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Long-Term Consequences Of Love In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

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Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet features two main characters from feuding families who fall in love but feel adversely about their developing romance despite their mutual attraction. Romeo wants to be in a relationship with Juliet and acts rashly because he believes it will help him to do so. Adversely, Juliet acts with caution and thinks more about possible long-term consequences of a relationship with Romeo. Their differing approaches to their relationship reflect restrictive social standards for women, and ultimately prove that women must act more carefully when it comes to love because a woman would face greater consequences than a man if they were to break social codes. Juliet proceeds more with more discretion than Romeo when …show more content…
The night they meet, Romeo climbs over the walls of the Capulet estate to proclaim his love for Juliet and wants to vow his loyalty to her. Juliet responds to Romeo’s proclamation, “Although I joy in thee, I have no joy in this contract tonight. It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, Too like the lightning that doth cease to be… This bud of love may prove a beauteous flower when next we meet”(2.2.123-129). In this quote, Juliet acknowledges that she loves Romeo (“Although I joy in thee”), but also voices her concerns about their relationship. When she says that her and Romeo’s love is “Too like the lighting that doth cease to be” she implies that a hasty and unplanned love is akin to a dangerous force of nature, such as lightning. The word lightning is associated with sudden feelings of unexpected fear that are somewhat fleeting. Juliet’s comparison of a rash love to the aforementioned lightning makes it clear that she does not want her relationship to be fearful or short-lived. Juliet worries that her and Romeo’s love will “cease to be” if they become too caught up in their sudden emotions and make decisions without taking the time to think them through.

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