Romeo and Juliet: Love vs. Lust

We all know the classic love story, or have at least heard of, Romeo and Juliet. The dark tale, written by none other than William Shakespeare, tells the story of two young lovers who, because of their feuding families, can’t have their relationship known. The story ends with the unification of the families (Montagues and Capulets) after Romeo and Juliet kill themselves. However, this traditional tale of love may be nothing more than a tragic tale of lust.

While most good relationships take years to build, Romeo and Juliet met two hours before they decided to get married. They had never met before and didn’t even know each other’s names before they exchanged passionate kisses at the Capulet’s party. Talk about rushing things!

Second, Romeo and Juliet are supposed to be very young. Romeo is seventeen or eighteen while Juliet is only thirteen. Their feelings are hormone-driven. Romeo decided he was in love with Juliet, just from her looks, before they even spoke to each other. They are so young and haven’t met enough people to know who their “soul-mate” is. Many adults don’t even know exactly what they’re looking for in love. Why should they rush into things with one person when they have their adult lives ahead of them to decide whom they want to be with?

Finally, Romeo and Juliet are broken-hearted. Romeo was still in love with a girl named Rosaline the night he met Juliet. This young lady was going to become a nun and couldn’t possibly have a relationship with Romeo. However, Rosaline was the reason Romeo attended the party in the first place! Juliet was supposed to marry a man named Paris, but marriage was not what she wanted. When she met Romeo, he provided somewhat of an escape from that broken-heartedness for her as she did for him. Romeo was someone Juliet could choose and vice-versa, which made them seem more attractive to one another. Both Romeo and Juliet had broken hearts, which fueled their sudden changes in emotion. This is not what a healthy relationship should be based on.

The story of Romeo and Juliet is used by society to represent true love, but love is not the real name for what is felt between the two. The relationship between young Romeo and Juliet was rushed and immature. It was hormone-driven (those darn teenagers!) and fueled by their broken hearts. While the story is entertaining and classic, it is not an accurate representation of a healthy relationship, much less a good representation of love. This story is one of tragedy, conflict, and most of all, lust.