Romeo and Juliet Theme of Love

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. Romeo starts the play infatuated with Rosaline, a gorgeous girl with no interest in him. His "true-love-at-first-sight" encounter with Juliet seems like it could be just another case of puppy love. The two lovers come from warring families, but their love overcomes their families' hatred. Their whirlwind romance, however, ends in tragedy when each thinks the other is dead and chooses to commit suicide rather than live alone. While Romeo and Juliet never doubt the power of love, other characters criticize love and reject is as simply infatuation or lust. Some people interpret the play as a cautionary tale on the dangers of young love. Others argue that Romeo and Juliet's love develops throughout the play from a giddy flirtation to something deeper, and that the play charts the path of a relationship from infatuation to real love.

1. Romeo and Juliet is a play about love, a word that means many things to many people. Compare and contrast how various characters (like Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, and Friar Laurence) talk about love.
2. How might a given character's view of love be affected by his or her age, social status, or relationship to other characters in the play?
3. Does Romeo's attitude toward love change or develop throughout the play? (Is there any difference between his desire for Rosaline and his passion for Juliet, for example?)
4. What is the difference between love and infatuation in Romeo and Juliet? Does the play even make a distinction?
5. Do you think the play ever critiques the intensity of Romeo and Juliet's love? Why or why not?

Juliet's transformation from girl to woman is reflected in the changing language she uses to talk about love.

Romeo's passion for Rosaline is unauthentic but his love for Juliet is true.

Romeo's so-called "love" for Juliet is no different than his passion for Rosaline because Romeo is merely in love with the idea of being in love.

Juliet and her mother cannot understand each other because Lady Capulet interprets love in terms of money and social status, while Juliet understands love as the product of her innermost feelings. This is the source of their miscommunication.

By reducing love to mere sexuality, the Nurse is unable to understand the strength of Juliet's feeling for Romeo. It is in this misunderstanding that her betrayal is rooted.