In Shakespeare’s cautionary tale Romeo and Juliet, there is constantly a struggle between love and hate, causing tension throughout the play. But even the most powerful love simply can not conquer this burning, consuming rage we see surrounding the love. In the end, hate is always the victor of the struggle in ‘fair Verona’.
Firstly, we see how love has conquered hate through Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. As Juliet says, it’s her “only love sprung from (her) only hate”. This oxymoron conveys how her love has seemingly come from the hate surrounding it, it has survived despite there being overwhelming hate. We see that this love is also giving them strength. In the ‘balcony scene’, Romeo says that her love makes him “proof from their enmity”.
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When Tybalt challenges Romeo to a fight, he uses hateful, condescending language such as “villain” or “my man”, attempting to anger Romeo and provoke him to fight. But Romeo does not rise to the challenge, he chooses to love, as he is obliged to love Tybalt, as he loves Juliet. He responds in affectionate tones calling Tybalt “brother” and insisting that he “loves (him) more than (he) can devise”. This is also use of dramatic irony, as only the audience and Romeo know of this forbidden relationship. All of the characters are incredibly confused as we see Mercutio believing this is a “vile, dishonourable submission”. This attempt to keep peace failed dismally, as Mercutio chooses to fight. Romeo quickly shifts from love to hate, when Mercutio is brutally slain, we see him choosing to have “fire eyed fury be (his) conduct”. His metaphor emphasise how burning, unstoppable and enraged he is at Tybalt. His view of love has shifted, ridding his love of Juliet temporarily to choose hate. He blames love instead of praising it, saying it “hast made (him) effeminate” and “weakened valour’s shield”. This words have negative connotations of being weak, timid and powerless, and so the hate surrounding the small love pushed Romeo to choose hate instead. The love just couldn’t beat the hate in this
The Opposing Themes of Love and Hate in the Play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet is conflict and love. Conflict and love are both shown through characterization in all of the characters. In the beginning, we see Juliet 's character as a little young child who obeys her family duties. When she meets, Romeo, her character is taken on a rollercoaster of emotions. Juliet 's character is the source of conflict and we see this through her developing actions. Romeo creates Juliet into this powerful young women. Romeo is so important to Juliet that she does not want to loose him. Conflict begins to arise when things actually take off. Once they are together on the balcony, is when they both realize that they are meant for each other. That true love is true and that they are destined for the stars. True love is
The word ‘love’ shows that Romeo is a kind hearted, peaceful person. However by using the quotation above this unintentionally annoys Tybalt. On the other hand Tybalt uses language which is completely different to how Romeo uses it, “Romeo the hate that I bare thee can afford no better term than this, -- thou art a villain”. When Tybalt uses the word ‘hate’ this provokes Mercutio as he does not like the way Tybalt is talking about Romeo. Tybalt uses aggressive hateful language and has no respect in the way he talks towards the other characters. Moreover this shows that it does not matter how nice or horrible characters language is, it still can cause conflict between the characters and they do become aggressive.
Moments before, Romeo thinks that he could never harm Tybalt, as he has married Juliet, Tybalt now his kin. Romeo states that he “love[s] [Tybalt] better than [Tybalt] canst devise” (3.1.70). But by the death of his dear friend, instead of his love for Tybalt, his heart now despises him. His anger is shown when “for Mercutio’s soul is but a little way above [their] heads,” as his hate is born towards Tybalt, whom he had just moments before loved, stating that “[his] name [he] tender as dearly” as his own (3.1.72-73,131-132). His hate turns murderous as he tells Tybalt that Mercutio is “staying for thine to keep him company” (3.1.133). As Romeo states that “thou or I, or both, must go with him” (3.1.134), the duel breaks out, leaving Tybalt slain, his kinsmen now his foe. The hate and revenge that Romeo felt caused love to turn to zeal for Tybalt's blood. His belief that he must not hurt his kinsmen but love him, the reminder that fights were not allowed by the prince, ended with the spilled blood of Mercutio. The death of his friend turned love to hate, the hate that killed
In William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” hate is shown to be stronger than love because...
No matter how strong and absurd your hatred towards something is love always conquers in the denouement. In the play, Romeo and Juliet, composed by William Shakespeare employs dramatic and language techniques to explore important themes and ideas in his play. The play was set in Verona Italy and is a story about the long feud between the families of the Capulets and the Montagues. The feud caused tragic consequences that led the beloved couple to their suicide. Romeo and Juliet talks about love and hate as an individual factor in the play and love and hate combined as one and the sacrifices endured because of it.
In Romeo and Juliet hate s a big component of the play. This hatred is used in the many fights that end up with someone being killed. “To strike him dead I hold not a sin.” In this quote Tybalt is wanting to kill Romeo because he is a Montague and Tybalt is a Capulet. This means that there is a lot of conflict. “ ’Tis he that villain Romeo.” Tybalt calls Romeo a villain because of the conflict between the two parties. Hatred is a very big part of the story of Romeo and Juliet. Hatred is a big part of Romeo and Juliet being
Hate is one very important idea examined in Romeo and Juliet and is explored by Juliet when she states ‘Here's much to do with hate, but more with love’ (1.1.166). William Shakespeare conveys the consequences of hate in his play through the ancient feud between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s, the irrational decisions made and the deaths that resulted. It is the ancient feud between the two families that lead to the irrational decisions made by Romeo and Juliet as well as their demise. It is questionable as to whether Romeo and Juliet’s lives would be spared if their families were not feuding.
The first time that love is explored during the play is when Romeo first speaks of Rosaline and his passion for her, even though he is ‘Out of her favour’ (I.i.159) which is a powerful statement as it shows that Romeo still has these feelings for Rosaline even though he knows she doesn’t feel the same. This is also the first occasion where love and hate coincide as Romeo is speaking about Rosaline when he hears of the duel and comments ‘Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love’ (I.i.166). The fact that the conversation switches from love to hate and visa versa so quickly shows that the two themes are closely linked and that one has an effect on the other. In this passage of speech Romeo speaks as a ‘Petrachan Lover’ as he elevates Rosaline in his language. He uses oxymorons such as ‘O loving hate’ (I.i.167) and ‘Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health’ (I.i.171) to add effect and drama to his speech, and his language is so exagerated it makes the audience believe that he really is in love.
Mercutio, similar to Tybalt is a fiery combatant, onry, and quick to fight. However, Romeo’s own actions to stop the duel between Mercutio and Tybalt would result in Mercutio motivating Romeo’s rage. Without Mercutio’s desire to battle Tybalt, Romeo never would have discovered his vengeful side. On page 868 of Prentice Hall’s Literature, Volume Two, lines 107-113, Romeo realizes his actions, “This gentleman, the Prince’s near ally, My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt In my behalf-my reputation stained With Tybalt’s slander-Tybalt, that an hour Hath been my cousin. O sweet Juliet, Thy beauty hath made me effeminate And in my temper soft’ned valor’s steel!” This shows the boiling anger building within Romeo, ultimately brought on by himself and
Hate between more than one causes everlasting tragedy. Such as the young love between Romeo and Juliet. It was between two enemy families, the Montagues, and the Capulets. Romeo had found his way into the Capulet home for a feast for the friends of Capulet and family. He falls in love with Juliet at the party and he falls in love with her, love at first sight for them. There are constant quarrels between the rivaling families, which slowly tore it all apart between the two young lovers. The fights that Tybalt continues to start, over and over, eventually end in his death and Mercutio’s death. Soon after the Prince of Verona deems Romeo exiled from all of Verona, this severely breaks his and Juliet’s hearts, that now they can’t see each other at all. The two eventually kill themselves, which really strikes both families with grief and they apologize for all the fights and hate. This proves how hate will destroy the little bits of love that are still there. These families are against each other and the children from both sides fall in love, but due to the ignorance of the family feud they both ended their lives.
In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet hate and loyalty play a part in making the play what it is.
“Love always overcomes hate, but love’s effects and hate’s effects are no different in magnitude.” -Anonymous. No one ever doubts the power of love or the power of hate. For as long as time has existed people have loved and people have hated. Strong emotions persuade everyone to act on their inhibition. Everyone wants to be a hero in every situation whether it be trying to save someone or the simple act of finding a winning lottery ticket. These actions are what lead to love overcoming hate even if they are the simplest of acts. The mistake people make is them trying to hard to be the hero. This leads to one traveling great lengths to achieve their goals, but at what cost. Throughout Shakespeare’s most famous play, Romeo and Juliet, his main
Further on in Act 3 after Tybalt slays Mercutio, Romeo retaliates by killing Tybalt in another act of vengeance that once again originated from hatred. Later on in Act 3 Romeo proclaims, “Staying for thine to keep him company./Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him (3.1.125-126)”. Through this statement and his actions that follow Romeo kills Tybalt in a blinding rage because of Mercutio's death. Through this murder he ends up sealing his own fate by banishing himself and being separated from Juliet which eventually leads to him killing himself because he was unable to hear the news of her “fake” death. Together the actions of Tybalt and Romeo’s hate lead to the untimely death of Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, and Mercutio which further shows that the rageful action of the human heart are the most culpable for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Hate not only makes us do things that spell our own doom but also makes us attempt to fix things in order bring back peace, this is the case of Friar Lawrence.
"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight / For I ne'er saw true