The Power of Strong Emotion

The power of strong emotion: love and hate

• Emotion is careless, impulsive, and reckless in the play

• Love and hate are two powerful emotional drivers in the play: sometimes they occur at the same time.

• Romeo is initially debilitated by his strong, unrequited feelings for Rosaline: he hates the pain that his unreturned love causes him and is cast into a deep depression at the start.

• Tybalt is a character full of rage and hatred – driven by impulsive and violent tendencies which drives the conflict of the play.

• Juliet’s father, when Juliet disobey’s him, takes full control of him: “hang, beg, starve, die in the street!”

• Romeo and Juliet’s love is instant – they are prepared to severe their ties with their families to be together.

• Their strong love brings about destructive ends.

• However, their true love is presented as being ‘pure’ and holy – there is no conflict through a religious lens– their love transcends (rises above) the human conflicts around them, and is supported and sanctioned by the Friar – a man of God