love

• Romeo and Juliet is considered one of the greatest love stories, portraying two young people so in love they would rather die than live without each other
• The theme of love in the play is explored through various forms: unrequited, elevated and holy, physical, and linked with violence and death
• Unrequited love is depicted through Romeo's infatuation with Rosaline, leading to his depression as his love is one-sided
• In Act 1 Scene 1, Romeo uses oxymorons like "brawling love, O loving hate" to express the conflict within the play, foreshadowing the violence and linking love with hate
• The Friar's lack of emotional understanding is shown when he mentions that "Young men’s love lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes," possibly highlighting the superficial nature of love
• The Nurse's sexualized view of Romeo contrasts with Juliet's emotional attachment, emphasizing how Romeo and Juliet's love transcends conventional ideas of love
• Shakespeare uses oxymorons to express the dichotomy of love, showing its pure and beautiful side alongside its opposite nature
• Love in Romeo and Juliet is unsettled by violence and conflict, fueling their love and making it more powerful, characterizing the drama as a tragedy
• Violence and death are linked with love in the play, seen through the use of the sonnet form to describe death and feud, and Juliet's almost prophetic words that her "grave is like to be [her] wedding bed"