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True Love In William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

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As is true for most things in life, true love comes in many shapes and sizes. Love does not always present itself in the same way, and it can be found in unexpected places. This is the case in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet come from feuding families. Juliet is from the Capulet family, whereas Romeo is a Montague. Romeo and Juliet should be enemies, but they end up falling in love. However, not all love is true love. True love occurs when each party is accepting of the other no matter what, they are deeply affected by the other’s emotions, and each person cannot imagine their life without the other person. Romeo and Juliet’s relationship represents true love because they accept each other through everything, their emotions deeply affect the other, and once they meet they cannot imagine their lives apart from each other. Throughout Romeo and Juliet’s relationship, they accept each other’s flaws and faults which shows their true love. Juliet shows this accepting nature from the beginning of their relationship. She says to herself about Romeo, “Tis but thy name that is my enemy./ Thou art thyself, though not a Montague./….So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,/ Retain that dear perfection which he owes/ Without that title” (Shakespeare II.ii.38-39,44-47). Juliet is saying that she is only enemies with Romeo’s name, but not with him as a person. She says that if he were to lose his name, he would still be perfect, which implies that Juliet accepts and loves Romeo for himself, and does not judge him because of his name. She loves Romeo even though she should hate him, according to family history. Juliet knows that their love could be dangerous, yet she still accepts him. They are both blind to each other’s name, for it does not matter to them because they are in love. Also, both of them put aside an ages-long grudge between their families. Another true sign of acceptance and love is when Romeo kills Tybalt, Juliet’s beloved cousin, and she says, “Mine [tears] shall be spent/ When theirs [her family’s] are dry, for Romeo’s banishment” (Shakespeare III.ii.131-132). Romeo is banished for murder against Tybalt. While the Capulets are mourning Tybalt, Juliet is grieving about Romeo’s

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