Love conquers all other emotions, a saying which is demonstrated in the world famous Shakespeares play Romeo and Juliet. A play of romance, love, hate, anger, conflict and death. A play of two families in an ancient grudge, exchanging blows with each others and losing friends and family to this grudge. But in the midst of this brawl, this continuous fighting, a pair of star crossed lovers arise and defy their parents and close friends to continue their ongoing relationship. This love continues and continues until fate takes an abrupt turn and renders them both dead from unfortunate circumstances.Love plays an important role in William Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet. The play has been centred mainly on the love shown between Romeo and Juliet; however other representations of love are shown throughout the play as well. Some of the representations of love in the play are friendship, duty, support and passion which cause the reader to respond in different ways to each of the portrayals of love. Throughout this essay I will be looking at the different representations of love and how the reader is positioned to respond to the different types shown throughout the play.Love is a tough emotion and can make people do fanatical things. In one of the acts Romeo grieves over the fact that his love, a girl called Rosaline, has ravished his heart by taking a vow of abstinence. He becomes very withdrawn, avoids his family and keeps himself shut away from the world. However Romeo admits to Friar Lawrence in the play that because she didnt return his love, he quickly fell out of love with her.Doth grace for grace and love for love allow,The other did not soIn Act 1 Scene 5, Romeo and Juliet exchange their feelings for each other as if Romeo was a pilgrim and Juliet was an angel. The sharing of lines shows how close they are to each other, and it seems as if no one else in the room exists. The act ends in their first kiss."My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready standTo smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.""O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do:They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."In one scene Romeo courts Juliet in the garden of the Capulet mansion. There they confessed their love for each other and exchanged passionate kisses. Here love was shown by the fact that either of the two was willing to give up their families and last names in order that they can love freely. They also arrange for a time and place for them to meet the next day to make plans in continuing their fruitful relationship. Here love overpowers and overcomes the fear of being caught by Juliets relatives.After Romeos and Juliets marriage , Romeo was so filled with love that he showed compassion to his enemy Tybalt . In a public place Tybalt tries to get Romeo to duel with him but Romeo denies it due to the love inside. His love for Juliet overcomes his anger and hate at the rest of her relatives.Tybalt, the reason that I love theeDoth much excuse the appertaining rageTo such a greeting. Villain am I none;Therefore farewell; I see thou knowst me notRomeo receives word of Juliets death. Overcome with grief he plans to commit suicide and buys the strongest poison from an apothecary . Unfortunately he didnt receive word of the plot to pretend Juliet was dead to escape marriage to the nobleman Paris . Here love overcomes the fear and pain of death. If Romeo didnt truly love Juliet he wouldnt have bought the vial of poison to kill himself. Instead he would have just lived life normally.Near the end of the play Romeo proves one more time he loves Juliet. In this scene Romeo comments on Juliets beauty and then drinks the poison. Unfortunately as he finishes drinking and dies, Juliet wakes up. As she sees him dead, she is now the one overcome with grief. She tries to kill herself by kissing his lips, hoping that a friendly drop of poison still hangs on his lips. In the end she takes her life by sheathing Romeos dagger in herself.Fortunately these events have a big impact on the city of Verona. Due to the love both of them showed, had a big impact on both the household. That and the fact that this unforgiving brawl had taken many lives, Montague and Capulet made a truce. The deaths of Romeo and Juliet had not been in vain. The city was now at peace and never again worried about sudden brawls between the two households .All examples provided demonstrate the predominant theme of Romeo & Juliet, which is love. This is proven by the fact that love had a hand in every part of this play. Also most of the events wouldnt have occurred if love was not present.
