Shakespeare remains one of the most dynamic and interesting characters in all history. In Romeo and Juliet, the reader encounters very interesting characters. Romeo and Juliet remain the most interesting in this play but aside from them, there are several others for example the witty Mercutio who helps in plot advancement as well as being fascinating in several aspects (Hager 121). Other characters include Friar Lawrence, Taybalt, the Nurse, Capulate and Lady Capulet, Montague and Lady Montague, Paris and many more. All these characters help propel a couple of themes all through the play one of which is the battle between love and hate. The main characters Romeo and Juliet put this into perspective as they fight for their love.
Romeo, a young man who is about sixteen years happens to be the son of Montague and Lady Montague. He is an intelligent and very sensitive young man who is also said to be very handsome. He may be impulsive and at times acts mature, but he becomes a darling to the readers simply because of his idealism and passion. His parents are violent and hate Capulet and his wife Lady Capulet, but this does not stop him from loving their daughter Juliet. He goes to extremes in order to prove his love for her (Thrasher 146). This is why he went on to marry Juliet in secrecy. He withstood all kinds of abuses from Tybalt for the sake of his feelings. He was willing to die than live a life without Juliet. Aside from this he is trustworthy and devotes all his life and mighty to a course he believes in and that is why he always remained devoted to Benvolio, Mercutio and Friar Lawrence.
Juliet on the other hand is a beautiful thirteen year old girl who is presented as a naïve girl at the beginning of the play. She is the daughter of Capulet and lady Capulet, the sworn enemies of Romeo’s parents. She falls in love with Romeo despite the animosity that exists between their two families (Thrasher 118). She shows an amazing way of loving and goes on to trust Romeo fully and thus entrusted all her future to him. She chose not to believe in what she was told about him and instead chose to believe only him. She is willing to go through anything and even shut her nurse out of her life for the sake of loving Romeo. She is a devoted lover who proves that love can go beyond all obstacles.
In all these, there is rivalry between love and hate. There are several forms of love as presented by various characters. For instance, the Nurse advocates for a sensual and physical love as well as the passionate and romantic love brought out by Romeo and Juliet. But again, there is hatred between the parents of the two love birds and it is at this point that rivalry between love and hatred is seen. Despite all, Romeo and Juliet conquer the adversities and love each other no matter the differences between their parents. At one point Romeo says that there is much to do with hatred but more with love (Mulherin & Frost 45). The love between the two is all absorbing such that the barriers between the two families are crossed without much of a thought because even to the end of their lives, as they are laid in the tomb, they love each other and it is at this point that the hatred is absorbed.
Works Cited
Hager, Alan. Understanding Romeo and Juliet: A Student Casebook to Issues, sources, and Historical Documents. Westport: Westwood. 1999.
Mulherin, Jennifer, & Frost Abigail. Romeo and Juliet. Hong Kong: Colorcraft Limited. 2006
Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. London: Harvard College Library. 1839
Thrasher, Thomas. Understanding Romeo and Juliet: Understanding Great literature. New York: Lucent books. 2001
