Romeo & Juliet; What is Love?

I'm a freshmen, and we're reading Romeo and Juliet this term.

(They give us books like this and The Catcher In The Rye, thinking we'll completely empathize).

So.. I swear, I got the most ridiculous essay topic whatsoever..
My thesis question: "what is love?"

Personally.. I dont think I know what it is, if even it exists. I think that people exaggerate when they say they love someone.

If you truly love them, then whyd you break up after 4 days? Yeah, thats all I see in high school so far...

And I dont really believe in filial love either. I'm not close with my parents and they probably arent aware enough to know the name of my school, or remember my birthday.

In the book, Romeo is all angsty and emo and sulking about how Rosaline rejected him, and he goes to Capulet's party 'cause he found out that Rosaline would be there. And suddenly he looks at Juliet and its love at first sight? He starts flirting with her, and they kiss.. several times. (Cheesy tactics too.. He uses "sin" as a metaphor for "kiss", so gives her his "sin" -first kiss- and then she asks for him to take it back -second kiss- and it goes on for a while).

And then he climbs over the Capulet wall for the famous balcony scene. Its not all that romantic. He climbed the Capulet wall for Juliet, and he snuck into the Capulet party for Rosaline. Big whoop. And then he asks Juliet to have sex with her (He says that followers of the Goddess Diana are fools. Diana is the goddess of chastity).

Now isnt he quite the lusty teenager, asking a 14 year old girl for sex? (Romeo is at least 16 or 17, because he owns a sword).

In general, I think the play is pretty dumb and overrated.. not very romantic at all. Romeo gets obsessed over his rebound girl, and Juliet is rebelling against her parents (her mom wants to marry her off to Paris). That, essentially, is the basis of their "love".

What do YOU define love as?

What is love?
Oh baby, don't hurt me
Don't hurt me no more.

That's all I could come up with too Split. 

Here's the SparkNotes page.  http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/romeoju liet/themes.html

Love is nonexistent.  That's why they commit suicide in the end.

Youre right, that is the suckiest essay question ever.

I think of love as an evolutionary thing. Back in the caveman days, children who had two parents had more access to food resources so there was a higher probability that they would survive. So people who got emotionally attached to each other (which we now call love) were more successful at passing on their genes.

Although I wouldnt take the anthropology route on your English paper XD

Since your English teacher asked a cheesy question, give him/her a cheesy answer!

In the original plays, Romeo is around 20-30 and Paris is 30-40. 

"What is love" is a perfect question for this play because (although I'm a hopeless romantic) it does beg the question if you can fall in love at first sight.  However we may never know if it prevails which is probably the point.  Shakespeare had to end it that way in order to be vague.

It ended that way because Shakespeare ripped off the myth about the mulberry tree.

Pyramus and Thisbe

Original Post by boha0034:

In the original plays, Romeo is around 20-30 and Paris is 30-40. 

what "original plays" are you referring to?  the folios don't refer to age, as far as i know.  if you're referring to the age-old stories that shakespeare referenced and/or plagiarised, i'm interested.

Just write an essay saying you don't know what love is or whether it exists and you didn't see love anywhere in Romeo and Juliet. You gave three great examples from the play supporting your argument. That's all the teacher is looking for and it will probably be more interesting for you to write if you approach it from that angle.

Also, you definitely need to incorporate that "baby don't hurt me" quote into your essay somewhere.

Original Post by dnrothx:

Love is nonexistent. That's why they commit suicide in the end.

That makes no sense. Call me drunk (which I am), but don't they commit suicide over the grief of not being able to be together in life? Just where in the play does it hint at them killing themselves because love is nonexistant?

Original Post by pezzle:

Original Post by dnrothx:

Love is nonexistent. That's why they commit suicide in the end.

That makes no sense. Call me drunk (which I am), but don't they commit suicide over the grief of not being able to be together in life? Just where in the play does it hint at them killing themselves because love is nonexistant?

 Actually, the suicides are a comedy of errors, if you think about it, Drunk.

Pun intended.

Original Post by pgeorgian:

Original Post by boha0034:

In the original plays, Romeo is around 20-30 and Paris is 30-40. 

what "original plays" are you referring to?  the folios don't refer to age, as far as i know.  if you're referring to the age-old stories that shakespeare referenced and/or plagiarised, i'm interested.

Actually I believe Romeo was originally around 16-18. He only mentions him as a young man and I don't think 30 was that young during that time since people passed away at a much younger age.

Original Post by pgeorgian:

Original Post by boha0034:

In the original plays, Romeo is around 20-30 and Paris is 30-40. 

what "original plays" are you referring to?  the folios don't refer to age, as far as i know.  if you're referring to the age-old stories that shakespeare referenced and/or plagiarised, i'm interested.

He didnt plagiarize as much as rewrite the Arthur Brooke's version of Romeus and Juliet. LINK 

Poem Juliet is 16. Shakespeare's Juliet was 13. 
Romeo's age isnt given.

Are you to answer the question "what is Love" in the story of Romeo and Juliet or in real human life?  Don't you think love is just quiet acts of kindness, charity, empathy etc.?  

Original Post by misskady:

 Don't you think love is just quiet acts of kindness, charity, empathy etc.?  

 No.  Love is an excuse that florists use to make you give them money.

Original Post by misskady:

Are you to answer the question "what is Love" in the story of Romeo and Juliet or in real human life?  Don't you think love is just quiet acts of kindness, charity, empathy etc.?  

We have to explain what love is, in OUR opinion and then comment on Romeo & Juliet's love in comparison.

ridiculous..

It's not ridiculous, it's your homework and you should be doing it without the help of internet strangers.

Where's the love, nycgirl?  There's no problem asking help from others for homework.  That's what you do in the workplace, anyway.

I am sorry, no love. The OP called the play dumb.

Homework is homework. I am sure her teacher wants them to do the assignment themselves. Get off the internet and try to think/focus on the essay. Looks like the OP has some good thoughts already started above to work from (except for the dumb comment ...).

Students should do their homework themselves and focus on it. We won't be there when she is taking her test, will we?

And, no, when I am at work I do not ask people on Calorie Count to help me with my assignments :P

When I was the OP's age, I thought the play was dumb too.  I didn't come to respect literature until I got a bit older.

Starbunny, I think you would learn alot more from this assignment if you were to try to figure it out yourself.  That's how we grow as students.  I'd suggest finding a married or serious couple in your life that you think has a loving relationship.  Make sure it's a couple that is NOT in Highschool.  Maybe it's your parents, maybe it's an aunt and uncle...maybe it's a friend's parents.  Observe what they do (or don't do) to/for each other in their relationship.  Maybe that will give you some good ideas.

I was thinking that this was a pretty dumb assignment for a 14 year old (that's how old you are, right Star).  How is a 14 year old supposed to define love?  Love when you're 14 isn't what I would consider love.  That's not to deminish the emotions that a 14 year old "in love" feels, it's just that...it's not exactly love.

Then I realized the teacher's purpose.  14 year olds experience the same "love" that Romeo and Juliet experience in the play.  Neat.