Examples Of Identity Crushes In Romeo And Juliet

Shakespeare was undoubtedly one of the most popular play writer to ever live. His play Romeo and Juliet is known for its many hidden messages and rhetorical techniques. One of the hidden messages is about Identity and romantic crushes and how parents should treat them. To have a crush is to have a brief but intense infatuation for someone, as seen in “Romeo and Juliet”. An example of an identity crush being used is in the play “Romeo and Juliet” between Friar Lawrence and Romeo. According to Carl Pickhardt, “Identity crushes are formed by finding someone [teen] much admire, want to become like, and treat as a leader or model they are eager to imitate and follow” (Pickhardt). In Romeo and Juliet Romeo forms one of these identity crushes on Friar Lawrence. Friar Lawrence is the priest of Romeo’s church who Romeo comes to for help and advice with girls. In the text Romeo refers to Friar Lawrence as, “my ghostly father” (Shakespeare 2.3.48). Romeo clearly looks up to Friar Lawrence as a fatherly figure, therefore establishing the fact that Romeo and Friar Lawrence’s relationship is an identity crush. Identity crushes can be good but if the parents neglect their child’s …show more content…
In the article adolescence and the teenage crush the text states, “Romantic crushes are formed by finding someone whom they find powerfully attractive, who they feel excited to be around, and with whom they want to spend a lot of time” (Pickhardt). Romeo and Juliet have a romantic crush throughout the story. In the party scene at the Capulet house Romeo states his love for Juliet when he says, “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” (Shakespeare 1.5.50). Potraying Romeo’s excitement he feels when he is around Juliet. Romeo and Juliet both have mutual feelings towards one another and end up getting married. But due to the parents neglecting the crush, Romeo and Juliet both end up