- Published: November 16, 2021
- Updated: November 16, 2021
- University / College: Columbia University
- Language: English
- Downloads: 36
Shakespearean Romeo and Juliet portrayed many strong emotions ranging from strong hate to a feeling of intense love. Different characters showed different attitudes towards love.
Some took it as a necessity, while others took it as a joke. Romeo was a prime example of taking love seriously and becoming obsessed over the idea of love. Juliet was another person who fell in love with love itself. Mercuric, on the hand, was the total opposite of these two characters. He took love as a joke and played around with it thinking that it was nothing. With different attitudes and different characters, Shakespeare wowed how people in the real world can have similar and unlike opinions on love. Romeo was a young teenage boy who was crazy about love and marriage. When he had love in his life he was the happiest person in the world, but without it he saw no point in living life.
His sadness was seen throughout the beginning of Act 1 and was present when he said, ‘ Why, such is love’s transgression …
A madness most discreet” (l, I, 181-189). All of this turned around when he met Juliet and immediately snapped out of his depression. Romeo fell in love very easily and quickly which was a downside of his attitude.
His longing for love made him make foolish decisions and it put him in a bad position with Juliet as his new love. Nevertheless, Romeo did not care about his mistakes because he thought that love could work any problems out. Juliet was a young teenage girl who converted towards love. Her resentment towards marriage was shown in scene iii of act I when Caplet told Juliet that Paris would like to marry her.
Juliet respected people who were married, but didn’t like the idea of getting married herself. This all changed when she laid eyes on Romeo. Her feelings toward love became the way Romeo felt towards love. The only difference between the two was that Juliet thought before she made a decision. During the balcony scene, Juliet played hard to get and was hesitant to speak. This showed her thinking things through and not just going straight ahead towards a mistake. Although Juliet was a bit wiser with her thinking, her complete change of attitude with love was still considered an unwise decision which is why she is said to be like Romeo.
Mercuric had a different on opinion on love compared to Romeo and Juliet. He thought it was not necessary to have love in life. Mercuric was the type of guy to use a girl and then search for another. The respect for women was nonexistent for him and it was shown when the nurse came to talk to Romeo. Mercuric ridiculed and mocked her as she spoke and went to the extent of saying, “ for the brandy hand . .
Upon the prick of the moon” (II, ‘ V, 105-106). This showed no sort of respect for women and even elders. Mercuric was a man who liked to enjoy life, this included drinking, partying and using women the wrong way.
His mindset on love was nowhere to be found. Shakespeare showed different people who show different feelings on love. Some can not live without it, while others see it as a game. Romeo and Juliet were two people who fell in love with each other in a snap and the idea of love is their top priority.
Mercuric, on the other hand, was someone who took love as a joke and saw women as an experiment. All of these different opinions show how people don’t always have to agree on a certain topic and in this case it was love. Love is a controversial thing as some believe in it and others do not.
