Romeo And Juliet Critical Lens

“Romeo and Juliet” is a famous play written by William Shakespeare. Over the years, many of its themes and messages have made their way into modern media. The titular characters, Romeo and Juliet, are both characterized in a way that develops a theme. Through their actions, readers can get the message that love makes us blind; when in love, we tend to act irrationally and impulsively. Romeo and Juliet both act in rash ways because of their love for each other, so much so that it leads to their own deaths.

The theme of love makes us blind is developed through Romeo and Juliet’s actions throughout the play. The idea is that Romeo and Juliet are teenaged star-crossed lovers from enemy families who met and it was love at first sight. Romeo is

In the entire play Romeo lies about his love for Juliet, showing his immature and reckless nature. When the play starts, Romeo isn’t even in love with Juliet. He is in love with a girl named Rosaline. Once he sees Juliet however, he falls head over heels in love and his bad decisions start. For example, Romeo has friends that believe that he is still in love with Rosaline, but really he is now in love with Juliet. He doesn't tell them this because Juliet is from the enemy family, the Capulets, and him being in love with her could very well get them both killed. At the turning point of the play, Romeo’s best friend Mercutio fights Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, and ends up dying in vain. Romeo then blames everyone around him for Mercutio and Tybalt's death. “This gentleman Mercutio, a close relative of the Prince and my dear friend, was killed while defending me from Tybalt's slander-Tybalt, who had been my cousin for a whole hour! Oh, sweet Juliet, your beauty has made me weak like a woman, and you have softened my bravery, which before was as hard as steel.” (3.1.105-111). This shows Romeo’s impulsivity because he kills someone (Tybalt) and lets his best friend Mercutio die out of love, but it backfires because he just killed his future wife’s cousin. He was so worried about Juliet that he let his best friend die fighting for him and killed someone

At the beginning of the play, Juliet is no pushover, but she doesn’t actively go against her family's wishes. When her mother, Lady Capulet, asked her if she’d like to get married, Juliet simply responded “it is an honor that I do not dream of” (1.3.68). Juliet is respectfully going against what her family wants for her. At this point in the play, she isn’t in love with Romeo. Once she does fall in love with Romeo however, she will do anything to marry him over who her parents picked for her, Paris. Juliet begs Friar Lawrence (the priest) to help her make a plan that will keep her from having to marry Paris and let her marry Romeo. Instead of telling her family that she is sad because of her failed marriage, not the loss of her cousin Tybalt, Juliet takes drastic measures. The Friar gives her a poison that will make her appear dead for two days, just enough time for Romeo to come find her and continue their marriage, far from anyone who would want to stop them. Juliet drank the concoction with no hesitation (4.1.78-89, 122). This shows Juliet's obsessiveness and desperation that stemmed from her young love for Romeo. She risks death for a man she had known for less than a week. It just goes to show how strong young love can be and how stupid it can make people