Romeo and Juliet

Terri Thampan                                                                                                M.S.51 804                                                                                        English Language Arts

                                                            

                                           The Dangers of Love

   

    Love is usually portrayed as a good thing. It’s made out to be something that is needed in order to survive. But, not always is it portrayed in this positive view. In William Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet”, he portrays love as something that leads to depression and/or self-destruction. Shakespeare shows that platonic love, as well as romantic love, leads to tragedy.

   Shakespeare uses the romantic love between Romeo and Juliet to show love in a negative light. Romeo and Juliet’s love is the main plot of the story, but it is also the cause for them to face much grief. When Romeo is exiled from Verona, both are heartbroken and depressed by the news, thinking that they will never see each other again. Juliet voices her grief by saying, “O God, I have an ill-divining soul! / Methinks I see thee, now thou art so low, / As one dead in the bottom of a tomb. / Either my eyesight fails of thou lookest pale.” (Romeo and Juliet 3.5.54-57) and, “Wash they his wounds with tears? Mine shall be/ spent, / when theirs are dry, for Romeo’s banishment.” (Romeo and Juliet 3.2.141-143) Romeo also talks of his pain by saying, “Thou canst not speak of that thou dost not feel. / Wert thou as young as I, Juliet thy love, / An hour but married, Tybalt murdered, / Doting like me, and like me banished, / the mightiest thou tear thy/ hair/ and fall upon the ground as I do now.” (Romeo and Juliet 3.3.67-73) They are both very much affected negatively by the forced separation. This love for each other causes them to feel depressed, possibly mad (in Romeo’s case), and full of grief over the thought of never seeing each other again. The burden of knowing that she will never see her love again (and that she will be forced to marry another man) causes Juliet to desire for death. Friar Lawrence prevents Juliet from committing suicide by devising a plan to reunite the two lovers. This plan involves Juliet staging her own death and then having Romeo come and whisk her away from the tomb (as she is still alive and only pretending to be dead) so they can live a fulfilling life full of love and each other far from Verona. Unfortunately, the perpetration of this plan went disastrously, and ends with the untimely demise of both young lovers.

       Shakespeare also uses the one sided romantic love Romeo had for Rosaline to show how love can attribute to causing unhappiness, and one’s path in destroying themselves. Before Romeo had met his beloved Juliet, he was infatuated with a woman named Rosaline. Rosaline had dedicated her life to celibacy (which causes speculation on her becoming a nun), which meant she was not swayed by Romeo’s advances. Seeing that his love was not reciprocated caused Romeo to fall into a depression in which he would stay locked in his room in the dark and only goes outside to wander around idly. He tells his friend Benvolio, “In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman.” (Romeo and Juliet 1.1.212) and "She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow / Do I live dead that live to tell it now" (Romeo and Juliet 1.1.223-224) This negative change in demeanor causes Romeo’s friends to worry for him, and so they try to make him forget about Rosaline. “By giving liberty unto thin eyes. / Examine other beauties.” (Romeo and Juliet 1.1.235-236) says Benvolio. Benvolio tells Romeo to go to the feast where he will see someone far better than Rosaline, “But in that crystal scales let there be weighed/ Your lady’s love against some other maid/ That I will show you shining at the feast, / And she shall scant show well that now seems best.” (Romeo and Juliet 1.3.103-105) Romeo’s friends take him to Capulet ball where he falls for Juliet. Romeo’s failing love leads him not only to depression, but to the love that ends his life.

   Shakespeare also shows the sadness caused by platonic love through the mediums of Mercutio and Lady Montague. In the play, Mercutio is believed to be one of Romeo’s dearest friends. When Romeo’s honor is insulted, he gets into a brawl with Tybalt.  But I’ll be hanged, sir, if he wear your livery. / Marry, go before to field, he’ll be your follower. / Your worship in that sense may call him “man.” (Romeo and Juliet 3.1.58-60) His love for his friend caused him (Mercutio) to be slain. Lady Monatgue, the mother of Romeo, dies as well from love. In the play, she is said to have died from grief over the exile of her son. “Alas, my leige, my wife is dead tonight. / Grief of my son’s exile hath stopped her breath” (Romeo and Juliet 5.3.218-219) The platonic love both held for Romeo ended up being the reason for their demise.

   Romeo and Juliet is a story that shows the dangers of love. Love, which is often shown as something good, is instead portrayed as something destructive and harmful. But as human beings, we all crave for love at one point in our lives. Despite the devastating endings it causes, it’s a beautiful thing while it lasts. It might just be in our nature, the ability to love and to be loved might just be what makes us human. Love is important in all lives, no matter how positively or negatively it affects us.