Romeo And Juliet - Attitudes Towards Love Assesment Flashcards
‘Is the day so young’ & ‘ sad hours seem long’
Romeo -Act 1, scene 1 Shakespeare uses structure to portray attitudes towards love. At the begging Romeo has depressive views on love. Shakespeare uses monosyllables and alliteration to drag out romeos speech, emphasising his melancholic state.
‘My unworthiest hand…..ready stand’
However as soon as romeo meets and starts speaking to juliet he starts speaking with rhyme. Shakespeare often uses rhyme in his play writing to show control. So this suggests that the new found love romeo has with juliet has changed him and his views towards love. Juliet had made him more controlled and sensible.
Juliet ‘I have bought the mansion of love but not possessed it’
Act 3 scene 2
Verb ‘bought’ suggests Juliet chose Romeo and now Romeo belongs to her. This could be Shakespeare’s way of contradicting the whole patriarchal view in society at the time, because Juliets marriage was not arranged for her she was not ‘given’ romeo she chose him. This would shock an Elizabethan audience as they already know Juliet is to marry Paris and she is disobeying her father. However a modern audience would be much more supportive of Juliet as we see love these days more as a choice and believe in having the opportunity to choose ones partner.
The use of the verb ‘ possessed’ is an example of how Juliet and Romeo often speak possessively about each other. This highlights their immaturity and suggests that really they don’t know that much about each other. This could show their insecurities, as they feel the need to speak of each other as property maybe hinting at a lack of trust.
‘If love be rough with you, be rough with love; prick love for pricking’
Demonstrates how Mercutio is a foil for Romeo, you can see this through their differing views of love. Mercutio see’s love as much more sexualised and not as serious.
This quote is full of sexual innuendos
Noun ‘prick’ has ulterior meanings with lots of sexual connotations
He treats love like a joke and doesn’t separate it from sexual desire.
Why did shakespeare have Mercutio and Romeo as Foil characters? What does it show?
Shakespeare had the two characters so far on either side of the spectrum. Mercutio’s views were so sexualised it became ridiculous, it seemed like he didn’t really believe love was real. However Romeo was so romantic and serious. His overly emotional personality was his hamartia and lead to his eventual downfall. His emotions made him reckless and he eventually killed himself in a quick act of love.
‘O brawling love! O loving hate!’
Microcosm for the whole play. These two oxymorons demonstrate the main themes of the play - that love and hate come intertwined. This relates back to the prologue.
The personified phrase ‘brawling love’ perfectly explains the love that romeo will later have with Juliet. It foreshadows what is to come.
How can I use this in the assessment.
Capulet Act 3, scene 4 ‘I will make a desperate tender of my childs love: I think she will be rul’d in all aspects by me.’
Showing his practical views of love. Elizabethan audience would definitely agree with capulet as contextually men were always right and love was very much subject to rules and traditions, not free will and choice. Love was very much seen as a way of financial gain.
Noun ‘tender’ legal term for money, he see’s juliet as a commodity
‘My’ - posessive
‘With love’s light wings did I o’er perch these walls’ Romeo act 2 scene 1
Contrasts when he said ‘ under loves heavy burden do I sink’. In this quote he’s saying that love is ‘heavy’ and is bringing him down. He portrays love very negatively where as you can see how his attitudes mature and change he uses the adjective ‘light’ to describe loves ‘wings’. This is a much more positive representation of love, he’s saying love is lifting him higher and helping him. This is quite the opposite of his description before clearly highlighting his drastic change.
