Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy play written by William Shakespeare about two young protagonist

lovers resulting in the death of both. The play draws a similarity with love and marriage life in
Shakespearean England and Shakespeares point of view on love and hate. Despite being two
antonymic ideas, Shakespeare links the two emotions in an unusual relationship where one cannot
exist without the other. His representation is represented through the manipulation of literary
elements and devices, including foreshadowing, dramatic irony, and juxtaposition.
Shakespeares prologue portrays a sophisticated love-hate relationship. The prologue not only
establishes the scene, but also uses foreshadowing to give a hint of the events to occur. This is
shown in lines 4-7 as quoted: From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed
lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their
parents strife. We find the foreshadowing the event of two lovers (who are later revealed as Romeo
and Juliet), which represent love, flourishing from hate in the opposing families (Montagues and
Capulets).Shakespeare also uses powerful language to stress the tragedy yet to come. This is shown
in lines 9: The fearful passage of their death-marked love. The use of words such as fearful passage
and death-marked challenge suggest the difficult challenges the protagonists have to overcome.
During the first meet between Romeo and Juliet, they experience an emotion of love for each other
never experienced ever before. We find that they are from conflicting families, as foreshadowed in
the prologue. Act 1 Scene 5 Lines 91- 109, the first meeting of Romeo and Juliet, is in fact simply one
religious Christian metaphor, laced with many religious metaphors e.g. Holy shrine, Good pilgrim.
The use of religious words imply that their love can only be associated with God, in this way
associated with the eternal. This is shows the considerable measure of love for each other. The
concept love triumphs over hate is also shown by Juliet as she successfully tries to forget the familys
hate on the Montagues, due to her overpowering love for Romeo. Juliet mentions that she will deny
her Capulet name if it means she can be with Romeo, as shown in 2.2.35: Or if thou wilt not, be but
sworn my love, And Ill no longer be a Capulet. The line shows the overpowering love over hate, and
that the burgeoning love between each other is almost impossible to halt. Friar Lawrence personally
believes if the two lovers marry despite the family issues, the hate represented between the two
families will eventually stop, as shown in 2.4.88: For this alliance may so happy prove To turn your
households rancour to pure love. The quote means that the alliance between Romeo and Juliet will
form a basis for an alliance between the Montagues and Capulets, as mentioned.
Puns are widely used in the play, where words suggest multiple meaning. This device is used in
Romeo and Juliet when one deceives another although one's phrase is literally the truth. This is best
shown in Juliet's conversation with Lady Capulet in Act 3 Scene 5 Lines 93-95; Juliet says as quoted:
'Indeed I never shall be satisfied With Romeo, till I behold him - dead - Is my poor heart, so for a
kinsman vexed. The sentence has two meanings. Lady Capulet, disapproving Romeo as Juliet's
husband since he is a Montague, interprets the sentence as: 'Indeed I never shall be satisfied With
Romeo, till I behold him dead - Is my poor heart, so for a kinsman vexed.' Juliet, from Lady Capulet's
opinion is showing her hate on Romeo, of which she is satisfied. However Juliet, who secretly
admires Romeo states it as: 'Indeed I never shall be satisfied With Romeo, till I behold him - dead Is
my poor heart, so for a kinsman vexed.' This meaning shows Juliet's love for Romeo. Love and hate
are represented together through the use of pun, where one meaning represents love and the other
represents hate.
Shakespeare not only reveals love as the dominant emotion, he also describes the dominance in
terms of its many forms. These obscene aspects can be reveals through the juxtaposition of Romeos
emotional experience with Juliet and Rosaline. Romeos love for Rosaline is more of lust and craze
compared to his love to Juliet, which is more genuine and true-hearted. This is shown in the
comparison between Romeos views on them. Romeos love for Rosaline is seen as: Shell not be hit
with Cupids arrowShe will not stay the siege of loving terms, nor bid thencounter of assailing
eyes, nor ope her lap to saint-seducing goldShe hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste; For
beauty starved with her severity cuts beauty off from all posterity., where on the contrary Romeos
love for Juliet is seen as: But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and
Juliet is the sun. Romeo has a desire for physical love with Rosaline, as shown when he says Ope
her lap top sain-seducing gold where gold refers to offspring. However the emotional love is best
portrayed through Romeos love for Juliet, where he uses religious metaphors to associate this high
level of emotional love with the divine. Although both instances are examples of love, they vary in
terms in what way the love is expressed. It is therefore clear Shakespeare is able to convey his
different forms of love e.g. physical and true emotional love.
Other than love, Shakespeare also portrays hate in Romeo and Juliet. Hate itself is best represented
through the fight between the two families in the fight scene in Act 3 Scene 1. Tybalt, Juliets cousin
and Romeos short-tempered cousin, is revealed about his hate for the Montagues, displaying the
emotion of hate. It is shown in 3.1.54: Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford No better term than
this: thou art a villain. Tybalt is treating Romeo as an enemy, i.e. showing his hate upon Romeo,
therefore the Montagues in general.