romeo and juliet essay theme of love

Love in 'Romeo and Juliet'

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The play "Romeo and Juliet" has become forever associated with love. It's a truly iconic story of romance and passion—even the name “Romeo” is still used to describe enthusiastic young lovers.

But while the romantic love between the titular characters is often what we think of when we consider the love theme in "Romeo and Juliet," Shakespeare ’s treatment of the concept of love is complex and multifaceted. Through different characters and relationships, he portrays some of the various types of love and the different ways it can manifest.

These are some of the expressions of love Shakespeare threads together to create the play.

Shallow Love

Some characters fall in and out of love very quickly in "Romeo and Juliet." For example, Romeo is in "love" with Rosaline at the start of the play, but it is presented as an immature infatuation. Today, we might use the term “puppy love” to describe it. Romeo’s love for Rosaline is shallow, and nobody really believes that it will last, including Friar Laurence:

Romeo: Thou chid'st me oft for loving Rosaline. Friar Laurence: For doting, not for loving, pupil mine. (Act Two, Scene Three)

Similarly, Paris’ love for Juliet is borne out of tradition, not passion. He has identified her as a good candidate for a wife and approaches her father to arrange the marriage. Although this was the tradition at the time, it also says something about Paris’ staid, unpassionate attitude toward love. He even admits to Friar Laurence that in his haste to rush the wedding, he hasn’t discussed it with his bride-to-be:

Friar Laurence: On Thursday, sir? the time is very short. Paris: My father Capulet will have it so; And I am nothing slow to slack his haste. Friar Laurence: You say you do not know the lady's mind: Uneven is the course, I like it not. Paris: Immoderately she weeps for Tybalt's death, And therefore have I little talked of love. (Act Four, Scene One)

Friendly Love

Many of the friendships in the play are as sincere as Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another. The best example of this is in Act Three, Scene One, where Mercutio and Romeo fight Tybalt. When Romeo attempts to bring peace, Mercutio fights back at Tybalt's slander of Romeo. Then, it is out of rage over Mercutio's death that Romeo pursues—and kills—Tybalt:

Romeo: In triumph, and Mercutio slain! Away to heaven, respective lenity, And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now.— Now, Tybalt, take the “villain” back again That late thou gavest me, for Mercutio’s soul Is but a little way above our heads, Staying for thine to keep him company. Either thou or I, or both, must go with him. (Act Three, Scene One)

It is out of friendly love for his companion that Romeo acts out.

Romantic Love

Then, of course, is romantic love, the classic idea of which is embodied in "Romeo and Juliet." In fact, maybe it is "Romeo and Juliet" that has influenced our definition of the concept. The characters are deeply infatuated with one another, so committed to being together that they defy their respective families.

Romeo: By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am. My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself Because it is an enemy to thee. Had I it written, I would tear the word. (Act Two, Scene Two)

Perhaps Romeo and Juliet's love is fate ; their love is given a cosmic significance, which suggests that the universe plays a role in the creation of deep romantic love. Despite their love being disallowed by the Capulet and Montague households , they inevitably—and irresistibly—find themselves drawn together.

Juliet: Prodigious birth of love it is to me That I must love a loathèd enemy. Act One, Scene Five)

All in all, Shakespeare presents romantic love as a force of nature, so strong that it transcends expectations, tradition, and—through the combined suicides of lovers who cannot live without one another—life itself.

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Theme Of Love In Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is set on a theme of love. Love is a central theme in the play, as Romeo and Juliet fall in love despite the ongoing feud between their families. This tragic story was written by William Shakespeare, and has been adapted numerous times for stage, film, and television.

In William Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet,” the theme of love is used as a major element to propel the plot forward. He portrays many different types of love and changes his depiction of this topic throughout the play in order to demonstrate the various aspects of affection.

Love is said to be a wonderful thing, and can have many different meanings, not just a feeling but an action. Love is something that can make you do crazy things, and in Romeo and Juliet’s case, it gets them both killed. Love is such a big theme in this story because Romeo and Juliet are two young lovers who are forced to keep their relationship a secret due to their feuding families, the Capulets and the Montagues.

Love makes Romeo and Juliet take risks and do things they normally wouldn’t do, like sneaking around and disobeying their parents. Even though they know the risks, they continue to see each other and eventually get married in secret. Love also leads to tragedy when Romeo kills Juliet’s cousin Tybalt in revenge for him killing Romeo’s friend Mercutio.

This leads to Romeo getting banished from Verona. Juliet fakes her own death in a plan to be reunited, but Romeo believes she is truly dead and kills himself. When Juliet finds Romeo’s corpse beside her, she kills herself as well. In the end, love causes the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, but it is also what brought them together in the first place. Love is a complex emotion that Shakespeare explores in depth through the characters of Romeo and Juliet.

In the first act of “Romeo and Juliet,” Shakespeare depicts the concept of love in a scene between Romeo and Benvolio, when he discusses his unrequited affection for Rosaline. Here, as Romeo employs oxymorons such as ‘o brawling love, o loving hate,’ it is clear how perplexed he is by his connection with Rosaline since she does not reciprocate his affection.

This oxymoron also foreshadows Romeo’s relationship with Juliet as it is full of conflict. This conflict is a result of the ongoing feud between the Montagues and Capulets, to which Romeo and Juliet belong. In Shakespeare’s day, there would have been great concern about young men and women being able to marry for love, rather than having their parents choose their husband or wife for them.

Love was not seen as something that could last forever, but more as a passing fancy. This is why Romeo and Juliet’s love is so special, because it does manage to conquer all odds and last forever, even though they both die.

The theme of love is also explored through the character of Mercutio. Mercutio is Romeo’s best friend and he does not believe in love, calling it a ‘sickness’ and a ‘notion.’ He thinks that Romeo is just infatuated with Rosaline and will soon get over her.

This is in stark contrast to Romeo, who is completely besotted with Juliet. Mercutio’s views on love are challenged when he meets Tybalt and they fight, leading to Mercutio’s death. Romeo is so distraught by his friend’s death that he kills Tybalt in revenge. This sets off a chain of events which leads to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

The theme of love is central to “Romeo and Juliet” and Shakespeare explores it in many different ways. He shows that love can be confused and troublesome, as well as being powerful enough to conquer all. Love is a huge part of our lives today and was just as important in Shakespeare’s time. This is what makes “Romeo and Juliet” such an enduring play, because it speaks to us all about one of the most universal themes there is.

Romeo explains what love is and how he feels powerless in the grip of his emotions, “a sea fed with lovers’ tears,” as he repeats again and again. This shows how Romeo feels tormented by his passion, as well as all the other lovers who have shed tears over their love, and how this is contributing to the sea levels high by nourishing the sea with their tears.

Love is a torment to Romeo as he can no longer be with Juliet and so compares it to a prison in which he is stuck. Love has made Romeo upset and crazy, something which is repeated later on in the play when Romeo meets Tybalt and fights him, against his better judgment, leading to Mercutio’s death. Love has the ability to make people behave irrationally and do things they wouldn’t normally do.

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as both the greatest writer in the English language, and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”. His extant works, including collaborations, consist of approximately 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare’s most popular plays during his lifetime and along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers. Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to antiquity.

Its plot is based on an Italian tale translated into verse as The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet by Arthur Brooke in 1562 and retold in prose in Palace of Pleasure by William Painter in 1567. Shakespeare borrowed heavily from both but expanded the plot by developing a number of supporting characters, particularly Mercutio and Paris. Believed to have been written between 1591 and 1595, the play was first published in a quarto version in 1597.

The text of the first quarto version was of poor quality, however, and later editions corrected it. Shakespeare’s use of his poetic dramatic structure (especially effects such as switching between comedy and tragedy to heighten tension, his exploitation of off-stage action, and his use of sub-plot to embellish the story) has been praised as an early sign of his dramatic skill.

The play ascribes different poetic forms to different characters, sometimes changing the form as the character develops. Romeo, for example, grows more adept at the sonnet over the course of the play.

Romeo and Juliet is set on a theme of love. Love is a powerful emotion that can sometimes lead to tragedy. In Romeo and Juliet, love is the cause of much conflict between the two families and leads to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Love is a central theme in Romeo and Juliet and is portrayed in many different ways. Shakespeare uses language techniques to help convey this theme to the audience.

Some examples include oxymorons, metaphors and similes. Oxymorons are used to show the contrast between love and hate. Shakespeare uses metaphors to show how love can be both good and bad. Similes are used to show how love can be like a drug. Love is a complex emotion and Shakespeare uses these language techniques to help explored this theme in Romeo and Juliet.

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Romeo and Juliet

William shakespeare, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

“These violent delights have violent ends,” says Friar Laurence in an attempt to warn Romeo , early on in the play, of the dangers of falling in love too hard or too fast. In the world of Romeo and Juliet , love is not pretty or idealized—it is chaotic and dangerous. Throughout the play, love is connected through word and action with violence, and Romeo and Juliet ’s deepest mutual expression of love occurs when the “star-crossed lovers take their life.” By connecting love with pain and ultimately with suicide, Shakespeare suggests that there is an inherent sense of violence in many of the physical and emotional facets of expressing love—a chaotic and complex emotion very different from the serene, idealized sweetness it’s so often portrayed as being.

There are countless instances throughout Romeo and Juliet in which love and violence are connected. After their marriage, Juliet imagines in detail the passion she and Romeo will share on their wedding night, and invokes the Elizabethan characterization of orgasm as a small death or “petite mort”—she looks forward to the moment she will “die” and see Romeo’s face reflected in the stars above her. When Romeo overhears Juliet say that she wishes he were not a Montague so that they could be together, he declares that his name is “hateful” and offers to write it down on a piece of paper just so he can rip it up and obliterate it—and, along with it, his very identity, and sense of self as part of the Montague family. When Juliet finds out that her parents, ignorant of her secret marriage to Romeo, have arranged for her to marry Paris , she goes to Friar Laurence’s chambers with a knife, threatening to kill herself if he is unable to come up with a plan that will allow her to escape her second marriage. All of these examples represent just a fraction of the instances in which language and action conspire to render love as a “violent delight” whose “violent ends” result in danger, injury, and even death. Feeling oneself in the throes of love, Shakespeare suggests, is tumultuous and destabilizing enough—but the real violence of love, he argues, emerges in the many ways of expressing love.

Emotional and verbal expressions of love are the ones most frequently deployed throughout the play. Romeo and Juliet wax poetic about their great love for each other—and the misery they feel as a result of that love—over and over again, and at great lengths. Often, one of their friends or servants must cut them off mid-speech—otherwise, Shakespeare seems to suggest, Romeo and Juliet would spend hours trying to wrestle their feelings into words. Though Romeo and Juliet say lovely things about one another, to be sure, their speeches about each other, or about love more broadly, are almost always tinged with violence, which illustrates their chaotic passion for each other and their desire to mow down anything that stands in its way. When Romeo, for instance, spots Juliet at her window in the famous “balcony scene” in Act 2, Scene 2, he wills her to come closer by whispering, “Arise, fair sun ”—a beautiful metaphor of his love and desire for Juliet—and quickly follows his entreaty with the dangerous language “and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief.” Juliet’s “sun”-like radiance makes Romeo want her to “kill” the moon (or Rosaline ,) his former love and her rival in beauty and glory, so that Juliet can reign supreme over his heart. Later on in the play, when the arrival of dawn brings an end to Romeo and Juliet’s first night together as man and wife, Juliet invokes the symbol of a lark’s song—traditionally a symbol of love and sweetness—as a violent, ill-meaning presence which seeks to pull Romeo and Juliet apart, “arm from arm,” and “hunt” Romeo out of Juliet’s chambers. Romeo calls love a “rough” thing which “pricks” him like a thorn; Juliet says that if she could love and possess Romeo in the way she wants to, as if he were her pet bird, she would “kill [him] with much cherishing.” The way the two young lovers at the heart of the play speak about love shows an enormously violent undercurrent to their emotions—as they attempt to name their feelings and express themselves, they resort to violence-tinged speech to convey the enormity of their emotions.

Physical expressions of love throughout the play also carry violent connotations. From Romeo and Juliet’s first kiss, described by each of them as a “sin” and a “trespass,” to their last, in which Juliet seeks to kill herself by sucking remnants of poison from the dead Romeo’s lips, the way Romeo and Juliet conceive of the physical and sexual aspects of love are inextricable from how they conceive of violence. Juliet looks forward to “dying” in Romeo’s arms—again, one Elizabethan meaning of the phrase “to die” is to orgasm—while Romeo, just after drinking a vial of poison so lethal a few drops could kill 20 men, chooses to kiss Juliet as his dying act. The violence associated with these acts of sensuality and physical touch furthers Shakespeare’s argument that attempts to adequately express the chaotic, overwhelming, and confusing feelings of intense passion often lead to a commingling with violence.

Violent expressions of love are at the heart of Romeo and Juliet . In presenting and interrogating them, Shakespeare shows his audiences—in the Elizabethan area, the present day, and the centuries in-between—that love is not pleasant, reserved, cordial, or sweet. Rather, it is a violent and all-consuming force. As lovers especially those facing obstacles and uncertainties like the ones Romeo and Juliet encounter, struggle to express their love, there may be eruptions of violence both between the lovers themselves and within the communities of which they’re a part.

Love and Violence ThemeTracker

Love and Violence Quotes in Romeo and Juliet

Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows, Doth with their death bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children's end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O any thing, of nothing first created; O heavy lightness! serious vanity! Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms!

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 As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows. The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, And, touching hers, make blessèd my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.

You kiss by th’ book.

My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late!

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; — Thou art thyself though, not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other word would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title: — Romeo, doff thy name; And for thy name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself.

I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptis'd; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

Good-night, good-night! Parting is such sweet sorrow That I shall say good-night till it be morrow.

Romeo, the hate I bear thee can afford No better term than this: thou art a villain.

Romeo: Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much. Mercutio: No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church-door; but 'tis enough, 'twill serve: ask for me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man.

O, I am fortune's fool!

Come, gentle night, — come, loving black brow'd night, Give me my Romeo; and when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of Heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night, And pay no worship to the garish sun.

Wilt thou be gone? it is not yet near day. It was the nightingale, and not the lark, That pierc'd the fearful hollow of thine ear; Nightly she sings on yond pomegranate tree. Believe me love, it was the nightingale.

Is there no pity sitting in the clouds That sees into the bottom of my grief? O sweet my mother, cast me not away! Delay this marriage for a month, a week, Or if you do not, make the bridal bed In that dim monument where Tybalt lies.

Or bid me go into a new-made grave, And hide me with a dead man in his shroud - Things that, to hear them told, have made me tremble - And I will do it without fear or doubt, To live an unstain'd wife to my sweet love.

Then I defy you, stars!

O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. — Thus with a kiss I die.

Yea, noise, then I'll be brief; O, happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rest, and let me die.

For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Romeo and Juliet

William shakespeare.

Romeo and Juliet Themes

Themes are the recurrent ideas underlying a creative piece. These central ideas enable readers to view a certain piece from various angles to broaden their understanding. Regarded as one of the most significant and widely read playwrights, Shakespeare has skillfully explored diverse themes such as loyalty, the dichotomy of love and hate, violence, greed, and insanity in his tragedies. “Romeo and Juliet” is perhaps Shakespeare’s most significant contribution with various themes. However, instead of portraying an idyllic romance , this timeless play presents tragic themes governing human life. A few central themes in “Romeo and Juliet” are discussed below.

Themes in “Romeo and Juliet”

The abiding quality of romantic love.

Although presented as a short-term expression of youthful passion, Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other ultimately wins over every form of social constraints. The abiding quality of their selfless love is an essential theme of the play. It serves to reinforce the claim that if authentic lovers cannot be united in this world, they can certainly be together in the life hereafter.

Individual vs. Society

The conflict between individual desires and social institutions is a recurrent theme in “Romeo and Juliet”. The young lovers’ struggle against their respective families is the most important theme. By opting for individual fulfillment as opposed to social traditions, both Romeo and Juliet refuse to follow the commands of their families. They illustrate the triumph of an individual’s will over social customs. On a metaphorical level, this courage highlights the threat that young love poses to the absurd social traditions.

The theme of violence also plays a significant role in the play. Usually, blind passion, hatred and desperation are some instances of violence given throughout “Romeo and Juliet”. Tybalt kills Mercutio though it was not intentional. In order to avenge Mercutio’s death and in a moment of desperation, Romeo kills Tybalt and Paris. Both murders are classic examples of violence. The blind love of Romeo and Juliet that motivate them to commit suicide is another example. These examples show that violence has a vital role in this tragedy .

The Overarching Power of Patriarchy

In “Romeo and Juliet”, most of the significant decisions are made by the men of the two families, the Capulets, and the Montagues. Lady Capulet and Lady Montague’s views are not important. It is clearly displayed by their silent assertion of their husbands’ ideas in the play. It is Lord Capulet who selects Paris as his daughter’s future husband. Then forces Juliet to abide by his decision. Perhaps the most blatant example of the rule of men in the play is the feud between Lord Capulet and Lord Montague. Although their wives don’t harbor any ill-will toward each other, the two Lords force their families to support them in their pointless dispute and keep up their enmity against each other.

The Theme of Death

Death is a theme that lurks throughout the play. In many ways, “Romeo and Juliet” shows the journey of the two lovers from their initial, love-filled meeting up to their death. Thus, death serves as the tragic resolution of various conflicts. For instance, Romeo’s conflict with Tybalt ends with the latter’s death. Moreover, the two young lovers’ conflict with the hostile social conformity ends with their untimely deaths. These tragic losses make the entire play as if it is only a play of deaths.

The Inevitability of Fate

The inevitability of fate is another important thematic concern of “Romeo and Juliet”. The phrase , “star-crossed” refers to the fact that the two lovers were destined to die from the beginning. Hence, aside from a string of poor choices made by the two lovers and their families, the power of fate governs the end of the play. Friar John’s inability to deliver the letter to Romeo on time was inescapable fate and a deadly blow. The letter would have informed Romeo that Juliet was alive. It is the most fatalistic moment in the play that drives Romeo to commit suicide.

The institution of marriage is another important theme in the play. Contrary to popular beliefs, marriage is not shown as a good institution in the play. The play emphasizes the idea that though marriages of the Capulets and Montagues are socially approved, it lacks a soul. On the other hand, the union of Romeo and Juliet is authentic and yet condemned. Moreover, the political motive behind Friar Lawrence’s approval of Romeo and Juliet’s marriage highlights that in the Shakespearean era, marriage was seen as a means to ensure political strength.

 Ideological Divide Between the Young and the Old

The ideological divide between the younger and the older generation is also a repetitive theme underlying the play. The impulsivity and youthful exuberance of Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, and Paris serve as a strong contrast to calculating, the political foresight of Lord Capulet, Lord Montague, and Friar Lawrence. The tragedy of the play is in the fact that both the older and younger generations are unwilling to compromise and end the disagreement for good. They are not willing to resolve their pointless dispute.

The Absurdity Underlying Family Feuds

The absurd legacy of rivalry between the Montagues and the Capulets brings chaos that is shown later in the play. Although the actual reason for enmity between the two families remains undisclosed, it is shown that they are unable to reconcile with each other. It also shows that they have no credible reason for continuing the enmity between them.

In addition to violence, revenge is another destructive element that sustains the action of the play. Hence, it makes an important theme of the play. However, the tragedy carrying the cycle of revenge neither guarantees a good end nor does it lead to poetic justice . For instance, Romeo kills Tybalt in order to seek revenge for Mercutio’s murder. This rash action of Romeo is not tried in the court. Moreover, several other actions that require resolution are not brought to the law. Therefore, revenge seems to have the upper hand.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Romeo and Juliet — Theme of Love in Romeo and Juliet

Theme of Love in Romeo and Juliet

• Categories: Romeo and Juliet Tragedy William Shakespeare

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Words: 1071 |

Published: Feb 8, 2022

Words: 1071 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

This essay discusses the theme of love in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." Love is a central theme in the play, explored in various forms, including romantic love between the titular characters, familial love, and the love between Juliet and her Nurse.

The essay highlights how Romeo and Juliet experience a deep and passionate love for each other, even to the extent of risking their lives. They meet at a Capulet party and fall in love at first sight, leading to a secret marriage. Their love is intense and unwavering, ultimately culminating in a tragic double suicide when they believe they cannot be together.

The essay also delves into the relationships between Juliet and her parents. While her parents, particularly her father, love her dearly, they have different ideas about her future, intending to marry her off to County Paris. Juliet, however, is too consumed by her love for Romeo to consider this arrangement. This contrast in their desires contributes to the tragic outcome of the story.

The role of the Nurse, who has been like a mother to Juliet, is discussed as well. The Nurse's love for Juliet is evident, but she also plays a role in Juliet's secret romance with Romeo, at times offering both support and humor.

Works Cited

• Andrews, J. (1989). Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: The Relationship between Text and Film. Literature/Film Quarterly, 17(2), 80–88. https://doi.org/10.2307/43797710
• Atchity, K. (2004). Shakespearean Tragedy: The Basics. Blackwell Publishing.
• Dobson, M. (Ed.). (2010). The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. Oxford University Press.
• Greenblatt, S. (2004). Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Kirschbaum, L. (2011). Shakespeare and the Idea of Love. Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare.
• Leggatt, A. (1989). Shakespeare’s Tragedies: Violation and Identity. Cambridge University Press.
• Lerner, L. (2005). The Triumph of Love: Same-Sex Marriage and the Politics of Romance in Shakespeare’s Comedy. University of Chicago Press.
• Shakespeare, W. (2016). Romeo and Juliet (Revised Edition). Edited by Jill L. Levenson. Penguin Classics.
• Smith, D. (2013). Love in the Western World. Princeton University Press.
• Vickers, B. (1998). Shakespeare, Co-Author: A Historical Study of Five Collaborative Plays. Oxford University Press.

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Themes of Love in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"

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Este estudo tem por objetivo (i) analisar e descrever metaforas com verbos de valor aspectual cursivo e iterativo do PB e do Ingles; (ii) analisar se o significado aspectual interfere na interpretacao das ocorrencias metaforicas e (iii) verificar se a (ir)regularidade interpretativa encontrada nas ocorrencias metaforicas ocorre de maneira semelhante em ambas as linguas. Para analise e discussao dos dados, adotamos a Teoria Interacionista de Max Black (1993), pois ela valoriza a interacao entre o topico e o veiculo da metafora. Para a realizacao deste estudo utilizamos a metodologia elaborada por Moura (2007) e Fossile (2008a, 2008b, 2008c, 2011). Os resultados alcancados demonstraram que (i) as regularidades interpretativas encontradas ocorrem de maneira semelhante em ambas as linguas; (ii) as parafrases das metaforas com verbos de acao aspectual cursiva e iterativa sao influenciadas pelos sentidos literais dos verbos em questao; e, (iii) a interpretacao metaforica de ambas as lingu...

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[INTERVIEW] Matthew Bourne's raw, unconventional ballet 'Romeo and Juliet' to hit Seoul in May

M atthew Bourne, a British choreographer famous for his unconventional and innovative reimaginings of classical ballet works, will bring “Romeo and Juliet” to surprise Korean fans. It has been five years since his company last performed "Swan Lake" in Korea in 2019.

Bourne's ballet, premiered in 2019 by New Adventures, explores themes of love, loss and identity. His modern rendition of Shakespeare’s classic is set in the Verona Institute — a fictional place where young people are incarcerated. Within the stark walls of the institute segregating males and females, Romeo, a rebellious newcomer, and Juliet, a brilliant teen yearning for freedom, find solace in each other despite the watchful eyes of the authorities.

He said, as most stories he reinterprets are very much loved, he tries to give people all the feelings and events that they expect from that story but just differently. His past productions, including the all-male "Swan Lake" and the vampire-inspired "Sleeping Beauty," have garnered critical acclaim for their innovative storytelling and captivating performances.

“I don’t see the point of just doing tame versions of things all the time. It’s dull for the audiences too. I think audiences want to be challenged a little and to have some surprises along the way,” Bourne said during a recent email interview with The Korea Times, raising expectations for his upcoming show.

"Romeo and Juliet" has been done by taking the Shakespeare out of Shakespeare in a dance production, he says. “As I'm working in non-verbal storytelling, the Shakespeare in a way has already gone. I mean the words of Shakespeare, the story is still there somewhat, but it did make me very brave about changing the piece into something that was very much this new adventures version of 'Romeo and Juliet.'"

Based on Sergei Prokofiev's (1891-1953) incredible ballet score, he created a project that focused on both young dancers and young creatives in other fields. “To make this ultimate first-love story about young people, listening to what they had to say and to be inspired by their talents and their particular viewpoint. 'Romeo and Juliet' [is] for, and about, a new generation,” he said.

To this end, Bourne cast mostly young dancers at the start of their careers. “I wanted to work with young people and to really listen to what was important to them. I wanted that fresh approach and the energy and insight into today’s world that only young people can bring.”

His work explores issues faced by the younger generation, such as drug trauma, depression, abuse and sexual identity, which may come as another big surprise for conventional ballet fans.

“Some people can be surprised to see these issues portrayed in a dance production. Subjects such as these are regularly explored in film, TV drama and plays. It’s true that, at times, our Romeo and Juliet is not an easy watch, particularly around Juliet’s harrowing story, but I do feel that it’s important to face the realities of the story we are telling and its tragic outcome,” he said, adding that he is proud that they could tackle these issues in the show.

"It will come as no surprise that our story does not end well. It is ugly, bloody, messy and raw, but no less gut-wrenchingly heart-breaking than any version of this story, perhaps even more so.”

The choreographer's favorite scene is the “balcony duet” which includes the “longest-ever kiss” as it is the first moment his characters are truly free to express their genuine selves.

“When young people fall in love, it is very lusty and they cannot keep their hands off each other. I wanted to capture that youthful excitement so that the audiences remember what it was like for them as teenagers to fall in love for the first time," he said.

“It’s awkward at times, uninhibited, full of the excitement of exploration and discovery. Rather than the usual sweet peck on the cheek or lips, we set ourselves the choreographically challenging task of creating the longest ever continuous kiss in dance history! Locked in a moment that neither of them wants to end."

Bourne's modern ballet “Romeo and Juliet” will be staged at LG Arts Center from May 8 to 19.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

This essay about Feyre Archeron, the protagonist of Sarah J. Maas’s “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series, explores her complex character development from a struggling huntress to a powerful faerie queen. It discusses how Feyre’s life changes dramatically after she kills a faerie wolf and is taken to the magical realm of Prythian, setting the stage for her emotional and physical transformation. The narrative highlights her initial conflict and eventual romance with Tamlin, her trials under the sadistic Amarantha, and her emergence as a formidable figure with newly acquired powers. The essay emphasizes themes of love, sacrifice, resilience, and empowerment, showcasing how Feyre confronts and overcomes numerous challenges. Through Feyre’s evolution, the series not only presents a tale of romance and fantasy but also a deeper story of personal growth and identity within a world filled with political intrigue and ancient magic.

How it works

Sarah J. Maas’s “A Court of Thorns and Roses” (ACOTAR) series is a vivid reinterpretation of classic fairy tales with a unique blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure, centered around its protagonist, Feyre Archeron. The narrative embarks on Feyre’s journey from a destitute huntress to a powerful figure in a magical realm, illustrating themes of love, sacrifice, and personal transformation.

Feyre’s character is introduced in a bleak situation, highlighting her initial role as the sole provider for her impoverished family, an aspect that quickly garners reader empathy.

Her life takes a dramatic turn when she unknowingly kills a faerie wolf in the woods, an act that breaches a long-standing treaty between humans and the faeries of Prythian. As a consequence, she is dragged to the faerie lands as a form of retribution. This event marks the beginning of Feyre’s transformation from a mere mortal to a central player in the complex political and emotional landscape of Prythian.

Throughout the series, Feyre’s character development is intricately portrayed. Her initial resentment towards her captor, Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court, gradually morphs into a passionate love. However, the relationship is anything but straightforward; it is fraught with challenges, misunderstandings, and manipulated emotions, particularly surrounding the machinations of the malevolent Amarantha. Under Amarantha’s cruel rule in “Under the Mountain,” Feyre undergoes trials that test her strength, intellect, and will to survive. These trials are not just physical but also deeply emotional, forcing Feyre to confront her own fears, prejudices, and desires.

What makes Feyre’s character compelling is her evolution through the series. By the end of the first book and into the subsequent novels, Feyre is no longer the human girl readers first met. Her experiences in the faerie realm lead to a significant transformation, both physically and mentally. She emerges as a faerie with immense powers, a far cry from the vulnerable hunter at the series’ beginning. This transformation is emblematic of the broader themes of empowerment and identity that Maas explores through Feyre’s interactions with other characters and the broader socio-political conflicts of the faerie world.

Moreover, Feyre’s journey also touches on themes of sacrifice and resilience. Her willingness to endure Under the Mountain’s trials for the sake of her love, and later, her struggles to secure peace and justice for her world, highlight a maturity and tenacity that resonate with the reader. These themes are wrapped in the rich, often brutal, tapestry of Maas’s world-building, where political intrigue and ancient magic significantly influence Feyre’s growth and the series’ direction.

The “ACOTAR” series, through Feyre’s eyes, thus serves as a narrative of continual growth and the quest for self-identity within a world where moral ambiguities and personal challenges abound. Feyre’s character is not just a vehicle for a romantic plot; she is a heroine confronting her limitations and exceeding them, driven by love but also by a profound commitment to forge a better world. Her journey from a hunter to a formidable faerie queen is a powerful testament to her development and a core reason for the series’ resonance with its readers.

In conclusion, Feyre Archeron is a character that encapsulates the essence of human resilience and adaptability. Her journey from subsistence to sovereignty, from human to faerie, encapsulates a wide range of experiences and emotions, making her one of the most dynamic heroines in modern young adult fantasy. Her story is not just one of magic and mythical creatures but also a deeply personal tale of finding one’s strength and place in a world that is both beautiful and harsh.

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