Opposites Attract

Opposites attract, similar to how magnets are drawn to each other. This tragic love story sheds light on Romeo and Juliet, a pair of star-crossed lovers. The play Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, features a love story between the two main characters, Romeo and Juliet and takes place in Verona, Italy. There are two rival families, the Capulets and the Montagues, and Juliet and Romeo are the “star-crossed lovers” from the two opposing families. In Act II Scene II, Romeo is talking to Juliet on the balcony immediately after they meet.

Here, Shakespeare reveals Romeo’s and Juliet’s personalities in the scene. Shakespeare reveals a passionate and impulsive side to Romeo, while on the other hand, reveals a hesitant and cautious side to Juliet. Shakespeare reveals that Romeo has a passionate, as well as impulsive love for Juliet. In the balcony scene he says to Juliet, “My life were better ended by their hate, than death prorogued, wanting of thy love. ”(82) This suggests that Romeo is saying that he would choose death over Juliet not loving him, and reveals his fervent love for Juliet.

Also, he boldly states, “Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me. ”(72) He declares this because he is so deeply in love with her. He has the courage to say this even when he knows that Juliet’s relatives want to kill him because he is a Montague. Romeo’s impulsive behavior is suggested when he asks, “Th’ exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine”(134). Even though Romeo had just met Juliet that night, he proposes that they get married, which reveals that he is impetuous. Romeo is characterized as passionate but impulsive, which leads him rushing into decisions, and ultimately his death.

Juliet is shown to be hesitant and cautious because is mature beyond her age. She is cautious about Romeo’s love for her, almost skeptical of it, because she says to him, “And if thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully” (99). This shows that she wants to be reassured that he truly loves her. When Romeo proposes for them to marry, she responds “It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden” (125) which shows that Juliet thinks that they should be careful, because she believes their love is developing too quickly.

She then compares their love to what it could be, “Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be” which means that like lightning, their love can disappear as fast as it appeared. She is worried that this will happen to them as well. Her cautious and hesitant behavior balances out Romeo’s character and actions. Shakespeare suggests that Romeo and Juliet are very different in character. Romeo is quick to act, while Juliet takes her time and thinks of the possible outcomes. Their personalities create a perfect balance.

Although they complete each others’ personalities, their young and sudden love is like the always changing and tumultuous ocean. The two lovers should not rush into their love because their love for each other, as Juliet says “Follow thee my lord throughout the world”, foreshadows that Juliet will ultimately follow Romeo into death because of their love. Love holds the power to make people do extraordinary things but sometimes may lead to irreversible consequences, such as death.