Comparing Lust In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet lack true feelings for one another, while Romeo shows his lust by switching his undying affections from Rosaline to Juliet in a span of a day, Juliet desires Romeo’s beauty in an instant. When he speaks of Rosaline, he says, “She is rich in beauty” (I, i, 25) feeling only lust for her, and not true love. Then, when he first comes across Juliet, he only compliments her looks, saying, “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!”(I, v, 53). He sees nothing of her character, and can only adulate her physique. He further illustrates that his love is superficial and lacks all meaning when he speaks about Rosaline, saying, “She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow do I live death, thus live to tell it now” (I, i, 25). After saying this, he says, “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, …show more content…
His affections can only be built upon the lust he feels for their figures, as he can only know their looks, and naught of their character. There can be no depth to his love for these people, for he desires only their beauty, and know nothing of their character. Furthermore, he says that he wishes to “Adventure for such merchandise”(II, ii, 75), as he tries to find the words to describe his love for Juliet all he can find himself saying is how he wants her as an item. Juliet’s lust is also evident as she describes Romeo as “the God of [her] idolatry”. (II, ii, 120) She knows nothing about who Romeo is, and cannot find human characteristics for Romeo, only his physique. Their love lacks depth and meaning, as they know nothing but each other’s beauty. Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other springs only from their lust, while Romeo first desires Rosaline, then in the span of one day Juliet showing that his “love” is the lust for beauty in the two; much in the way that Juliet idolizes Romeo’s beauty, knowing naught of his