The Irrationality of the Lovers in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

In Act 1, scene 1, lines 68-69 You can imagine the intensity of the feud when Shakespeare writes, “clubs, bills and partisans! Strike! Beat them down! Down with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues.”

Before meeting Juliet, Romeo is in love with Rosaline, he explains that the beauty “she hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste, for beauty starv’d with her severity cuts beauty off from all posterity” (Shakespeare.I.I.212-214), explaining that no one will ever be as beautiful as her, not even her own children. But once Romeo sees Juliet he describes her as someone who’s “beauty [is] too rich for use, for earth too dear” (A1S5 line 46) and that he had “ne’er [seen] true beauty till [that night]” (I.V.52) going against what he says about Rosaline earlier in the day. Diction such as “too rich”, “too dear” and “ne’er” creates hyperbole by making Romeo use very exaggerative language. Therefore, proving how shallow and immature Romeo is because he shows how he is only focused on looks and how quickly he moves on from someone when he sees someone who he believes is more attractive. Furthermore, when Romeo talks to Friar Lawrence about marrying Juliet, Friar assumes that Romeo is talking about Rosaline but Romeo quickly assures him that he has “[forgotten] [her] name, and [her] name’s woe” (II.III.45-46) and that his “heart’s dear love is set” (III.III.67) on Juliet. Though what he is saying may not seem like a hyperbole, it is because of how rushed his decision to marry Juliet is and how he speaks about loving Juliet regardless of the fact that he has only

From the moment we first hear about Romeo, it is in the context of his suffering at the hands of love. Romeo’s father, Montague, perplexed by his son’s behavior states that, “Many a morning hath he there been seen, / With tears augmenting the fresh morning’s dew, / Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs” (1.1.124-26). While this may be the first time we encounter Romeo’s melancholy humour, it certainly isn’t the last. In fact, one of the primary sources of our infatuation with Romeo rests in our sympathy for him. From the very start this poor boy is plagued by affections for girls that fate, it seems, will not let him be with. At first, it’s Rosaline, a girl who has “sworn that she will still live chaste” (1.1.210), a vow that sets Romeo reeling and complaining because “from love’s weak childish bow she lives unharmed” (1.1.204). His depression over Rosaline is enough to draw the attention of his father, Montague, who has observed that Romeo shuts himself up in his room all day in order to wallow in the darkness. These are the actions of someone who is undeniably quite

Romeo is a melodramatic 16-year old that lets his downheartedness over Rosaline take over when he sees Juliet. Romeo is unhappy, as Rosaline decided to stay chaste, and then he meets Juliet and he sees that she is looks attractive and wants to make irresponsible decisions. Romeo gives a perfect example of his irresponsible, lustful identity when he says this, “Did my heart love till now? / Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night”(Shakespeare,

Romeo is portrayed as an emotional and reckless character. His friend Mercutio and Fr. Lawrence comment on Romeo’s fickle attitude when he immediately falls in love with Juliet completely forgetting about Rosaline, his first love. Romeo quotes,” Did my heart love until now? Foreswear it sight, for I never saw true beauty until this night”. His love for Rosaline was superficial. Juliet transforms Romeo’s immature and erotic infatuation to true and constant love. After meeting Juliet he matures very quickly. Maybe Romeo’s love for Juliet is so intense because unlike Rosaline, Juliet reciprocates his

Moreover, Romeo through his infatuation with Rosaline learned valuable lessons that help him come to appreciate and understand the feelings he experiences with Juliet. Romeo felt rejection, sorrow, and misery from his infatuation with Rosaline which is seen when he is talking to Benvolio, “In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman” this particular quote shows the sadness or sorrow he feels from the feelings for Rosaline (1.1.201). Also when he says “She hath forsworn to love”, the words Romeo speaks allow it to be inferred that his feelings for her have been rejected (1.1.220). “At the opening of the play [Romeo] is maundering about like an erotic woman novelist, sighing and groaning because Rosaline will not listen to his tenders of affection” revealing that Romeo’s love was rejected and was upset because of this, allowing him to learn these feelings and what it is like to be rejected by the one he had feelings for (Northwood 19). Due to having felt these emotions from his infatuation, when he finds his love for Juliet and receives love and acceptance from her. Since he went so long, feeling sorrow and rejection when he finally finds Juliet, he can fully appreciate the love and acceptance he is given which intensifies his love for her and does the opposite of weakening the credibility of his love. Through his infatuation with Rosaline, he was able to grow as a person and become able to fully commit to his love for Juliet.

Romeo becomes convinced that Juliet is the most beautiful creature he has ever seen and ever will see. “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” (I, 5, 57-58). Romeo says that his heart has never loved before that moment and that his eyes confirm that Juliet is truly a beauty to be sought. This quote shows how Romeo quickly forgets his lovesickness for Rosaline and falls deeply in love with Juliet. He says that he has never loved before showing that by fate directing Romeo to the party and Juliet to his heart, that fate brings Romeo and Juliet together.

The play starts with Sampson and Gregory, two of Capulet’s servants, beginning a quarrel with two servants of Montague. This shows that from the working-class to the upper-class in the two families, they still hold a grudge against the opposite family. Tybalt arrives at the scene, speaking of his loathing of the Montagues, “I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee”. A furious riot develops with Lords Capulet and Montague joining in and officers clubbing both sides of the fight, only for it to be stopped by the neutral Prince Escales. The riot further emphasises the vast level of hate between the two families.

Romeo was in love with Rosaline a couple days before which he barely knew. And now he fell in love with Juliet in 1 day which he was with for only about a hour and a hour isn’t enough time to know someone a lot and to even love them. In Romeo and Juliet it also says “O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear, Beauty too rich for use , for earth too dear! So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows The measure done, I’ll watch her of stand, And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand. Did my heart love till now?forswear it, sight.” This is part when Romeo crashes the Capulet party and see Juliet for the first time. Romeo in this piece of verse , Romeo was saying that he never saw anything more beautiful and he ask himself if he just fell in love which he was but he only fell in love for seeing her beauty not her personality. The two lovers would have to know each other more other than beauty and might now love each other and be happy because they would've found out who they actually were and how they act as individuals.

Romeo led several people to their defeat because of the irrational choices that he made. He speaks boldly, but when he comes to action, he behaves like a coward. When he was challenged by Tybalt, the Prince of Cats, he refused to fight, therefore ending his best friend’s life, Mercutio. His quick actions overcome his words and the situation mostly concludes with failure. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo made a rash and desperate decision to fall into love with Juliet resulting in death and sorrow.

Sampson and Gregory are itching for a fight as they both believe that they have just as much right to defend the name ‘capulet’ as any other member of the family. So there is also this love for the name and for the fight as though they are children awaiting

Romeo labels his feelings towards Juliet as “love”, although he has not gotten the opportunity to learn about her personality. This indicates that what he feels about her was entirely formed by her physical beauty rather than genuine feelings. Evidently, sexual desires seemed to be his ulterior motive for marrying her, instead of committing to love, care, and cherish her till death do them apart.

Humanity’s susceptibility to its primitive impulses is what ultimately facilitates an ancient feud between Capulets and Montagues to remain prevalent to a contemporary generation of characters. Within the introductory scene of the story, two members of the Capulet family, Sampson and Gregory, indirectly introduce a conflicted reality of two families, Capulets and Montagues. Both families are established as parallels of social dignity and resultantly, are also depicted as natural rivals and competitors. Upon noticing a member of the Montague family, Abram, Sampson and Gregory are compelled to insult and intimidate him as it, “is [a] disgrace to them to bear it.” The Capulet’s intention to create tension between the families exemplifies how

Shakespeare makes Romeo describes Juliet in a variety of ways. He forgets all about Rosaline when he asks himself “ did my heart love till now?” He refers Juliet beauty to,” a snow dove in a troop of crows.” He states that since Rosaline didn't love him back “I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.” Shakespeare stretches the way Romeo describes Juliet because he does indeed believe in love, and he uses this to make the play seem more dramatic to lead up to their deaths.

Before the ball Romeo confesses to Benvolio, his love for Rosaline and why they can not be together, “Well, in that hit you miss. She'll not be hit, With Cupid's arrow. She hath Dian's wit, And, in strong proof of chastity well armed, From love's weak childish bow she lives unharmed. She will not stay the siege of loving terms, Nor bide th'encounter of assailing eyes, Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold” (1.1.216-222). Not only was Romeo just out of a relationship with Rosaline, he was still upset with the fact that he was not allowed to be with her anymore, and the fact that she did not want to be his wife. Nevertheless, right when Romeo sees Juliet he is in love “What lady is that which doth enrich the hand, Of yonder knight?Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear, Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear. So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows.