Theme of Love in Romeo and Juliet

A four letter word that in some cases holds more worth than life itself, love. Love is a common theme throughout the story of Romeo and Juliet, whether you are relating it to friendships, family, or relationships. Many love stories conclude in tragedies, whether it’s a death or a breakup, but most are not nearly as tragic as that of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet had an epic romance, full of twists, turns, and heartbreak up until the jiff of their tragic double suicide. The perception of love throughout this play is presented in many ways, no matter the characters it is shared amongst in each scene. Love is a part of the life of every individual, no matter the relationship or circumstance.

Romeo and Juliet were two young teenagers experiencing true love for the first time. Neither of them had been this deeply in love with anyone before until they fell into each other’s eyes. They dedicated their lives to each other and vowed in marriage that they would be together for eternity. Romeo and Juliet met at a Capulet party in which Romeo and his friends, Benvolio and Mercutio, snuck into. Romeo saw Juliet, and they later met outside in the hallway to talk formally. They had to keep their love a secret, however, because if word got out that Juliet was in love with a Montague, or vise versa, the feud would only grow stronger between the families. They would need to keep their marriage under wraps until the feud stopped between the Capulets and Montagues, and until it would be safe to spread the word that they had fallen in love and had a secret wedding ceremony. A friar and close friend of Romeo, Friar Lawrence, came up with a grand idea so Romeo and Juliet could spend their lives with each other, since he was banished because of his brawl with Tybalt which ended in Tybalt’s perish. Juliet was given a sleeping potion by Friar Lawrence, with the intentions that everyone would believe she was truly dead and she wouldn’t have to marry County Paris. Romeo would then come save her from the crypt and they would spend their lives together in Mantua. Unfortunately, that is not how it went. Romeo presumed Juliet was truly dead when he saw her in the crypt, so he drank poison to “die with her.” When she awoke from her rest brought on by the potion, she was greeted with the unpleasant surprise of Romeo’s lifeless body by her side. She then took his dagger and proceeded to stab herself with it so she could die with him rather than living the rest of her life without her one true love. With her grandmother-like way of care and affection, the nurse is more of a mother to Juliet than Lady Capulet herself. The nurse has been there for her since she nursed her when she was born, while her parents were away doing other things. The nurse wanted the best for Juliet, and Juliet trusted her with her life and whole heart. The nurse helped Juliet to kindle her romance with Romeo, and kept it a secret so she wouldn’t be banished by her parents for loving a Montague, their “sworn enemies.” The nurse joked around a lot with Juliet. The nurse resisted telling Juliet the words she received from Romeo when she visited him. She rather joked around with her by making up excuses as to why she should be given time before she told her the news. The nurse agreed with the concept of the marriage at first, but then changed her mind later on in the story. She decided it would be a better outcome for Juliet if she married County Paris because of his wealth, power, and status in society compared to Romeo’s.

Parents are said to be your main role models in life, and are said to love you more than they love themselves. Juliet was loved dearly by her parents. They thought that they were doing what was best for her during her lifetime. She was their only daughter, so they treated her as if she was the world itself. They wanted her to live a life full of happiness and to have her recognized as a high power in society so she could live a life of wealth and love. When County Paris agreed to marry Juliet, her parents jumped at the opportunity to set it up. They thought that since he was handsome, rich, and powerful, she would be happy. This, however, was not the case. Juliet said she would do no more as to give him a chance to impress her, and she may do as much as to like him, but not love him or marry him. She was too focused on her only true love, Romeo, to even consider following her parent’s orders to marry County Paris. Though Juliet loved her parents dearly, she could not bring herself to disobey Romeo like that, as well as go against her religion and marry someone if she is already married at the time. Nevertheless, Romeo and Juliet, as being classified as a love story itself, is full of love, happiness, and heartbreak. 

Many characters have different views on the topic, but Romeo and Juliet believe in love at first sight, trust, and cherishment. Juliet loved Romeo enough to risk her life for him, just as he did for her. They died together, as a happily married couple that planned to share eternity with each other. Though the Nurse and Juliet did not share the same type of love as Juliet shared with Romeo, they still loved each other dearly with a mother-daughter aspect. The Nurse loved Juliet and supported her with all her heart. She treated her as if she was her own daughter, and nursed her from the very beginning of Juliet’s young life. Though Juliet’s parents share some of the blame for their daughter’s death, they still loved her dearly. They wanted to do what they thought was best for her and provide her with the love and support she needed to grow into the strong, independent young woman she became. Romeo and Julietpresents many circumstances of love and represents it through situations for better and for worse. But in the end, that little four letter word can lead you spiraling into a lifetime of happiness, or a moment of heartbreak.

Works Cited

1. Andrews, J. (1989). Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: The Relationship between Text and Film. Literature/Film Quarterly, 17(2), 80–88. https://doi.org/10.2307/43797710
2. Atchity, K. (2004). Shakespearean Tragedy: The Basics. Blackwell Publishing.
3. Dobson, M. (Ed.). (2010). The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. Oxford University Press.
4. Greenblatt, S. (2004). Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare. W. W. Norton & Company.
5. Kirschbaum, L. (2011). Shakespeare and the Idea of Love. Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare.
6. Leggatt, A. (1989). Shakespeare’s Tragedies: Violation and Identity. Cambridge University Press.
7. Lerner, L. (2005). The Triumph of Love: Same-Sex Marriage and the Politics of Romance in Shakespeare’s Comedy. University of Chicago Press.
8. Shakespeare, W. (2016). Romeo and Juliet (Revised Edition). Edited by Jill L. Levenson. Penguin Classics.
9. Smith, D. (2013). Love in the Western World. Princeton University Press.
10. Vickers, B. (1998). Shakespeare, Co-Author: A Historical Study of Five Collaborative Plays. Oxford University Press.