Emma Breitenstein
Miss Raub
9 Honors English
16 May 2014
The Utter Infatuation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Over time, writing has become exceedingly prominent, and throughout generations it has tremendously improved, leaving behind some of the best literature pieces in history. Since writing began, many great authors, playwrights, and poets have emerged, contributing to the literary society and producing countless works of literature, some that are still read today. A few notable composers that left behind numerous classics include Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, and William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest playwright of all time due to his many great plays and his vast contribution to the English language. Some of his works include Hamlet, Othello, and the infamous Romeo and Juliet. Wrote in 1597, the tragic comedy tells the story of young Romeo and Juliet, who find themselves “in love at first sight”. Unfortunately for them, their love story goes awry when they learn their parents are mortal conflict between their parents, which ultimately caused their demise. Woven throughout the plot, many examples become present that show that the star-crossed lovers are not in love. It becomes clear Romeo and Juliet are merely infatuated with each other. The ill-fated couple focus only on each other’s physical appearances and are severely impulsive throughout the tragic story. “The play then impresses upon us the intensity of youthful love, at once joyful and desperate, while at the same time it shows us that the lovers themselves are obtuse to the consequences of their infatuation with each other, tragically innocent, despite their forebodings, of the dictum that "violent delights have violent ends"” (Bond 1).
In the beginning of the play, Romeo professes his love for a girl named Rosaline. He claims what he is feeling is