How Does Shakespeare Create Suicidal Love In Romeo And Juliet

“Love is the sweetest and slowest form of suicide” (Anonymous). In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet hold a passionate love so powerful that this very love leads to their untimely death. An affection so strong that the two paramours progress from strangers of opposing families to married lovers. When Romeo and Juliet become separated through crime provoked by their families’ strife, they quickly turn suicidal. At the story’s end confusion and blind love founds their unfortunate and suicidal love. Throughout the play, Shakespeare constantly creates a theme of love creating a self-destructive personality through the words of many characters. Shakespeare represents this theme through Friar Lawrence, first foreshadowing

When Romeo is not informed of Juliet’s faked death, he believes that she is truly dead, peering over her ‘dead’ Romeo passionately states, “Shall I believe that unsubstantial death is amorous” (5.3.102-103). Romeo mourns his love, Juliet, and asks if he should believe that death is in love with her. This question shows that this is not the first instance of death Juliet has made, that Juliet has most likely threatened to take her life, and he may have too. Shakespeare shows his character’s constant urge to take their own life because of young, foolish love. As Romeo’s speech continues, every word brings him closer to his death, just before he drinks poison, he tells his inanimate Juliet, “And, lips, o you the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss a dateless bargain to engrossing death” (5.3.114-115). Romeo tells Juliet’s lips that they are what let her breathe, and consequently what let her die, so before he will take his life he shares a tragic kiss and makes a bargain with death. Romeo’s love for Juliet and every part of her body creates a suicidal urge within Romeo, the need to be with her eternally spawns his death. Soon, an event occurs that could have been avoided. Instead forms yet another