Romeo and Juliet are
two of the most famous lovers in history, but some people doubt that their
historic love lives up to its reputation. The first theme that is seen
throughout the story of “Romeo and Juliet”
is Love vs. Lust. Romeo starts the play infatuated
with Rosaline as the play begins and he complains, "She'll not be hit with
Cupid's arrow. She hath Dian's wit, / And, in strong proof of chastity well
armed." (Act 1, Scene 1). The mythological allusions to Cupid, the Roman
god of (physical) love, and Diana, the Roman goddess of chastity, allude more
to hormonal acceleration than true feelings of love. Another example proving
the theme of Love vs. Lust would be
what Romeo says in Act 1, Scene 5. “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it,
sight!/ For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.” With this quote he is
saying that he never really loved before this moment, and that this is the most
beautiful girl he has ever seen. Romeo's "love" for Juliet is more a
sign of infatuation than love. He loves her, in fact, based solely on her
beauty than what is on the inside conveying the act of lust.
The next theme is what is known as the root of
the many conflicts that occur throughout this famous play; family royalty. This
is seen when Mercutio curses the young men because he was not a
part of either The Capulet or Montague family, yet he was the one who suffered
for the quarrel between them. He was stabbed by Tybalt while he was standing up
for Romeo, and therefore he was angry with both of them for fighting hence the
quote "A plague o' both your houses!” (Act 3, Scene 1) The family feud not
only cost the life of Mercutio, but it also led to the deaths of Romeo of the
Montague family and Juliet of the Capulet family later on in the play.
In conclusion, the themes
that are recognized from the play are all seen from the quotes the many
characters use. These quotes show us that the theme could be Love vs. Lust, and family royalty.
Great post Adhar!
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