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Romeo and Juliet

 

            
             "Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right" (1 Corinthians 13: 4-6). So begins the bible's description of love. Everyone has his or her own ideas and definitions of love. Many would agree that Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is the greatest love story of all time. But was the relationship between Romeo and Juliet true love? The relationship between Romeo and Juliet was not true love because it was based on appearances and developed much too quickly with no consequences taken into account.
             Since Romeo and Juliet never really got to know each other, their relationship was based on appearances. When Romeo first saw Juliet, he said this, "Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne"er saw true beauty until tonight" (A1 S5 L50-51). This quote shows that Romeo believes he is in love after just seeing the beauty of Juliet. Later that night Romeo speaks of how beautiful Juliet is again. "The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars O, that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!" This passage shows that Romeo is very much in love with her beauty. Juliet calls Romeo "the god of her idolatry" (A2 S2 L114) meaning she worships him as a pagan worships an idol. But not just Romeo and Juliet are aware of the strong physical connection between them.
             Others also notice the outward attraction between Romeo and Juliet. Friar Laurence is one who notices and comments on this. "Young men's love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes." Friar Laurence tells Romeo that he is obsessing over Juliet's appearance and not for who she really is. Friar Laurence also remarks on the superficial nature of Romeo and Juliet's relationship. "A lover may bestride the gossamer and yet not fall, so light is vanity" (A2 S6 L18-20).


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