Romeo and Juliet's True Love

The concept of love is distorted and confusing for many people. Infatuation and lust are often mistaken as love, and love is often unrecognized when it does occur. The motif of love is very popular in literature being infused in many works, including the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. The story is about a pair of star crossed lovers who eventually commit suicide upon finding the other dead. Though in the story, the topic of love becomes controversial since some do not recognize their relationship as love, but rather infatuation. The story of Romeo and Juliet proves Alfred Lord Tennyson's quote that "tis better to have loved and lost/ than never to have loved at all," since the unhappiness of the two while separated ultimately results in extreme decisions.

The actions and choices of Romeo and Juliet prove Alfred Lord Tennyson's quote since it displays their love for one another. Some may argue that it was infatuation instead of love, seeing how they only speak about the others outer appearances. Romeo describes Juliet's beauty as "... a snowy dove trooping with crows / As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows" (I.v.46-47). According to him, Juliet's beauty diminishes any other beautiful woman in the world, too beautiful to die and be buried. The superficial attraction between Romeo and Juliet would be labeled as lust and not love. Romeo and Juliet disprove the idea of infatuation with the ultimate show of love: suicide upon finding the other dead.

Believing that Juliet is dead when Romeo finds her in the tomb, Romeo promises to "... stay with thee, / and never from this palace of dim night / depart again" (V.iii.115-117), and kills himself by drinking poison. By staying at Juliet's side even after death, it is Romeo's last chance to show his love for her by defending Juliet from Paris forever. Romeo feels as if he has nothing without Juliet, and would rather die together with her by his side than to live through the pain without her in his life. He dies happy with the thought that him and Juliet would be together forever, in death and in the tomb eternally. Feeling as if there is no reason to live without the other, Romeo and Juliet's love prove Alfred Lord Tennyson's quote.

Compelled by their love, Romeo and Juliet become extremely fragile and angered when separated from one another. When informed about Romeo's banishment, both are exceedingly upset and overwhelmed by the situation. When the nurse informs Juliet about Romeo's banishment, she believes "That [banished], that one word [banished] / Hath slain ten thousand Tybalts" (III.ii.114-155). Juliet feels that Tybalt's death is woeful enough, but Romeo's banishment is much worse; therefore concluding that Juliet cares for Romeo more than her own family. She believes that her entire world is based around Romeo, and