Blaise Pascal once stated “Love has reasons which reason cannot understand”. Although, Romeo and Juliet is a classic tragedy written by William Shakespeare in the late 1500’s it tells the story about a young pair struggling to save their love. It also teaches the audience the different types of love and how too much of it can be dangerous. Therefore, Shakespeare’s use of dramatic techniques gives audience an insight into the different representations of love through the use of romantic, courtly, familial love, as well as lust, that is present in the play.
Shakespeare has used courtly love through the characterisation of Lord Capulet to give an insight into the rules of society about arranged marriages and how common they were in order to …show more content…
Familial love is love among family. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet’s parents show her conditional love, a controlling type of love while the nurse shows her unconditional love, which is true familial love. Shakespeare uses the characterisation of Lord Capulet to represent the conditional love that is present in the play and how controlling it is. This is shown when Capulet plans a wedding for Juliet but she disagrees, making him angry, “Get thee to church a ‘Thursday…my fingers itch” (Act 3 scene 5 lines 161 and 164). From this the audience can see how Lord Capulet uses this conditional love. He loves his family if they agree to what he wants, but if they disagree, he will question the love he has for them. Conditional love is different from unconditional love that the nurse displays. Unconditional love is loving someone no matter what they do, unlike Lord Capulet who thinks he’s displaying unconditional love for his family, when actually, he just wants them to do as he says. The nurse is seen displaying the unconditional love by the way she takes care of Juliet and how she is always talking about her, as she thinks of Juliet as her own daughter. The nurse is very protective over Juliet as well which is seen when she gives Romeo a warning to look after Juliet properly, “…If ye should lead her in a fool’s paradise…it were a very gross kind of behaviour…the gentlewoman is young…if you should deal double with her, truly it were an ill thing.” (Act 2 scene 4 lines 151-154). Here, Romeo is being told not to play around with Juliet and to treat her right, as she is still young. From this, the audience can see the contrast between the love that Lord Capulet has for Juliet and the unconditional love that the nurse has for her. Shakespeare has used Lord Capulet and the nurse to represent the familial love that took place in the play, and how conditional love was common
Shakespeare has used courtly love through the characterisation of Lord Capulet to give an insight into the rules of society about arranged marriages and how common they were in order to …show more content…
Familial love is love among family. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet’s parents show her conditional love, a controlling type of love while the nurse shows her unconditional love, which is true familial love. Shakespeare uses the characterisation of Lord Capulet to represent the conditional love that is present in the play and how controlling it is. This is shown when Capulet plans a wedding for Juliet but she disagrees, making him angry, “Get thee to church a ‘Thursday…my fingers itch” (Act 3 scene 5 lines 161 and 164). From this the audience can see how Lord Capulet uses this conditional love. He loves his family if they agree to what he wants, but if they disagree, he will question the love he has for them. Conditional love is different from unconditional love that the nurse displays. Unconditional love is loving someone no matter what they do, unlike Lord Capulet who thinks he’s displaying unconditional love for his family, when actually, he just wants them to do as he says. The nurse is seen displaying the unconditional love by the way she takes care of Juliet and how she is always talking about her, as she thinks of Juliet as her own daughter. The nurse is very protective over Juliet as well which is seen when she gives Romeo a warning to look after Juliet properly, “…If ye should lead her in a fool’s paradise…it were a very gross kind of behaviour…the gentlewoman is young…if you should deal double with her, truly it were an ill thing.” (Act 2 scene 4 lines 151-154). Here, Romeo is being told not to play around with Juliet and to treat her right, as she is still young. From this, the audience can see the contrast between the love that Lord Capulet has for Juliet and the unconditional love that the nurse has for her. Shakespeare has used Lord Capulet and the nurse to represent the familial love that took place in the play, and how conditional love was common