Brawling love and loving hate—the famous oxymoron from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet—captures the similarities and distinctions of these forces, both of which are prevalent in Elizabethan society as well as modern humanity. Love is typically associated with admiration, while hatred is intense dislike, yet both emotions can lead to irrationality. This ambiguity is reflected throughout Romeo and Juliet, an ancient play about two young star-crossed lovers risking their lives to be together, bound by the ties of strict family loyalty. These teenagers rush into an ingenuine relationship, fueled more by rebelling against the Montague and Capulet family’s feud than their compassion for each other. Shakespeare's writing parallels adolescent …show more content…
Shakespeare conveys the irrationality that comes with love through teens Romeo and Juliet, having them fall in love, get married, and die for each other in a matter of days. Juliet, being well-collected and strongly opinionated, expressed her displeasure to an arranged marriage, yet later that day fell head over heels for Romeo, whom she just met, stating "if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,/ And I'll no longer be a Capulet" (2.2.38-39). Juliet's firm belief of being too young for marriage goes entirely out the door as she throws herself to Romeo. More importantly, Juliet is willing to put herself in danger by associating with a Montague, the sworn rivals of the Capulets. This state of spontaneous, lustful attraction blinds these teenagers of severe consequences. Take the circumstance of this conversation with Romeo and Juliet under her balcony, for example, a sight that could get them both into deep trouble. Nevertheless, not pondering the thought, Romeo responds, "Look thou but sweet,/ And I am proof against their enmity" (2.2.77-78). Such foolishness is a direct reflection of teenage relationships in modern times. Love itself is a powerful force that can blur the mind of anyone, but young adults possess immaturity, which leads to irrationality. …show more content…
Love, when combined with premature adolescents, possesses the same irrationality as lingering social divisions throughout history. Not only does Romeo and Juliet provide a better understanding of old English, double entendres, and oxymorons, but it most importantly gives perspective on emotions embedded in humans, and how these feelings affect judgment. Love is continuously written as conquering hate, so the attraction of these teen lovers should have beaten the family feud. Nevertheless, passion combined with resentment led to their suicides, as love and hate cannot exist without the other. After all, every rose has its