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Rationality Of Love In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

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Shakespeare and Bacon convey to the audience how passionate love opposes rationality by exhibiting capricious behavior and immaturity.
Shakespeare and Bacon illustrate naive behavior by presenting love causing impulsive decisions.
During Romeo and Juliets first meeting, Juliet states on the balcony; "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name, or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and ill no longer be a Capulet." (Shakespeare Act 2 sc. 2). Juliet preaches on her balcony about wondering where Romeo is and how he can refuse to give up his name and leave his family, but if he does not, she will leave hers as long as he swears he loves her. Shakespeare is able to demonstrate how Romeo and Juliets love goes …show more content…

The prologue foreshadows that later in the play both Romeo and Juliet will end up taking their own lifes due to their capricious love. This is also able to demonstrate how love is opposed to reason since their relationship was very rushed and caused them both to commit suicide. Romeo and Juliet are able to show the audience that love is driven by passion rather than rationality. Romeo and Juliet act on their own emotions and are willing to do anything for eachother even if it meant taking their own lives to be with each other. Similarly in "Of Love" Bacon makes a mythological allusion and states; "Marcus Antonius the half partner of the empire of Rome, and Appius Claudius, the decemvir and lawgiver; where of the former was indeed a voluptuous man, and inordinate; but the latter was an austere and wise man" (Bacon. The Allusion presented alludes to Marcus Antonius's relationship with Cleopatra and also Appius Claudius strict morals. Marcus Antonius killed himself with his sword after discovering his lover, Cleopatra had died. This demonstrates to the reader the immaturity embedded within love since Marcus took his own life after finding out Cleopatra passed away. With this, Bacon expresses to his audience how someone so wise with great power could be blinded by love

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