Romeo and Juliet: The Exploration of the Complexity of Love Through Irony
Love is one of the most profound emotions known to human beings; it is what connects people together. But what exactly is love? Is love merely an illusionary feeling or the inescapable destiny of all? Love too passionate can burn and die; love too long-lasting can become lifeless and dull. Love is often the cause of misery and depression, but it also brings people happiness, joy, and satisfaction. This complicated emotion is further illustrated in the tragedy play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare effectively employs irony to explore the complex nature of love and the effects love has on people. Throught dramatic and situational irony, the themes: …show more content…
This is evident when Romeo is mourning at Juliet’s grave. He wails, “Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath,/ Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty./ Thou art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet/ Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,/ And death’s pale flag is not advanced there” (5.3. 113). In this scene, Romeo realizes that Juliet seems so beautiful and alive as her lips and cheeks are still red. Yet, regardless of the obvious signs, he is still convinced that Juliet is dead because he is deeply afflicted and blinded by his grief. Thereby, dramatic irony is undeniably present as Juliet wakes up right after Romeo dies. In consequence, the absence of decision making skills results in the tragic death of both young lovers as Romeo drinks the deadly poison without hesitation. The fateful deaths of both Romeo and Juliet leave their immediate families and friends an unforgettable trauma. In a related aspect, a similar situation occurs when Romeo tries to make peace during the duel between Tybalt and Mercutio and screams, “Hold, Tybalt! Good Mercutio!” (3.1. 62). In this passage, Romeo attempts to stop the fight between his best friend Mercutio and Tybalt because he is Juliet’s cherished cousin. However, Romeo’s ineffective interruptions are indirectly responsible for the pitiful death of Mercutio. Due to Romeo’s love for Juliet, he …show more content…
This is proven when Romeo is arguing with Benvolio about his previous love for Rosaline: “One fairer than my love! The all-seeing sun/ Ne’er saw her match since first the world begun” (1.2. 16). Romeo is expressing his crazy infatuation with Rosaline and claiming that Rosaline is the most beautiful woman he will ever encounter. Ironically, on the exact same day, he meets Juliet and falls in love with her instantly. Romeo changes his mind so quickly that it is hard to believe that he is completely in love with someone. One can question if Romeo truly appreciates and understands the meaning of true love. Romeo’s love for Rosaline is merely a shallow immature infatuation and nobody really believes that it will last, including Friar Lawrence. Likewise, Juliet is very inconsistent with her love towards Romeo too. This is evident when Juliet receives the news regarding the death of her honorable cousin Tybalt, who is murdered by Romeo. The Nurse is very upset about the death of her friend and she criticizes Romeo, the killer of Tybalt: “There’s no trust,/ No faith, no honesty in men, all perjur’d,/ All forsworn, all naught, all dissemblers [...] Shame come to Romeo!” (3.2. 69-70). The Nurse is convinced that Romeo is a heartless killer who disguises as a respectable gentleman to lure her innocent Juliet. The repetition of similar fragment structure “no trust”, “no faith”, “no honesty”,
Love is one of the most profound emotions known to human beings; it is what connects people together. But what exactly is love? Is love merely an illusionary feeling or the inescapable destiny of all? Love too passionate can burn and die; love too long-lasting can become lifeless and dull. Love is often the cause of misery and depression, but it also brings people happiness, joy, and satisfaction. This complicated emotion is further illustrated in the tragedy play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare effectively employs irony to explore the complex nature of love and the effects love has on people. Throught dramatic and situational irony, the themes: …show more content…
This is evident when Romeo is mourning at Juliet’s grave. He wails, “Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath,/ Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty./ Thou art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet/ Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,/ And death’s pale flag is not advanced there” (5.3. 113). In this scene, Romeo realizes that Juliet seems so beautiful and alive as her lips and cheeks are still red. Yet, regardless of the obvious signs, he is still convinced that Juliet is dead because he is deeply afflicted and blinded by his grief. Thereby, dramatic irony is undeniably present as Juliet wakes up right after Romeo dies. In consequence, the absence of decision making skills results in the tragic death of both young lovers as Romeo drinks the deadly poison without hesitation. The fateful deaths of both Romeo and Juliet leave their immediate families and friends an unforgettable trauma. In a related aspect, a similar situation occurs when Romeo tries to make peace during the duel between Tybalt and Mercutio and screams, “Hold, Tybalt! Good Mercutio!” (3.1. 62). In this passage, Romeo attempts to stop the fight between his best friend Mercutio and Tybalt because he is Juliet’s cherished cousin. However, Romeo’s ineffective interruptions are indirectly responsible for the pitiful death of Mercutio. Due to Romeo’s love for Juliet, he …show more content…
This is proven when Romeo is arguing with Benvolio about his previous love for Rosaline: “One fairer than my love! The all-seeing sun/ Ne’er saw her match since first the world begun” (1.2. 16). Romeo is expressing his crazy infatuation with Rosaline and claiming that Rosaline is the most beautiful woman he will ever encounter. Ironically, on the exact same day, he meets Juliet and falls in love with her instantly. Romeo changes his mind so quickly that it is hard to believe that he is completely in love with someone. One can question if Romeo truly appreciates and understands the meaning of true love. Romeo’s love for Rosaline is merely a shallow immature infatuation and nobody really believes that it will last, including Friar Lawrence. Likewise, Juliet is very inconsistent with her love towards Romeo too. This is evident when Juliet receives the news regarding the death of her honorable cousin Tybalt, who is murdered by Romeo. The Nurse is very upset about the death of her friend and she criticizes Romeo, the killer of Tybalt: “There’s no trust,/ No faith, no honesty in men, all perjur’d,/ All forsworn, all naught, all dissemblers [...] Shame come to Romeo!” (3.2. 69-70). The Nurse is convinced that Romeo is a heartless killer who disguises as a respectable gentleman to lure her innocent Juliet. The repetition of similar fragment structure “no trust”, “no faith”, “no honesty”,