Essay Question:

To what extent are different types of love evident in this excerpt of

the play? (Act 2 Scene 3)

Your answer should include a discussion of specific characters and

how they exhibit these types of love from the excerpt provided and
the play.

As per the Essay Scaffold guidelines make sure you include in your
discussion Shakespeare’s use of techniques (dramatic and language)
to convey his message about love.

In the tragic romance, Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare attempts to display the truth
and nature of love. He manages to achieve his goal by showing several sorts of love through
the relationship of different individuals throughout the play. First, to show
parental love, Shakespeare uses the character Friar Laurence, and he shows unrequited love
between Romeo and Rosaline. 
 
Different types of love are expressed in Romeo and Juliet; the love which Romeo bestows
upon Rosaline is a perfect example of unrequited love. This is depicted when Romeo’s
conversation with Friar Lawrence uncovered that Rosaline did not reciprocate the feelings
Romeo once showed her. This is displayed when Romeo remarks “I pray thee, chide not. Her
I love now doth grace for grace and love for love allow. The other did not so.” The use of
comparison highlights how he has now accepted that Rosaline did not ‘love’ him back and
he has found a girl who does reciprocate his feelings. 
Romeo's love for Rosaline is brief, and no one believes it will last, including Friar Laurence:
Romeo: “Thou chid'st me oft for loving Rosaline.”
Friar Laurence: “For doting, not for loving, pupil mine.”
The use of contrast highlights the “puppy” love otherwise known as unrequited love
between Rosaline and Romeo within the play and suggests the Friar knows Romeo was
simply lustful towards Rosaline. As a result, Romeo and Juliet includes many types of love
and it is clear that Romeo and Rosaline’s relationship involved unrequited love. 
 
Throughout the play, several forms of love are introduced and presented through the
relationships of various characters. In this case, Friar Lawrence shows parental love to
Romeo throughout the play. Parental love is the love parents display towards their children.
Shakespeare presents Friar Laurence as supportive and a sort of father figure. This is shown
through the use of the contrasting verbs in the line ‘For doting, not for loving, pupil mine’.
The use of the noun (‘pupil’) infers the support and guidance the Friar offers a ‘young’
Romeo. Friar Lawrence perceives Romeo as a child and guides him through the troubles
Romeo trusts him to tell. The advice given by Friar Lawrence portrays the parental love he
has for Romeo. “Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.” The metaphor suggests
caution is advised; this means Friar Lawrence cares about the wellbeing of Romeo. 

To sum up, Romeo and Juliet the famous tragic play portrays several varieties of love in the
relationships of different characters throughout the play. Parental love was shown in the
relationship between Friar Lawrence and unrequited love was represented in the
relationship between Rosaline and Romeo.