LOVE AS VIOLENT THE PHYSICALITY OF LOVE
It seems as though love and violence for Shakespeare The physicality of love is never truly captured as a good act. The physicality of love is first
when writing Romeo & Juliet would inevitably intertwine, caputured as the focal point of a relationship, rather than an aspect of a healthy one by
with the audience being told from the beginning that the Mercutio. Mercutio tells Romeo that if "love be rough with
"star-crossed lovers take their life." In Romeo & Juliet, T H E M E A N A L Y S I S you, be rough with love." Mercutio robs intimate lovemaking
LOVE
Shakespeare makes love and violence indivisible, as the of its sanctity, reducing it to a physical act alone rather than
passion and emotion from the intense love Romeo & a physical expression of an internal feeling of love.
Juliet shares precipitates the tragedy. The coupling of Additionally, though Romeo and Juliet do engage in physical
love and death throughout the play is a recurring motif intimacy, it seems it is something that they are not allowed
with Juliet even threatening to kill herself when she learns her parents are arranging her to embrace. Their first kissed was described by them as a
marriage to Paris. She states that "“if all else fail, myself have power to die." It becomes "sin" and a "trespass", perhaps denoting how the "star-
obvious to the audience that if her life doesn't involve everlasting love with Romeo, then it is crossed" lovers were never meant to cross paths in the first
not a life worth living for her. Indeed, even in Juliet and Romeo's suicide scene at the end of place, as they are damned by fate. Before Romeo commits
the play, Juliet exclaims "O happy dagger!" before she kills herself. If Romeo and Juliet suicide, he kisses Juliet before he kills himself. This may
could only love each other through death, then Shakespeare conveys that Romeo and Juliet produce a cathartic response from the audience, as their
still believed that this was the best option for them, which reflects how profound their love affection has been limited to moments of sadness and guilt.
for each other truly was.
FIRST MEETING
The portrayal of Romeo and Juliet's love when they first meet is unique. Their connection is instant, to the extent that Shakespeare aligns it to a supernatural
force- "alike bewitched by the charm of looks." Their love seems pure at the beginning, with Romeo asking "did my heart love til now? I never saw true beauty
till this night?" Romeo suggests that love was a concept that he longed for, rather than a palpable feeling, until he met Juliet. Romeo was immediately filled
with a sense of love and desire for Juliet which he never experienced with Rosaline. Romeo used to refer to love using oxymorons, when he was still
preoccupied with Rosaline: "o brawling love, o loving hate", however, love suddenly becomes clear for Romeo. He recognises his true love when he lays eyes
on Juliet.
, FAMILY CONFLICT INTERNAL CONFLICGT
The opening of the play immediately establishes The external conflict ensuing in Verona inevitably impacts Romeo and Juliet, causing an
Verona, Romeo and Juliet's home, as a violent city. We internal conflict. This is particularly true for Juliet, who was
T H E ME A N A L Y S I S
are told at the beginning of the play that the violence expected to succumb to her father's wishes and marry Paris.
VIOLENCE
between the Montagues and the Capulets stems from Perhaps wiser than Romeo, Juliet recognises immediately that
an '"ancient grudge", yet it is the younger generation of their love is far from ideal. She states "Too early seen
both families, Tybalt Capulet and Benvolio Montague, unknown, and known too late. Prodigious birth of love
that are fighting. Despite being threatened with further
punishment by the Prince, Tybalt never gives up & CONFLICT it is to me, that I must love a loathed enemy.” The paradox
reflects the extent of Juliet's internal conflict. It seems
his violent persona.Indeed, it is only through Lord Capulet insisting that Romeo gate- too late for her to change her mind about her love for
crashing his party "shall be endured" that Tybalt does not start a brawl with Romeo. It is Romeo based solely on his identity and relation to her family
interesting how the families have conflict, but are described as "alike in dignity." Despite conflict that she is not particularly concerned with. Still, Juliet is
the fact that the family's are similar, they keep this "ancient grudge" brewing, for reasons disappointed that Romeo is a Montague, and therefore this
likely unbeknowst to the audience. This conflict seems like an unnecessary backdrop to quote is a reflection of her internal conflict with her feelings vs.
Romeo and Juliet's love story, perhaps only existing to precipitate their tragedy. her identity.
CONSEQUENCES OF CONFLICT
As a notorious lover of conflict, Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel after watching him gate-crash the Capulet party. However, Romeo becomes adverse to
such proposals of violence, pre-occupied with his new, married life and a wish for peace. Violence and conflict however is not something Mercutio is willing
to back down from once challenged, with Mercutio reflecting the typical reaction of the prideful men of Verona at the time. This pride becomes fatal for
Mercutio, as Tybalt wounds him and he dies after being stabbed. This violence in the play is not like the violence seen earlier: it is palpable and has a ripple
effect for Romeo and all those involved. Violence therefore is a vital part of the precipitation of the tragedy. It takes the bloodshed of Romeo’s best friend
for Romeo to be placed in a position where violence and conflict has finally caused forced separation between himself and Juliet.
