To argue the difference in the love between Romeo and Rosaline and the love between Romeo and Juliet is a very difficult thing. Upon taking a closer look at this topic, it is evident that many similarities outweigh the differences between these two loves, and the only thing to contrast between them is perhaps Romeo’s actions. Romeo is young still, in an age range of about 18 to 21, and he is still a maturing young adult. His feelings are mainly led by the hormones raging in his body, which allows for brief spurts of infatuation with possibly numerous young women. The following paragraphs will discuss how Romeo fell for each of the girls, his actions towards them both once he had realised his feelings towards them, discuss the difference between
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Infatuation is a feeling guided solely by physical attraction, and one that fades with time. Love, true love, is unconditional and infinite, it consumes the soul to the point where a person would do anything for the object of their affections. Rosaline was a woman Romeo had seen on occasion and was attracted to, and he was completely infatuated with her. She consumed his thoughts, but not truly her, but rather, her appearance, perhaps even the thought of desiring something so unattainable also drew him in, “She is too fair, to wise, wisely too fair to merit bliss by making me despair. She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow do I live dead that live to tell it now.” (1.1.216-19). Despite believing he was in love with Rosaline, Romeo is never said to have put in the same amount of effort to woo Rosaline as he did with Juliet. What begins as an infatuation with young Juliet, quickly begins to hint at love as Romeo allows himself to be guided by his feelings and approach her. Romeo puts away his disputes with her family on the premise of his love for her, and ultimately decides he can’t live without her. Romeo perhaps did not love Juliet at first, but his feelings grew into love as he interacted with her and found her to have equal feelings for him. The love between the two was so strong and unconditional, they could not bear the thought of life without each
Infatuation is a feeling guided solely by physical attraction, and one that fades with time. Love, true love, is unconditional and infinite, it consumes the soul to the point where a person would do anything for the object of their affections. Rosaline was a woman Romeo had seen on occasion and was attracted to, and he was completely infatuated with her. She consumed his thoughts, but not truly her, but rather, her appearance, perhaps even the thought of desiring something so unattainable also drew him in, “She is too fair, to wise, wisely too fair to merit bliss by making me despair. She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow do I live dead that live to tell it now.” (1.1.216-19). Despite believing he was in love with Rosaline, Romeo is never said to have put in the same amount of effort to woo Rosaline as he did with Juliet. What begins as an infatuation with young Juliet, quickly begins to hint at love as Romeo allows himself to be guided by his feelings and approach her. Romeo puts away his disputes with her family on the premise of his love for her, and ultimately decides he can’t live without her. Romeo perhaps did not love Juliet at first, but his feelings grew into love as he interacted with her and found her to have equal feelings for him. The love between the two was so strong and unconditional, they could not bear the thought of life without each