Romeo and Juliet - Love and Hate

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Show how Shakespeare presents dramatically the themes of love and hate in the play "Romeo and Juliet"

The literary genius, William Shakespeare, was born in 1564 and throughout his life wrote a collection of plays, poems and sonnets. In the 16th century, the type of theatre was very different to that of today. Actors were only male, so any female parts had to be played by a boy whose voice had not broken. This also meant that intimate love scenes were not included as they were uncomfortable for the actors and would not be very realistic.

The theatre itself was round with a small circular stage in the centre. Props were few and words had to make up the scenery, lighting and atmosphere. Plays had to be performed in the afternoons when it was most light and were usually more of a social 'get-together' than a formal event. Middle and lower class citizens attended these shows and were unsettled and often uncultured. This meant that the very beginning lines of the play could not be vital, as no one would understand the play later if they missed them. In addition, the following few lines had to be spoken loudly to attract the audience's attention. Romeo and Juliet begins in exactly this way, with a short opening chorus which explains the whole story, and then a fight scene.

Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy that portrays two lovers trying to build their relationship on a foundation of hate. Most people believe the play to be a great love story, but it is equally one of hatred, violence and bloodshed. The two lovers, who come from opposing families in Verona, attempt to keep their love and marriage secret, but this ends in dramatic suicide, which finally brings the Montagues and Capulets together.

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The play is set on a background of hate, clearly outlined from the very start in the opening chorus. This prepares the audience for the story that is about to unfold.

"Two households, both alike in dignity,

In fair Verona (where we lay our scene)

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny."

The audience can already see, just from the opening lines, that the hatred between the families has been going for a long time, "ancient grudge", and has recently been rekindled "new mutiny".

The play proceeds with a dramatic fight scene which immediately catches the audience's attention and demonstrates the bitter feud between the Montagues and Capulets. It shows the nature of the city of Verona as unsafe and a snowball effect takes place straight away. The Capulet servants are bragging about what they would do to the Montagues if they had the chance, when their enemies turn up. More and more people get involved and the small quarrel evolves into a fight. The entrance of Benvolio and Tybalt, as well as the heads of the families, turn the fight into a riot and order only comes about with the Prince's arrival. The Prince is the only real authority that can calm the feud down, but then this often goes unnoticed. He threatens the heads of families with the penalty of death; "Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace" and the audience can see that he is not happy about having these brawls in his streets, as he is quite willing to put and end to it quickly.

The "fiery" character of Tybalt is introduced in the first scene but his true nature is not fully revealed until the feast later. Many would say that Tybalt is personified hatred, as he feels that even the presence of a Montague is unacceptable and feels free to threaten whomever he likes.

"Now by the stock and honour of my kin,

To strike him dead would not be a sin."

He is prepared to cause a fight even at his own family feast and the audience will probably take an immediate dislike to this character and his violent attitude. Even back in the first scene, it was he that was the first to draw his sword and prepared to do anything to uphold his name.

In the second act, and most famous of any of Shakespeare's scenes, Romeo has climbed the Capulet walls and is hiding under Juliet's balcony. When he is spotted, Juliet's first thought are of his safety and she fears for his life if he is found, as he would be put to death for trespassing. Juliet is fully aware of the punishments and this reflects the dangers and risks of the whole play.

"The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,

And the place death, considering who thou art,

If any of my kinsmen find thee here."

In this scene, Juliet would be positioned on the upper stage, with Romeo below to create a more dramatic effect. It also shows the nature of the play two desperate lovers together in their hearts, but so far away in reality.

After such a violent start to the play, the audience is expecting a calm love story to unfold, but are again surprised when another fight scene occurs, with a duel between Mercutio and Tybalt, followed by another between Romeo and Tybalt. Mercutio is angered by Romeo's refusal to fight Tybalt, as he is unaware of the relationship Romeo is having with Juliet. This first fight is one the audience wants to see happen, as it involves the two comical characters from each family. Tybalt's "fiery" attitude sparks the whole fight off and it ends with Mercutio being slain. Romeo at this point is in a very vulnerable state, being stuck between upholding his family's name, and his love for the Juliet Capulet. At the sight of his good friend dying in front of him, he goes into a frenzy, which causes the second riot. This one though, cannot be the same as the previous as it would be too repetitive and would bore the audience.

"Now, Tybalt, take the 'villain' back again

That late 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."

To differ from the first, Shakespeare uses Revenge Tragedy to express Romeo's desperation to satisfy his love for both families. Romeo is even prepared to give up his own life to save them. In the most recent film of the play, set in the present day, Romeo is out of control and tries to run Tybalt over in a car. Seeing this fail only angers him more and Romeo ends up shooting Tybalt in a state of despair.

The violence continues after the secret marriage of Juliet and Romeo. Lord Capulet, Juliet's father, uses extremely violent language when Juliet refuses to marry the County Paris. He is, however, unaware that Juliet has already been made a wife. His language changes from fatherly, loving words to talking about her in the third person when she disagrees to his plan.

"Thursday is near, lay hand on heart, advise

And you be mine, I'll give to my friend,

And you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets,

For by my soul I'll never acknowledge thee,

Nor what is mine shall never do thee good."

He refuses to change the plans, and says that if she does not comply, he will disown her and leave her to beg and die on the streets.

So far in the play, two characters have died for the hatred between the two families, but the next, Paris, is totally innocent and is killed again, by Romeo's desperation. The true price of hatred is shown with his death, as he was neither a relation to Montague or Capulet. Paris attempts to arrest Romeo as he suspects that he is trying to disfigure the Capulet tomb. In defence, Romeo explains that he loves the Capulets more than his own family but, being loyal to his love's family, Paris thinks Romeo is mocking him. They fight and Paris is killed. This is another example of the scale of the hatred between the families. Romeo will do anything to see his love again.

However, against the background of hate and misery to the play, Shakespeare portrays a beautiful love story about two lovers trying to make the best of the unfortunate situation they find themselves in.

At the beginning of the play, a fact that is often omitted from reproductions, is that Romeo has a love for Rosaline, another Capulet. However, comparing the language he uses to describe Rosaline and Juliet, the two are very different. Rosaline's description is very artificial and his love is helpless, as she is to remain "chaste" meaning she has taken an oath not to fall in love. The audience may question whether his feelings are that of love or infatuation and the answer is given later in the play when Romeo meets Juliet. He uses contradicting terms, oxymorons, when describing his feelings, such as "feather of lead" "sick health" and "loving hate." These may make the audience think that Romeo is rather hopeless and pathetic, whereas with Juliet the description is much more positive, from the heart and believable.

In contrast, on Romeo's first sight of Juliet he seems astounded and Shakespeare uses religious imagery to express how strongly he feels for her.

"Did my heart love till now? forswear it sight!

For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."

Here the audience is probably very intrigued about what is going to happen and Romeo uses 'frilly' language to get them more interested. He goes on and describes Juliet as a light source using phrases like "The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars" and "She doth teach the torches to burn bright." Their first meeting is a sonnet where Romeo claims he is a pilgrim coming to visit a holy shrine. He uses such words as "holy shrine," "pilgrims" and "trespass" to explain his feelings to Juliet. In this scene the lovers kiss and this would have to be very brief to avoid the actors discomfort.

The balcony scene demonstrates the most obvious love in the play as Romeo creeps around under Juliet's window. Before Juliet sees that Romeo is listening she expresses her true feelings as if talking to herself.

"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name;

Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,

And I'll no longer be a Capulet"

These famous lines show the desperation for happiness that Juliet is feeling. She asks why Romeo is called Romeo, referring to the name Montague, and pleads him to leave his family and join her. She is so in love with him that she goes on to say that she will give up her name, if only they can be together. She knows inside that only his name that stops their relationship from being acceptable "'Tis but thy name that is my enemy," and says, "A rose by any other word would smell as sweet" expressing her unhappiness that her Romeo cannot have a normal, open relationship.

The secret marriage of Romeo and Juliet is performed offstage for the actors comfort. Although it is not clear from the description of Juliet, her words and actions indicate that she is quite young, as she is very impatient. She longs for the night to come when Romeo will arrive. Juliet has no idea about the deaths of Tybalt and Mercutio that day, as being a young lady didn't allow her out in the dangerous streets of Verona. Her love for Romeo is pronounced more when the Nurse enters and announces that someone is dead. Juliet's first thoughts are of Romeo.

"O break, my heart, poor bankrout, break at once!

To prison, eyes, ne'er look on liberty!

Vile earth, to earth resign, end motion here,

And thou and Romeo press one heavy bier!"

Juliet is in deep despair as she thinks that her love is dead. When she finds out that it is in fact Tybalt who is dead, and Romeo who slew him, she is filled with mixed emotions. Romeo arrives at the Capulet Palace later that night and Juliet is happy that she is again with the man she loves. The scene in Juliet's bedroom is the morning after their wedding night. Juliet is determined that it is the Nightingale, a nocturnal bird, and not the lark, an early morning bird, that sang. She is desperate to keep Romeo with her for as long as possible, but when she realises that it is dawn she fears for his safety as he is supposed to be banished from Verona.

"It is, it is, hie hence, be gone, away!

It is the lark that sings so out of tune,

Straining harsh discords and unpleasing sharps.

Some say that the lark makes sweet division

This not so, for she divideth us."

Juliet is very committed to Romeo and does not want to marry the County Paris. The Friar Lawrence thinks up a plan and she immediately agrees to try and save her relationship with Romeo. Trying to be loyal to both her family name and to her husband proves very difficult, until she decides what needs to be done.

"O bid me leap, rather than marry Paris,

From off the battlements of any tower."

Juliet shows the audience that she is willing to put her life on the line rather than commit bigamy in marrying Paris. The Friar explains his plan and Juliet creates horrific pictures of what she is prepared to risk, "hide me in a charnel house with dead men's rattling bones," "Go into a new-made grave" "hide me in a dead man's shroud" rather than giving up on Romeo. Her declaration that she will do anything to escape the marriage, shows her true love for Romeo and the audience pray that for once things will go right for the star-crossed lovers. The determinedness of Juliet's language enthrals the audience and it seems that with this quality, surely nothing else can go wrong.

'Romeo and Juliet' ends with a great tragedy, the suicide of the lovers to be united in death. So many things went wrong in a short space of time, and looking back the audience may question whether they believed that the lovers could pull it off. Unfortunately in a dramatic climax to the play, Romeo and Juliet die together, for each other, in the Capulet family tomb.

It seems that only love can overcome hatred in the end as is so dramatically shown by Shakespeare. The two lovers united in death, rest happily and the two families are brought together in mourning.

"O brother Montague, give me thy hand.

This is my daughter's jointure, for no more

Can I demand."

Shakespeare's usage of love and hate has given lead to many other plays and films after it, such as 'West Side Story'. It gives a very effective story line that keeps the audience captivated with every twist and turn. The background of hate involves the audience who can identify with one or more of the characters, and are often left feeling extremely sorry for the families, such is the realism of the play. 'Romeo and Juliet' is a true demonstration that love overcomes hate, but in their case, the only way out was to be reunited in death.

"Never was there a story of more woe

Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

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