Understanding the Discrepancies Between Infatuation and Genuine Love Within Romeo and Juliet
The line between genuine love and infatuation can often be blurred, however understanding the difference is essential to form meaningful and fulfilling relationships. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, characters suffer tragic loss as a consequence of their infatuating feelings for one another. Individuals who mistake infatuation for love often idealize their partners and fail to recognize the flaws in the relationship, ultimately leading them to ignore reality and face disappointment. This is demonstrated through the tendency of Romeo and Juliet to overlook the flaws in their relationship due to their idealistic love, Romeo portraying materialistic
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Consequently, Romeo’s focus on physical attributes further emphasizes his superficial approach to love and the shallow nature of his attraction. Romeo originally believes that Rosaline was the love of his life and described her as “too fair, too wise, wisely too fair, / to merit bliss by making [him] despair” (1.1.229-230). Throughout the play, Romeo only describes her looks and her perfect beauty, indicating that he does not truly love her as a person. This infatuation causes him to make irrational decisions like going to the Capulet's feast when he knew it would cause harm to himself and others, merely for the chance to see Rosaline. Additionally, he decides that he loves Juliet just by glancing at her from across the room. Romeo describes Juliet as “beauty too rich for use, for Earth too dear” (1.5.54) while proclaiming that he hasn’t loved anyone the same way he loves Juliet. This clear act of infatuation is seen by many of the other characters who believe Romeo's “love be blind, [and his] love cannot hit the mark” (2.1.36). The persistent focus on physical attractiveness shows how Romeo disregards building a deeper connection with the women he perceives he is in love with. Furthermore, he does not view the women he loves as their own people with personalities and opinions. Romeo views Juliet as an object which he owns, rather than her own being with her own choices. He frequently uses objectifying language to describe her beauty and often compares her to precious possessions. Romeo compares Juliet to a “...snowy dove trooping with crows” (1.5.55) and “...a bright angel…” (2.2.29), reducing her to only a symbol of perfection. Through this language, Romeo disregards her individuality and only values her as a desire to be acquired. These expressions further emphasize how Romeo’s love for Juliet is principally materialistic and superficial