Romeo and Juliet: Infatuation as a Volatile Emotion

Love and Infatuation in Romeo and Juliet

There are a number of strong emotions when it comes to the human psyche, love being one of the strongest in humanity's arsenal. Love, a very volatile emotion, was a very common theme throughout the Early Modern Period as many historic writers and play write took advantage of utilizing this emotion. The famous play Romeo and Juliet is no different when it comes to this common theme. Throughout the play, it is quite apparent love is at the forefront when it comes to any other theme or focal point. Throughout the play itself love is over-exaggerated, trumps every other emotion, and throughout the play turns even more violent. The play starts off by establishing there are, “Two households, both alike in dignity, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny. - A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;” (Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 1-5, Prologue) Before the play even begins it is already established there is a forbidden love between two members of opposing households, and their love is so strong that only death can end their connection. Throughout the entirety of Romeo and Juliet, infatuation or love is not something that is static or just there, the emotion itself seems to have life, being propelled by the characters themselves.

Enter Romeo in the beginning of the play talking to his kinsman Benvolio about his love for Rosaline. Romeo exclaims, “Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still, Should without eyes see pathways to his will.” (Shakespeare, 176-177, Act 1) During Romeo’s banter about his love for Rosaline with Benvolio, he arguably brings up two clichés about love during the time of Shakespeare. Those clichés are “love is blind,” and “love will always find a way.” We as the audience will also discover, compared to Romeo’s love for Juliet, his love for Rosaline is not mature or even nearly as emotional. Later throughout the play, Romeo’s love for Juliet has much more life and meaning expressed by his words. When Romeo and Juliet finally meet, it showcases another cliché of “love at first sight.”

Clichés of Love in Romeo's Affections

As the two star-crossed lovers, whose love is something otherwise worldly or love being controlled by god or some higher power, meet Juliet is struck by the reality of Romeo’s house allegiance. In a small rant, she exclaims, “My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, That I must love a loathed enemy.” (Shakespeare, 152-155, Act 1) Juliet is hit with the gravest news about her love, which is the fact she has fallen in love with a man who is her sworn enemy, the only man she is not allowed to marry. Reinstating the fact that even though she loves him, the two may never be allowed to marry or love one another because of their respected households, both are still enemies. However, the language and word choice throughout the play point to the fact that two opposite things will never be apart forever, especially if love is involved.

Juliet’s plea about her love brings up a common theme seen throughout the play, things seem to happen far too early. For example, Juliet says “Too early seen unknown, and known too late,” exclaiming the fact she has met her Romeo too early in her young life, and things might have been different if she had only met him later in her life. Continuing off the theme of things throughout the play occurring too early, in the end of the play Romeo and Juliet’s love is only destroyed by time. As Romeo kills himself only moments before Juliet’s slumber ends.

Works Cited

1. Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Edited by Brian Gibbons, Oxford University Press, 2008.