Tuesday, April 12, 2011

What is Romeo like at the beginning of Romeo and Juliet? How does he speak of love?

In the beginning of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is pretty heartbroken and to him love is a bunch of conflicting things.


1.1.183-186 (Act.Scene.line)


O heavy lightness, serious vanity,


Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms,


Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,


Still-waking sleep that is not what it is!


For Romeo, love is great but at the same time horrible and this is why he uses oxymorons to describe the feeling.


He continues 1.1.195-201


This love that thou hast shown


Doth add more grief to too much of mine own.


Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs;


Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers eyes;


Being vexed, a sea nourished with loving tears.


What is it else? A madness most discreet,


A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.


Basically Romeo is overcome with grief because the woman he loves does not love him back. He feels like his every thought is consumed with her and says that he cannot forget her. In the beginning of the play, love is not on Romeo's side. He seems to have a negative outlook on it because he is so depressed over it!

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