs herself from heartbreak.

Friar Laurence, the Prince, the Capulets and the Montague father come together and agree to make peace following the children’s death. 

Romeo and Juliet Characters

In case you’ve missed anything, here is a list of the key characters in Romeo and Juliet who are pivotal to the plot. 

Romeo Montague Romeo is the handsome son of the head of Montagues and is 16 years old. He is sensitive, though he can become quite impulsive when his emotions get the better of him. Unlike his friends, Romeo is not interested in violence but passionate about love. At the beginning of the play, Romeo was madly in love with Rosaline before falling in love with Juliet. Furthermore, Romeo shares his love for his own friends and family too, including Mercutio and Friar Laurence. 

Juliet Capulet Juliet is the beautiful 13 year old daughter of the Capulet family. Juliet starts off as a naive girl who knows little about love but soon gains the courage to go against her father’s wishes to marry Romeo in secret instead of marrying Paris like her father wanted. She’s loyal and trusts Romeo wholeheartedly, choosing to support Romeo despite him killing off her cousin, Tybalt. 

Friar Laurence  Friar Laurence is a Franciscan friar who helps Romeo and Juliet. He is a nice man who is also skilled in herbs and potion making. He always has a plan to help Romeo and Juliet in hopes that their relationship will calm the tension between two families and bring peace. 

Mercutio Mercutio is Romeo’s best friend and he is quite the character. He is loud, opinionated, and charismatic with a bombastic attitude that’s flowing in wit and sarcasm. He also has quite a hot temper. Unlike Romeo, Mercutio is highly hedonistic as he tries to convince Romeo to see love as a sexual pursuit. 

Tybalt Tybalt is Juliet’s cousin from her mother’s side. He is often protective over his family and he acts aggressive and violent whenever he feels offended. He absolutely hates the Montagues. 

Context of Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare had written Romeo and Juliet based on the true love story from the 3rd century about two Italian lovers who come from the families Cappelletti and Montecchi . The play was written during the Renaissance period where there were great changes in religion, politics, science and the arts. 

When the play was written, Europe had just undergone ‘The Reformation’, where it transitioned from being a traditional Catholic nation to a Protestant society. When Europe was a Catholic society, mortal sin such as bigamy (where you marry someone else while being married to one person) was punished severely.

However, as it progressed into a Protestant nation that broke free from the strict rules of Catholicism, society gained more freedom and less oppression . As people exercised more freedom, they explored notions of humanism which is a Renaissance concept of individual power over their own lives. 

Fate and Destiny

Even so, the Elizabethan people still highly believed that their lives were tied to fate and destiny. If you think astrology is popular now, it was actually all the hype during the Elizabethan era!

Elizabethans would plan their whole lives based on astrology readings, including their love lives, travels and more depending on whether the stars favoured them.

As such, Elizabethans valued providentialism, the belief that they have no power in changing their fate as everything in their lives is already ‘predestined’ for them. 

Family Values

Family values were also kept quite traditional, as the Elizabethan society remained patriarchal. This means that the father was always the head of the household while the women were left with no rights, properties or legal authority , though they can influence their husbands’ decisions.

Children were also used as property and often engaged in arranged marriages as part of a political or financial deal to gain wealth.

Romeo and Juliet may seem too young to be married but in the Elizabethan years, it was considered normal for people to marry young.

As such, love was perceived to be a dream for Elizabethans who often enter into arranged marriages. It is often restrained with little contact between “lovers”, and the only expressions of love come in gifts, letters and poems.

This is perhaps why the Elizabethan audience were so enticed by Romeo and Juliet’s passionate love for one another , as this was rarely seen in their society. 

Appreciation for Theatre

That being said, plays were highly popular in the Elizabethan theatres. Here is where the rich and poor gather in rowdy crowds to watch plays.

Poorer people stood near the stages while richer people watched from stands above. As such, Shakespearean plays became really popular in this era , as there was a great appreciation for the arts across all groups from all backgrounds.  

Romeo and Juliet Themes

Here are three key themes from Romeo and Juliet. Feel free to look to these for inspiration when you’re planning to write your thesis and topic sentences in your essay . 

Fate VS Free Will

Shakespeare lived in a transition period where people were starting to gain their own freedom to live their lives, yet were still tied to the notions of fate and destiny. You can see this with his characters, Romeo and Juliet, who try to exercise their free will by choosing to be with one another despite their opposing family history.

Yet, it is Romeo and Juliet’s own actions and decisions that ultimately led to their doomed fate. This reinforces the Elizabethan belief that fate and destiny govern our lives, even when we try to control it ourselves. 

Some key quotes that explore this idea include: 

Love VS Conflict

It would be nice to say that “love conquers all” in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but it’s not as simple as that. 

Love and conflict coexist within this text. The love between Romeo and Juliet is seen as a sign of hope to bring peace to the ongoing feud between the Montagues and Capulets.

However, the conflict between families grew so violent that it had caused the deaths of their beloved children and the love between them. Ultimately, Shakespeare shows us that love affects conflict, and conflict affects love. 

Here are some quotes that allow you to explore this a bit deeper: 

The Freedom of Youth Rebellion

Have you ever wanted to do whatever you felt like, without your parents butting in?

If that’s a yes from you, you’ll probably be able to relate to Romeo and Juliet. These two are also young teenagers who rebel against their parents’ wishes and express their individuality through their love for one another.

However, an excess of youthful spirit can also lead to dire consequences, as Romeo and Juliet’s unbridled passion for one another led to their unfortunate end. 

Here are some key quotes that relate to this theme:

If none of these themes resonate with you, here are some other ideas that you may find interesting: 

• External conflict VS internal conflict 
• The conflict between independence VS family obligation 
• The consequences of unbridled emotions 

How to Analyse Romeo and Juliet in 3 Steps

Students often jump right into answering the question when writing their thesis for their essays. Many don’t realise that it is only after you’ve analysed your text that you can write an amazing thesis that not only answers the question, but proves that you really do know the text inside out. 

Let’s go through the three simple steps you can take to analyse Romeo and Juliet and ace that essay!

Step 1: Select your example(s)

You may be thinking to yourself, “There’s lots happening in Romeo and Juliet so where do I even start?”

A great place to start is to look for an example with a technique . This technique can offer a deeper insight into the text, which will help you form an in-depth analysis. 

Here are two quotes we have selected to focus on the theme of fate VS free will: 

“It is the east, and Juliet is the sun” 

“I defy you, stars!” 

Step 2: Identify your technique(s) 

Students often fall into the trap of listing every technique they can find or using highly complicated techniques in hopes of getting a good mark. This is not true! 

It is better to find a technique which allows you to talk about your theme in more depth and build your argument throughout your essay. 

Techniques that provide a deeper understanding of the text include symbols, metaphors, recurring motifs, allegories, connotations and similes. Try to avoid using surface level techniques such as alliteration or repetition. 

The three techniques found in the quotes above include simile, symbolism and allusion to astrology. 

If you can, try to find a few techniques within one quote to help you kill two birds with one stone! 

Step 3: Write the analysis 

When you’re writing an analysis, try not to list out every technique you can find in the quote. It is very important to explain what the effect of the technique is and how that relates to your argument.

An example of listing out techniques looks like this:

Simile is used as Romeo refers to Juliet as the metaphorical “Sun” and uses the symbolism of astrology as he “def(ies) you, stars” to allude to fate versus free will.  

To avoid this, we need to go into how each of these techniques support our argument.

First of all, the simile of Juliet being like the “Sun” reveals Romeo’s love for Juliet that transcends beyond their families’ feud. The symbol of the “Sun” is also important to emphasise the fated doom between the two star crossed lovers.

The allusion to astrology in “I defy you, stars!” shows how fate governs Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. Once we put these techniques together, our analysis will look like: 

Shakespeare’s simile in Romeo’s description of Juliet as the “Sun” reveals their perception that their love can transcend beyond the boundaries of their families’ strife. Yet, the symbolism of the “Sun” reminds the audience that Romeo and Juliet still remain as “star crossed lovers” who are destined to die despite their efforts to overcome their fated doom. As Romeo proclaims “I defy you, stars” before submitting to his fate, the astrological allusion reinforces how destiny continues to govern their lives, reinstating the Elizabethan belief that fate will always overpower free will.  

You’ve made it to the end! Find another sample analysis paragraph of Romeo and Juliet here !

Need some help with your essay analysis of other texts aside from Romeo and Juliet?

Check out other texts we’ve created guides for below:

• Lord of the Flies
• Photograph 51
• In Cold Blood
• The Meursault Investigation
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The Book Thief
• Away by Michael Gow
• Blade Runner
• Fahrenheit 451

We’ve also got a bunch of articles specifically on plays by Shakespeare  which you can have a read through below:

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• The Merchant of Venice
• Much Ado About Nothing
• King Richard III
• The Tempest

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114 Romeo and Juliet Essay Titles & Examples

Looking for Romeo and Juliet essay titles? The world’s most tragic story is worth writing about!

🥀 Best Romeo and Juliet Essay Titles

🖤 romeo and juliet essay prompts.

• 🏆 Best Romeo and Juliet Essay Examples

📌 Interesting Romeo and Juliet Essay Topics

🎭 easy titles for romeo and juliet essays, 👍 exciting romeo and juliet title ideas, ❓ romeo and juliet essay questions.

Romeo and Juliet is probably the most famous tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is a story of two young lovers whose deaths reconcile their feuding families. Whether you are assigned an argumentative, persuasive, or analytical essay on this piece of literature, this article will answer all your questions. Below you’ll find Romeo and Juliet essay examples, thesis ideas, and paper topics.

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• Theme of love in “Romeo and Juliet”
• What role does the theme of fate play in “Romeo and Juliet”?
• “Romeo and Juliet”: dramatic structure analysis
• Analyze the balcony scene in “Romeo and Juliet”
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• The most famous adaptations of “Romeo and Juliet”
• “Romeo and Juliet” in the world culture

Keep reading to learn the key points you can use to write a successful paper.

• Original Italian Tale vs. Shakespeare’s Tragedy

The story described in Shakespeare’s tragedy is based on the Italian tale that was translated into English in the sixteenth century. Original version represents situations and lines from Romeo and Juliet lives.

Shakespeare added a few more main characters: Mercutio, Paris, and Tybalt. Numerous researches state that Shakespeare used three sources to write his tragedy: a novella Giulietta e Romeo by Matteo Bandello, written in 1554; a story Il Novellio, by Masuccio Salernitano; and the Historia Novellamente Ritrovata di Due Nobili Amanti, written by Luigi Da Porto.

You can learn more about these novels to find out similarities and differences between primary sources and Shakespeare’s work

• Love and Fate in Romeo and Juliet

If you’re going to write Romeo and Juliet essay on fate, read this paragraph. Fate is the fundamental concept of the plot. It makes us look at Romeo and Juliet affair as a single tragedy.

At the same time, another core element of the story is love. From the very beginning of the drama, you will clearly understand that the story will end in tragedy.

Shakespeare shows us the value of fate events.

However, love remains a crucial thematic element. The roles of Nurse, Paris, and Romeo show us a physical attraction, sympathy, and romantic affection while being the embodiment of love. Analyze what type of love is represented by each character in your essay. Explain, what do you think real love is.

• Value and Duality in Romeo and Juliet

Among the central idea to consider for your Romeo and Juliet essay titles is an issue of value and duality. Shakespeare actively uses duality in his tragedy by representing the deaths of Romeo and Juliet as reasons of tragedy in Verona, which brought new order to the city.

Friar Laurence also reveals ambiguity when he helped Romeo and thus forced young lovers to suffer in the end. The decision to marry couple had a reason to end the conflict between Montague and Capulets.

Romeo and Juliet’s example discloses happiness and blame brought by key episodes and change in society. In your writing, you may analyze how the effect of adoration had influenced Romeo, Juliet, and other people lives.

• Masculinity in Romeo and Juliet

A lot of Romeo and Juliet essay examples analyze the role of gender and masculinity in the tragedy. Mercutio is shown as a classic example of a real man: active, brave citizen.

He is a person of action. On the other hand, Romeo is described as a boy who seeks for love. Romeo and Juliet love thrown into quarreling world.

You can analyze the reasons why Romeo fights and kills Paris when finding him near Juliet body.

Covering all of the points mentioned above will help you to produce an outstanding Romeo and Juliet essay. Check the samples below to get inspiration and more ideas that you can use in your own paper.

🏆 Best Romeo and Juliet Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

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Essay: Romeo and Juliet’s love was doomed from the start

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We all know the story of Romeo and Juliet . The story of two destined lovers who were killed by their own doing. But what if they weren’t two destined lovers who got unlucky, but doomed partners that were never going to have a good-life to begin with. William Shakespeare gives us a view of early signs of gang conflict in the early age of Verona, Italy. He gives us a perspective of the norms and customs of Italy during the Setting of William Shakespeare’s most famous story. Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, gives us a story of two young teens that have love on first sight. While their love seems destined, their families have been in conflict for years now and prevent them from having their desired relationship. While Romeo and Juliet have their own family problems, we learn that Capulets have already arranged a marriage with someone other that Romeo. We see throughout the story that Romeo and Juliet slowly start to fade into madness as Romeo buys poison and Juliet fakes her death. The reader soon finds out that Romeo and Juliet had all the odds against them with their families fighting each other for years and the complicated feeling of a coming of age couple. They decide that the only way to end this feud is to end their lives. “But when I came, some minute ere the time, time of her awakening her untimely lay the noble Paris  and true Romeo dead. She wakes and I entreated her come forth and bear this work of heaven with patience. But then a noise scare me off from the tomb, and she to desperate would not go with me, but it seems, did violence to herself.” (Act 5, Scene 3, Lines 257-264). While it may seem that free-will ended the lives of Romeo and Juliet, their love was doomed from the start because Romeo and Juliet were  acting on impulse from their desires, they come from two families who hate each other, and they don’t really love each other. “Shakespeare, William 1564 – 1616, playwright and poet, was baptized, probably by the parish priest, John Bretchgirdle, in Holy Trinity, the parish church of Stratford upon Avon, on 26 April 1564, the third child of John Shakespeare d. 1601 and Mary Arden d. 1608. It seems appropriate that the first of many gaps in the records of Shakespeare’s life should be the exact date of his birth, though that is a common problem for the period. He was probably born on 21, 22, or 23 April 1564, given the 1559 prayer book’s instructions to parents on the subject of baptisms. But, ever since Joseph Greene, an eighteenth-century Stratford curate, informed the scholar George Steevens that Shakespeare was born on 23 April, with no apparent evidence for his assertion, and Steevens adopted that date in his 1773 edition of Shakespeare, it has been usual to assume that Shakespeare was born on St George’s day, so that England’s patron saint and the birth of the ‘national poet’ can be celebrated on the same day. Where he was born is clearer: in 1564 his parents appear to have been living in Henley Street, probably in part of the building now known as Shakespeare’s Birthplace but, equally probably, not in that part of the building in which the room traditionally known as the place of Shakespeare’s birth is located. The accretion of myth and commerce around Shakespeare’s biography and its material legacy produces such paradoxes “(Holland). Most playwrights of the period typically collaborated with others at some point,and historians agree that Shakespeare did work with other playwrights, mostly early and late in his career. Some attributions, such as Titus Andronicus and the first history plays, remain controversial, while The Two Nobles and the lost Cardenio have well-attested contemporary documentation. Evidence shows that the view that several of the plays were changed by other writers after their original play. “On 23 April 1616 Shakespeare died. John Ward, a clergyman living in Stratford in the 1660s, recorded that ‘Shakespeare, Drayton, and Ben Johnson had a merry meeting, and it seems drank too hard, for Shakespeare died of a fever there contracted’ (Chambers, 2.250). The story is not impossible but quite what Shakespeare died from is unknown. He was buried two days later in Holy Trinity, inside the church rather than in the churchyard because his purchase of an interest in the Stratford tithes in 1605 made him a lay rector. The epitaph, possibly written by himself, warning future generations to leave his bones where they lay, was inscribed on the grave, though the grave may not originally have been where the stone is now placed. Anne lived until 1623 (she was buried on 8 August) but her tombstone makes no mention of her husband, and refers to only one daughter; Judith seems to have been ignored (Holland). Romeo and Juliet’s love is doomed from the start as it is seen in the play. Romeo and Juliet have a connection with one another and that they cannot be separated. William Shakespeare tells us in the eyes of Romeo that, “My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite”(Act II. Scene II). Romeo makes it seem that they have been together for forever and that he will never stop loving Juliet. While he may love her, Romeo is the product of seclusion, “He prefers to be alone and read romantic poems and stories, which has limited his conception of love to celebrating beauty and speaking in poetic verse. Having no practical experience in the world of relationships, he projects his desire to love onto whatever beautiful woman he meets. As Friar Laurence tells him,’young men’s love then lies / Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.’(Act II. Scene III.) Romeo doesn’t “love” Juliet, he is just a young teen who literally chases every beautiful women he meets, Juliet and Rosaline for example. (Lamb 53)” He is just acting on his teenage instinct.  (add one more source) Romeo and Juliet had a tough time talking to each other in public due to the fact that they were both apart of families that hated one another, “Two households, both alike in dignity (In fair Verona, where we lay our scene), From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life” (Prologue). The Montagues (Romeo’s family) and the Capulets (Juliet’s family) have been fighting for some time now and have been causing some trouble lately in the land of Verona. Not only does it say in the prologue that Romeo and Juliet are going to die, but it’s inevitable for two people from feuding-foes to get along in the first place. The Capulets and Montagues hate each other. “I believe that if there was no hatred, that Romeo and Juliet would have never died.”(LeMay) If there was never a hatred for the other family Romeo and Juliet would have never had to get married in secret and it would not have led to this tragedy.(add source) Romeo and Juliet are both very young in age. So it’s okay for them to make a couple mistakes. That’s just instinct for teenagers, and Romeo and Juliet both act on impulse multiple times during their time in Verona, “Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still, Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will! Where shall we dine?—O me! What fray was here? Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all. Here’s much to do with hate but more with love. Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate, O anything of nothing first created! O heavy lightness, serious vanity, Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! This love feel I, that feel no love in this. Dost thou not laugh?”(Act I. Scene I.) Romeo is impulsive and overdramatic while he talks about his first love in the play, Rosaline. While Romeo can make decisions a little too fast, Juliet has her moments to. “Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow” (II, ii, 144). Here, Juliet proves to be just as impulsive as Romeo. She is moved by his honorable love and immediately wishes to marry him. Therefore, she does not wish to wait long, or give Romeo time to really consider the proposal, to marry. (add one more source.) William Shakespeare really did create a beautiful piece of art when he was making Romeo and Juliet. Not only does he create internal conflicts with each character to help the readers understand how each character thinks, but he also adds external conflicts with the other characters that helps develop the story and adds this feeling to the story while reading. The audience never get the same experience when they read Romeo and Juliet. The readers can read it once and think that they know what really happened with Romeo and Juliet, but we never really understand why it happened until the audience reads it again and fully comprehend why everything went wrong for Romeo and Juliet. Which is why William Shakespeare did such an amazing job when he hid the true evidence that led to the end of Romeo and Juliet life. He makes us think that Romeo and Juliet own free-spirited decisions led to their demise, and that it all happened in one instant. When actually, Romeo and Juliet were doomed from the start of the whole story because, Romeo and Juliet were  acting on impulse from their desires, they come from two families who hate each other, and they don’t really love each other. William Shakespeare really did put a ton of thought while creating the conflicts within the city of Verona that truly took Romeo and Juliet’s lives.

Works cited

Frye, Northrop. “Romeo and Juliet: More than Convections of Love.” 1986. Readings on the Tragedies of William Shakespeare. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. 55-63. Print. This is a great source for finding the complications of Romeo and Juliet’s love. Holland, Peter. “Shakespeare, William 1564 – 1616.” Oxford National Biography (2010): 1-55. Print. This source literally makes up most of my essay Lamb, Charles. “The Story of the Star-Crossed Lovers.” 1998. Literary Companion to British Literature. Farming Hills: The Greenhaven Press, 1954. N. pag. P LeMay, Eric Charles. “Star-Crossed Something-or-Others.” Harvard Review 33 (2007): 17+.JSTOR. Web. 25 Feb. 2016. URL http://www.jstor.org/stable/4034673

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The Summer’s Hottest Intellectual Property? Greek Mythology.

Netflix’s Kaos is a fresh take on classic stories that, thousands of years into their telling, haven’t lost their power.

In an 1898 issue of The Atlantic , the classical scholar Thomas Dwight Goodell published an impassioned defense of original Greek literature, which some of his contemporaries had criticized as irrelevant. Compared with the complex plots of then-modern plays, Greek tragedies appeared “tame and colorless” to some readers, bogged down by oration instead of action. Goodell’s essay lamented a seemingly pervasive belief among poets, playwrights, and scholars that “the Greek drama is merely the germ of which the Elizabethan drama is the full flower.”

More than 125 years later, that germ is still sprouting. The stories and conventions of Greek tragedy continue to enrich English literature—and make their way into new artistic mediums. One of the most recent works to draw extensively from these myths and narratives is Kaos , an eight-part Netflix series that revolves around a gutsy scheme to dethrone an insecure, tyrannical Zeus (played by Jeff Goldblum). Along with its amusing study of the surly deity, Kaos reinterprets classic tales of figures such as Eurydice, Ariadne, and Caeneus, with their themes of familial strife, populist rebellion, and the struggle between free will and destiny. And with its quick pans and ultra-saturated colors, Kaos evokes the vibrant maximalism of Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet . The result is a darkly funny, visually rich saga that highlights the enduring relevance of these moral quandaries and character studies—without taking itself too seriously. Kaos arrives at an interesting moment for the classics. In recent years, books such as Madeline Miller’s Circe have introduced new readers to ancient myths through the perspectives of women. These “feminist retellings” of famed Greek tales have become a massively popular mini-genre in part because they reframe familiar dramas around characters who have rarely taken center stage —an intriguing choice in the years following #MeToo, especially to readers in highly engaged social-media communities like BookTok. And because pop culture is undeniably influenced by the trends that drive the publishing industry, some of these books are now being adapted into visual works.

Unlike some retellings, including the recent Elyse John novel, Orphia and Eurydicius , Kaos doesn’t flip the genders of its protagonists to emphasize that women can be heroes too. But it does cleverly interrogate how gender informs its characters’ experiences of life on Earth, in the Underworld, and even on Mount Olympus—and, by extension, how the characters are portrayed in the canon itself. For example: The series depicts Eurydice (Aurora Perrineau) as a reluctant muse to the rock star Orpheus (Killian Scott). In an early scene, she bristles when her husband says he’s named his latest song after her. (In the chorus, Orpheus poses questions that inadvertently capture how suffocated his wife feels in their marriage: “Is it a little too much / Breathin’ the air from your lungs? / Is it a little bit much / Under the weight of this love?”) That setup helps establish Orpheus’s eventual mission to rescue her from the Underworld as a selfish pursuit, motivated by his desire to possess Eurydice rather than restore her to a life of her own making.

Read: All of Shakespeare’s plays are about race

While Orpheus labors to retrieve her, Eurydice meets several other characters whose mythic origins have often been retold through the lens of male violence or aggression. But here, Medusa and Persephone are not feeble captives of the Underworld or scorned women constantly seeking revenge. And Caeneus, a transgender man, gets a new backstory that mercifully supplants the violent rape that catalyzes his transition in the original myth. Kaos balances the weight of these reinterpretations with its irreverent depictions of the most powerful woman on Mount Olympus: Hera (Janet McTeer) may be miserable with the philandering Zeus, but she’d rather hold on to her authority than befriend a woman beneath her status, and so she turns her husband’s affair partners into bees in some of the show’s more creative sequences.

The women and queer characters of Kaos don’t merely serve as the show’s ethical guardrails; they make the fight against Zeus’s despotic reign more dynamic than a simple battle between good and evil. Moral ambiguity is a hallmark of the classics themselves, but it’s also in line with past work from the show’s creator, Charlie Covell, who adapted the dark comedy The End of the F***ing World for TV. That series turned its attention to the misery (and tenderness) in its protagonists, an angsty teenager and a budding killer. In charting their unlikely romance, Covell pulled off a surprising feat of humor and nihilism—which Kaos accomplishes at a grander scale.

For the most part, Kaos pulses with the same offbeat confidence and alluring style. At times, the show strains to reconcile its ancient source material with aesthetic sensibilities clearly influenced by more modern works. Goldblum isn’t just one of several actors to embody Zeus in the past decade; he also plays the role with the same quirky braggadocio he brought to Grandmaster in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok , a riff on his own quirky and braggadocious persona . If not for the minor detail of Zeus being a deity, many of the familial conflicts that emerge in the show’s first episode could have easily unfolded on two of the most popular series of the past several years: When he and Hera bicker against the lush, ornate backdrop of Mount Olympus, it’s hard not to recall the palatial Sicilian resort at the center of The White Lotus . And after Zeus rejects a watch given to him by his son Dionysus, he tacks on some fatherly criticism that immediately brings to mind Succession ’s cantankerous leader (and the most fidgety of his eager young scions). Aspirational settings and complicated father-son narratives are hardly scarce in pop culture, but in a series that covers less thematic ground, these parallels might register as uninspired. Kaos does much more than recast fictional billionaires as literal deities, though—it also spends considerable time with the people whose lives they upend.

One of the most consistent elements of Greek mythology is how it can help us glean new meaning—and real catharsis—from the familiar. In a reboot-obsessed entertainment climate, Kaos and other inventive Greek retellings model a more generative approach to intellectual property by building on, rather than simply rehashing, their source material. However ageless family dysfunction might be, the best of these recent works still manage to make every unhappy child of Zeus—mortal or divine—unhappy in their own way. The characters’ specific grievances (and triumphs) reflect the eras that refashioned them, even as the foundation of their stories remains the same. As Goodell wrote so long ago, “Many generations will pass from the scene, and many a little system and literary school will have its day, before those plays lose their freshness and their power to elevate and charm.” Kaos is yet another testament to that prophecy.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Romeo and Juliet — How is Love Presented in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by Shakespeare

How is Love Presented in 'Romeo and Juliet' by Shakespeare

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Published: Feb 9, 2023

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