Shakespeare highlights brotherly love throughout Romeo and Juliet and there are five examples of it. Romeos two main best friends are Benvolio and Montague. Benvolio represents a peace-maker and Mercutio a volatile, provocative man and has a language that includes sexual innuendos. In the Baz Luhrmann film, Luhrmann depicts Montague as a sexually ambiguous character compared to Benvolio who is more and calmer in those scenarios where Montague is more frantic.
When the Montagues tell Benvolio to talk to Romeo as he is acting melancholic, Benvolio says, “I’ll know his grievance or be much denied.” This shows that Benvolio wants to find out what is wrong with his best friend. Benvolio afterwards tells Romeo,” By giving liberty unto thine eyes, Examine other beauties.” This shows that Benvolio is looking out for Romeo like a brother would. Another time, Mercutio pokes fun at Romeo, “You are a lover, borrow Cupid’s wings.” Mercutio is trying to cajole Romeo out of his sadness through humour and mocking. Mercutio says to Romeo: “Why is not this better now than groaning for love, thou art sociable, thou art Romeo, for this drivelling love is like a great natural.” Mercutio displays care and support which could be classed as brotherly love.
In Act 3 Scene 1, Romeo wishes not to fight Tybalt so Mercutio steps in instead,” Tybalt, you rat-catcher will you walk?” This demonstrates caring and brotherly love between the two friends. The maternal love in Romeo and Juliet takes several forms. We first see the maternal concern of Lady Montague when she is thinking about how glad she is that Romeo was not at the fight in Act 1 Scene 1 as she cares for him and is glad he is not hurt,” Oh, where is Romeo? Right glad I am he was not at this fray.”
The nurse shows the most powerful maternal feelings, as she does have a close relationship with Juliet as she was Juliet’s wet nurse. The nurse warns Romeo, “If ye should lead her in a fool’s paradise,” this is the nurse telling Romeo not to break Juliet’s heart as the nurse does not want to see Juliet hurt.
Yet again it is the nurse and not Lady Capulet who springs to Juliet’s defence when her father abuses her for refusing to marry Paris,” God in heaven bless her! You are to blame, my lord, to rate her so.” Society at that time was patriarchal. This means at this time men dominated society. Therefore, Lady Capulet is seen as more dutiful towards Capulet.
Also, when Capulet arranges for Juliet to marry Paris, Lady Capulet goes along with it because she is more loyal to her husband than her daughter, unlike the nurse. However, Paris is the most convenient suitor for Juliet, so the nurse does eventually advise Juliet to forget the banished Romeo and marry Paris, betraying Juliet’s trust by agreeing with Juliet’s parents, “O, he’s a lovely gentleman. Romeo’s a dishclout to him.”
Far from a loving, maternal figure, Lady Capulet is cold and vengeful, also she is extremely disheartened when Juliet refuses to marry Paris, leading her to wish that, “the fool were married to her grave.” Meaning that she wishes death upon her own daughter.
Another kind of love that we see is courtly love. Although we never see Rosaline, Romeo expresses his love for her in the form of courtly love. It is first shown in Act One Scene One where Romeo is telling his best friend Benvolio how he feels about Rosaline who does not love him back: “Alas that love, whose view is muffled still, should without eyes pathways to his will.” Romeo is annoyed at Cupid for making him fall in love with Rosaline.
He later goes on to tell Benvolio that he thinks she is the most beautiful living thing alive and that he hasn’t slept in days or eaten because he is devastated without her. He sees no point in living if he is not with her.
In Act One Scene One, Romeo is shown rather depressed and in a state of heartbreak because of the feelings he has for Rosaline. “Out of her favour where I am in love.” He can be seen using contradictory phrases to express what he’s experiencing for Rosaline, which is sad because Rosaline is not reciprocating his love,” O brawling love, O loving hate.” Romeo can be seen in this state of depression for the events leading up to meeting Juliet and not until then does Romeo get over the rejection from Rosaline due to her chastity and declaration of avoiding marriage.
The first conversation between Romeo and Juliet features a lot of Christian metaphors. In these metaphors, Romeo cleverly manages to convince Juliet to let him kiss her, “My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand.” But the metaphors hold many further purposes. The religious hints of the conversation clearly imply that their love can be described only through the language of religion, that pure association with God. In this way, their love becomes associated with the purity and passion of the holiness, “They pray, rant thou, lest faith turn to despair.”
In Act 3 Scene 2, The scene opens with Juliet’s wedding song or epithalamium which reveals her ambivalent feelings towards Romeo. Her soliloquy reveals the depth of her sexual desire and love for Romeo,” O, I have bought the mansion of a love, But not possessed it, and though I am sold, Not yet enjoyed.” However, Juliet uses a metaphor to describe her horror at Romeos apparent death due to the Nurse not stating clearly what happened between Tybalt and Romeo,” Hath Romeo slain himself? Say thou but “ay”, And that bare vowel “I” shall poison more.” This mention of death from Juliet forebodes Juliet and Romeos death later in the play. In Baz Luhrmann’s version, Juliet’s wedding song also includes elements of foreboding as she refers to the theme of death, which suggests that she has doubts about the suddenness of the union. Juliet’s contradictory feelings for Romeo are also evident in her use of oxymoronic epithets,which she uses to express how torn she is between the choice whether to scold Romeo or to love him, to describe him,” “Beautiful tyrant, fiend angelical.” However, Juliet ultimately regrets doubting Romeo over Tybalt’s death and this is evident,” But wherefore, villain, didst thou kill my cousin? That villain cousin would have killed my husband.” Overall Juliet’s feelings for Romeo are presented impatient due to how she waits for the night to come and the language she uses while she waits underscores the intensity of her feelings,” Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night, That runaway eyes may wink, and Romeo Leap to these arms untalk’d of and unseen.”
In Act 2 Scene 2, Juliet suggests marriage to Romeo and he agrees, going against the patriarchal society we are used to seeing in Romeo and Juliet. This marriage proposal, by Juliet, is to make their star-crossed love official. As Romeo stands in the shadows, he looks to the balcony and compares Juliet to the sun. He then asks the sun, “Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon.” Romeo had always compared Rosaline to the moon, and now, his love for Juliet has outshone the moon. Juliet’s promise to Romeo to “follow thee my lord throughout the world” is full of dramatic irony and foreshadows the final scene of the play, when Juliet follows Romeo into death.