The Consequences Of Love In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

William Shakespeare, an English poet, once said, “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore, is winged Cupid painted blind.” In other words, true love is not based on the appearance of the individual, but rather who they are and what they believe. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare introduces his play with two lovers, Romeo and Juliet, whose love is based on this concept. Like most know, their lives ended with suicidal deaths as a result of their reckless love. Using his tragedy as a core example, Shakespeare teaches his readers and listeners to make wise choices in love, or else it may ultimately lead to unexpected consequences. One of the things greatly mentioned and warned in Shakespeare’s play is love at first sight. In the first act, Romeo and Juliet’s love towards one another is shown to be due to each other’s beauty as it is mentioned by the Chorus, “Now Romeo is beloved, and loves again, alike bewitched by the charm of looks” (1.5.148-149). Later on the book, when Friar Lawrence is first introduced, he warns Romeo that his previous love with Rosaline was “for doting, not for loving” (2.3.82). In response, Shakespeare instructs his readers that loving someone just because of their beauty is not true love, rather it’s an obsession. Hence, the poet teaches the

For example, when Romeo fell in love with Rosaline, his feelings weren’t returned because Rosaline didn’t value the love that he had (1.1. 209-215). Thus, their love wasn’t true. Instead, true love, according Shakespeare, should be “as boundless as the sea” as well as deep and infinite (2.2.132-135). In other words, when love is valuable with both individuals, it’s worth the relationship because it forms a good, strong, connection. All together, Shakespeare teaches that in order to have a healthy bond with another, both must value each other’s