Is Romeo in Love with Rosaline or Is It Infatuation: Critical Essay

Topics:	Falling in LoveRomeo and Juliet
Essay type:	Critical
Words:	502
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Due to the long-standing rivalry between their two families, the pair cannot be together. This feud resulted in a tragic consequence. The main theme is loyalty because of the love in the conflict. Romeo and Juliet both struggle to be loyal to their families.

At the beginning of the play Romeo claims to be in love with Rosaline. “devout religion of my eye” Romeo defines his love for Rosaline in religious terms to exaggerate his love for her. By emphasizing his words this suggests the love is overwhelming, not deep or true and he is trying to overcompensate for this. When Romeo expresses his love for Rosaline, he discovers that they cannot be together as she is a Capulet and he is a Montague. Romeo is engulfed in his miry of rejection this is evident when he says: “O brawling love, O loving hate”. This shows Romeo’s internal struggle as the ‘love’ he feels makes him happy but also sad. His statement conveys how Romeo finds love confusing as it is a new experience for him. This causes the audience to question whether love is true or merely an infatuation. It is significant that Romeo believes he loves Rosaline as she is from a rival family. This makes the audience question whether Romeo is finding an excuse to grow apart from his parents because he is at an age where he has to become independent. His disloyalty to the family might be to make the growing up process easier for himself.

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Romeo attends the Capulet ball to try and get over his affection for Rosaline. As soon as he sees Juliet, Romeo admits he was mistaken: “for I have ne’er saw true beauty till this night”. This is ironic as Benvolio told Romeo this would happen. Romeo's presence at the Capulet party doesn’t display loyalty to his family: his family would feel betrayed if they knew where he was. Romeo and Juliet’s first meeting is made romantic by the mystery of identity created by the masks. However, Romeo is aware on some level that Juliet could be a Capulet as she is at a Capulet’s party, therefore displaying the theme of divided loyalty. Another romantic feature of their first meeting is the sonnet in which they speak which shows their isolation as this speech differs from the other guests. Romeo uses religious imagery when talking to Juliet: “Dear saint” This conveys the purity of Juliet and their love. It also underlines how Romeo feels devoted to Juliet as she is godlike. The contrast between light and dark – “fair sun and kill the envious moon” underlines how Romeo feels Juliet is different from the rest. She is the light and everyone else is the dark. The simplicity of his words contrasts with the elaborate description of his ‘love’ for Rosaline. This conveys that his love is genuine. Due to this, Romeo is able to sacrifice his loyalty to his family. He believes love is more important than hatred.

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Is Romeo in Love with Rosaline or Is It Infatuation: Critical Essay. (2023, August 17). Edubirdie. Retrieved December 25, 2024, from https://edubirdie.com/examples/is-romeo-in-love-with-rosaline-or-is-it-infatuation-critical-essay/

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Is Romeo in Love with Rosaline or Is It Infatuation: Critical Essay [Internet]. Edubirdie. 2023 Aug 17 [cited 2024 Dec 25]. Available from: https://edubirdie.com/examples/is-romeo-in-love-with-rosaline-or-is-it-infatuation-critical-essay/

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