A form of love expressed within ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is the “love at first sight†that Romeo feels upon seeing Juliet for the first time. In Shakespearean times, platonic love was prominent and this is clear in Romeo’s soliloquy. “Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear†implies Juliet is angelic, demonstrating Romeo’s instant affection for her. Angel is within the semantic field of religion, a very important factor in the time with which the play is set and therefore illustrates not only Romeo’s apparent need to shower her with praise and affection, but also how serious his feelings actually are.Religious imagery is used again in stating “and touching hers, make blessed my rude hand†yet again suggesting that Juliet is a saint and that by touching her Romeo would become “blessedâ€. This, however, portrays Romeo’s beliefs within love.
