“For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo."- Prince Through their actions and words, Romeo, Juliet and Benvoluo illustrate the various facets of love and how it can bring both joy and pain. Romeo and Juliet's intense and passionate love as young lovers from rival families for one another defies the feud between their families and ultimately leads to their tragic end. Benvolio, on the other hand, represents a more platonic and selfless form of love as he tries to mediate the conflict between the Capulets and Montagues and protect his cousin Romeo. Shakespeare uses these characters to depict the theme of love in the play and how they illustrate the enduring power and enduring consequences of this emotion. Shakespeare …show more content…
This is evident in the quote, "Go thither; and, with untainted eye, compare her face with some that I shall show, and I will make thee think thy swan a crow," where Benvolio tries to discourage Romeo from fixating on the unattainable love of Rosaline and instead look at other options and go to the party and not get himself too sad because of the unrequited love Rosaline shows towards him by using imagery and comparing her to a "crow" in comparison to the other women in the party who are "swans". He met Juliet at this party, so if Benvolio had not encouraged him to go, he would never have met Juliet. "The prince will doom thee to death if thou art taken: therefore, be gone, away!" further emphasizes Benvolio's role as Romeo's voice of reason and platonic love, as he urges Romeo to flee the city in order to avoid punishment for Tybalt's death, and this can be seen as proof that he is a friend who always cares about his friend's well-being and will always give reasonable advice. Shakespeare depicts Benvolio as a rational and sensible character who acts as a voice of reason, peacekeeper, and loving friend. The imagery used in both quotes also helps to build Benvolio's characterization as a level-headed, rational