Sunday, November 10, 2013

When Romeo meets Juliet for the first time, is his perception or belief of love still the same as the start of the play?

Romeo, like another character in Shakespeare, Orsino
(Twelfth Night), is in love with the idea of being in love but he
really doesn't understand exactly what love is.


Young love
is strong and passionate, whereas mature love is based on more than a physical
attraction.  If couples are lucky, they discover each other in the passion of youth and
this matures to real love.


At th beginning of the play,
Romeo is moaning and groaning because his love for Rosalind isn't reciprocated . 
Benvolio and Mercutio both give him a hard time about his being in love.  The whole idea
of crashing the Capulet masque ball is so Romeo can compare Rosalind to other, perhaps
more eligible, young Verona ladies.  Actually, Benvolio's plan works but Romeo picks
Juliet.


Although he doesn't know it, he has fallen love
with someone more unattainable than Rosalind...or has he?  Juliet responses to
him.


The big question here is this, does Romeo fall in love
with Juliet because she is the most beautiful girl in the room, outshining Rosalind, or
because he has learned what is really love.


Since once he
finds out who she is, he puts it all on the line for love when he trespasses onto the
Capulet property, I would have to say that he has grown.  Once he and Juliet meet, they
connect.  During their first lines to each other, these two characters connect.  Their
shared sonnet shows how they are on the same page, so to
speak.


Romeo learned that love is a two way street, not a
one way street and with Juliet, he changed directions, so I would have to say that he
grew from Act I, scene 1 until Act I, scene 5.  He grew; he gets it.  He understands
what love really is.  He was totally committed to her.  By the end of the play, he
chooses to die rather than live in the world without
Juliet.


Unfortunately, their love never had time to grow
and fully blossom.

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