You will never know true happiness
until you have truly loved,
and you will never understand
what pain really is
until you have lost it.
~ by Anonymous
To live is like to love -
all reason is against it and all healthy instinct for it.
~ by Samuel Butler’s Life and Love
until you have truly loved,
and you will never understand
what pain really is
until you have lost it.
~ by Anonymous
To live is like to love -
all reason is against it and all healthy instinct for it.
~ by Samuel Butler’s Life and Love
One of the world’s eternal pieces of literature, William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragic story of pure love at the wrong circumstances. Except for Hamlet and Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet seems the most popular of Shakespeare's tragedies (Bloom 1). The legendary love story of two strong-willed and willful – not simply "star-crossed" lovers that ends in two separate suicides in an urban cemetery pave way to significant turn of events to the continuing family feud and conflict, unstable civil society in Verona, and personal struggles of all the characters (Hager 1).
This paper aims to discuss the concept of love as an intervening force in ending some conflict instances. Generally, it will deal with the whole idea of love and loving. Some examples will also be given to illustrate the points.
Love is the greatest gift that God had given to each and every individual. Love makes the whole world go round. Love conquers all. These are overused ideas pertaining to the greatest feeling ever existed on the history of mankind – LOVE. But still holds a reality and conviction to everyone who believes on it. It is a feeling that can be given and received by everybody. For most people, life’s major satisfactions and pains revolve around personal relationships with others (Duck 2; Rohner, 81). With love, everything is possible. Almost all lexical definition of love is a deep affection or fondness (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary). Truly, it is indeed a wonderful feeling that is satisfactory portrayed throughout the play Romeo and Juliet. However, it could be said that this love is within the wide-ranging spectrum of tragedy – of tragic love.
Romeo and Juliet is a play replete with multiple worlds (Hunter and Lichtenfels 5). The portrayal of love in the aforementioned play is still evident and applicable to the situation of the contemporary world today. Granted that this Shakespearean play is century old, the social implications remain true to some extent of human life and norms of the society.
In the play, Shakespeare emphasizes the impulsiveness of the young lovers and their fervent love for each other, which marry and consummate their love within a span of forty-eight hours (Muir 40 cited in Halio 15). Romeo and Juliet is an epitome of the clich̩ Рlove at first sight. Without reason, they ventured on letting the affection and to be felt mutually. It is a common belief that people neglect reason when they fall in love. For the couple, love is the reason that defies all the reasons. It is because emotions reign as of the moment and the thoughts of what is right or wrong is far from their awareness. Teenagers today are perfect example of modern Romeo and Juliet.
Whether we admit it or not, teens are today’s Romeos and Juliets. They tend to fall in love easily. They are aggressive. Yes, it is not the question of what kind of love it is, but the idea of loving and being loved at an early age is the main issue. Like Romeo and Juliet, teenagers defy all reasons. They go beyond the limits and boundaries specified by the authority around. Because they believe that love is the answer that can eventually and instantly solve the misunderstandings of every individual who are into its spell. Thus, it results to more complicated situations like early pregnancy, early and failed marriages, broken families, and other related cases.
Consequently, most of Shakespeare’s literary masterpieces like Romeo and Juliet are directed to social case and positioning (Maffa). There are portrayals of conventions in human life that are presented as paradoxes. It is often implied that justices and explanations to these impossibilities of life is only done by means of experience. The fact that Romeo and Juliet belong to families that are engaged in a longstanding familial feud but still fall in deep love with each other is an excellent paradox of the play. It is previously identified that Shakespeare’s works are oftentimes applicable to social settings of today. In connection with reasons, engaging to such challenge is likened to against all odds situation. People today are witnesses to some paradoxical situations of living similar to Romeo and Juliet and their time. Love in chaotic settings as seen in the cases of the rich and the poor, or the country’s administration and the opposition. Like Romeo and Juliet’s love story, there are several cases that are defying the irregularities of living using the power of love.
Embedded in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet are two opposing traditional views concerning the origin of suffering and tragedy in human life – in the characters of the Friar and of Romeo himself. Friar Lawrence's role is essentially the same. He not only agrees to marry the young lovers so as to prevent them from falling into sinful intercourse, but he also hopes that the marriage may help to heal the feud between their families (Halio 15). They all hope for the betterment of the equally chaotic setting in their families and Verona as well. Thus, the paradoxes in which they are involved seem to reunite the good desires of all - peace.
According to Halio (65), there are critical opinion that divides over the nature of Romeo and Juliet's tragedy and the extent to which it is or is not a tragedy of fate or fortune. At a number of places in the text, both Romeo and Juliet themselves express presentiments of disaster, as if they were propelled by a force greater than themselves. Regardless of some criticisms, still, I believed that the love of the couples saved the lives of every member of their families. With this belief, I stand with conviction that they sacrificed themselves in order to reconcile the conflicts of their lineage.
Love amidst conflict requires a lot of sacrifices, understanding, patience, and all other virtues essential. While it is true that when we love someone, we will do everything just to please him/her. Romeo and Juliet do not only love their selves but also they love their families more. They sacrificed their own breath in order for every member of their clan to make peace and patch up the conflicts of the past and the present. All they have in mind is the understanding of the ironic situation of their true love. They resisted to the norms instituted by the authorities (e.g. parents) around them. As an alternative, they pursued the forbidden relationship that for them the answer to the longstanding quarrel of the Capulets and Montagues.
The tragic happening in the lives of the couple is not their own individual mistakes but instead, it is from the surrounding elements like actions of others and accidents. For me, it is more of a tragedy of time and ill fate. As applied in the present situation of nations, it could be said that wars and conflicts are not people’s fault but it is arrogance, personal motives and greediness among others that petrify the individual as well as global peace and order.
Love will serve as the solution to all these societal conflicts if only we open our hearts. Like Romeo and Juliet’s unconditional love, the intervention of this wonderful feeling will miraculously affect everyone. It is a far from possible idea but still I believe that someday, somehow, and somewhere, the power of love will move and take its natural course of healing. Ideal thinking as it may seem, but my firm devotion to the magic of love is everlasting. Besides, it is a known fact that we are created out of love, so it is not impossible that love will definitely banish all the painful tragedies of life.
Bibliography
Bloom, Harold. William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2000.
Duck, Steve. Understanding relationships. New York: Guilford Press, 1991.
Hager, Alan. Understanding Romeo and Juliet: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999.
Halio, Jay L. Romeo and Juliet: A Guide to the Play. Westprot, CT: Greenwood Press,1998.
Hunter, Lynette and Peter Lichtenfels. “Negotiations between Text and Stage in Romeo and Juliet”. Shakespeare Bulletin. 22. 2 (2004).
Maffa, Christina. “Exploring Cultural and Pedagogical Approaches to Teaching Shakespeare or… How to Teach… Romeo and Juliet”. 23 April 2006
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. “Love”. 23 April 2006. w.com/dictionary/love>
Muir, Kenneth. The Sources of Shakespeare's Plays. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1978.
Rohner, Ronald P. “Perceived parental rejection, psychological Maladjustment and borderline personality disorder”. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 1, (1999): 81–95.
This paper aims to discuss the concept of love as an intervening force in ending some conflict instances. Generally, it will deal with the whole idea of love and loving. Some examples will also be given to illustrate the points.
Love is the greatest gift that God had given to each and every individual. Love makes the whole world go round. Love conquers all. These are overused ideas pertaining to the greatest feeling ever existed on the history of mankind – LOVE. But still holds a reality and conviction to everyone who believes on it. It is a feeling that can be given and received by everybody. For most people, life’s major satisfactions and pains revolve around personal relationships with others (Duck 2; Rohner, 81). With love, everything is possible. Almost all lexical definition of love is a deep affection or fondness (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary). Truly, it is indeed a wonderful feeling that is satisfactory portrayed throughout the play Romeo and Juliet. However, it could be said that this love is within the wide-ranging spectrum of tragedy – of tragic love.
Romeo and Juliet is a play replete with multiple worlds (Hunter and Lichtenfels 5). The portrayal of love in the aforementioned play is still evident and applicable to the situation of the contemporary world today. Granted that this Shakespearean play is century old, the social implications remain true to some extent of human life and norms of the society.
In the play, Shakespeare emphasizes the impulsiveness of the young lovers and their fervent love for each other, which marry and consummate their love within a span of forty-eight hours (Muir 40 cited in Halio 15). Romeo and Juliet is an epitome of the clich̩ Рlove at first sight. Without reason, they ventured on letting the affection and to be felt mutually. It is a common belief that people neglect reason when they fall in love. For the couple, love is the reason that defies all the reasons. It is because emotions reign as of the moment and the thoughts of what is right or wrong is far from their awareness. Teenagers today are perfect example of modern Romeo and Juliet.
Whether we admit it or not, teens are today’s Romeos and Juliets. They tend to fall in love easily. They are aggressive. Yes, it is not the question of what kind of love it is, but the idea of loving and being loved at an early age is the main issue. Like Romeo and Juliet, teenagers defy all reasons. They go beyond the limits and boundaries specified by the authority around. Because they believe that love is the answer that can eventually and instantly solve the misunderstandings of every individual who are into its spell. Thus, it results to more complicated situations like early pregnancy, early and failed marriages, broken families, and other related cases.
Consequently, most of Shakespeare’s literary masterpieces like Romeo and Juliet are directed to social case and positioning (Maffa). There are portrayals of conventions in human life that are presented as paradoxes. It is often implied that justices and explanations to these impossibilities of life is only done by means of experience. The fact that Romeo and Juliet belong to families that are engaged in a longstanding familial feud but still fall in deep love with each other is an excellent paradox of the play. It is previously identified that Shakespeare’s works are oftentimes applicable to social settings of today. In connection with reasons, engaging to such challenge is likened to against all odds situation. People today are witnesses to some paradoxical situations of living similar to Romeo and Juliet and their time. Love in chaotic settings as seen in the cases of the rich and the poor, or the country’s administration and the opposition. Like Romeo and Juliet’s love story, there are several cases that are defying the irregularities of living using the power of love.
Embedded in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet are two opposing traditional views concerning the origin of suffering and tragedy in human life – in the characters of the Friar and of Romeo himself. Friar Lawrence's role is essentially the same. He not only agrees to marry the young lovers so as to prevent them from falling into sinful intercourse, but he also hopes that the marriage may help to heal the feud between their families (Halio 15). They all hope for the betterment of the equally chaotic setting in their families and Verona as well. Thus, the paradoxes in which they are involved seem to reunite the good desires of all - peace.
According to Halio (65), there are critical opinion that divides over the nature of Romeo and Juliet's tragedy and the extent to which it is or is not a tragedy of fate or fortune. At a number of places in the text, both Romeo and Juliet themselves express presentiments of disaster, as if they were propelled by a force greater than themselves. Regardless of some criticisms, still, I believed that the love of the couples saved the lives of every member of their families. With this belief, I stand with conviction that they sacrificed themselves in order to reconcile the conflicts of their lineage.
Love amidst conflict requires a lot of sacrifices, understanding, patience, and all other virtues essential. While it is true that when we love someone, we will do everything just to please him/her. Romeo and Juliet do not only love their selves but also they love their families more. They sacrificed their own breath in order for every member of their clan to make peace and patch up the conflicts of the past and the present. All they have in mind is the understanding of the ironic situation of their true love. They resisted to the norms instituted by the authorities (e.g. parents) around them. As an alternative, they pursued the forbidden relationship that for them the answer to the longstanding quarrel of the Capulets and Montagues.
The tragic happening in the lives of the couple is not their own individual mistakes but instead, it is from the surrounding elements like actions of others and accidents. For me, it is more of a tragedy of time and ill fate. As applied in the present situation of nations, it could be said that wars and conflicts are not people’s fault but it is arrogance, personal motives and greediness among others that petrify the individual as well as global peace and order.
Love will serve as the solution to all these societal conflicts if only we open our hearts. Like Romeo and Juliet’s unconditional love, the intervention of this wonderful feeling will miraculously affect everyone. It is a far from possible idea but still I believe that someday, somehow, and somewhere, the power of love will move and take its natural course of healing. Ideal thinking as it may seem, but my firm devotion to the magic of love is everlasting. Besides, it is a known fact that we are created out of love, so it is not impossible that love will definitely banish all the painful tragedies of life.
Bibliography
Bloom, Harold. William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2000.
Duck, Steve. Understanding relationships. New York: Guilford Press, 1991.
Hager, Alan. Understanding Romeo and Juliet: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999.
Halio, Jay L. Romeo and Juliet: A Guide to the Play. Westprot, CT: Greenwood Press,1998.
Hunter, Lynette and Peter Lichtenfels. “Negotiations between Text and Stage in Romeo and Juliet”. Shakespeare Bulletin. 22. 2 (2004).
Maffa, Christina. “Exploring Cultural and Pedagogical Approaches to Teaching Shakespeare or… How to Teach… Romeo and Juliet”. 23 April 2006
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. “Love”. 23 April 2006. w.com/dictionary/love>
Muir, Kenneth. The Sources of Shakespeare's Plays. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1978.
Rohner, Ronald P. “Perceived parental rejection, psychological Maladjustment and borderline personality disorder”. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 1, (1999): 81–95.
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