love and infactuation

love and infactuation

From every perspective, love and infatuation look practically the same, but the line that separates love and infatuation is determined by how they are acted upon and what is felt. In the play of Romeo and Juliet, it is assumed that Romeo was infatuated with Rosaline and that Romeo’s true love is Juliet. In both love and infatuation, time can play a key role in determining the difference of the two. For instance, in Act one, the moment Romeo lays his eyes on the beautiful Juliet he says, “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night” (I.v 57-58). As soon as Romeo sees Juliet, he forgets of his feelings for his recent love, Rosaline, as if she had never existed. This just shows how quickly a person can recover from an infatuation.   However, as Juliet and Romeo speak in the famous balcony scene, Juliet is unsure about how fast their love is going and says, “I have no joy of this contract tonight. It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden” (II.ii 128-129). Since infatuation does not last, Juliet decides to test Romeo to see if he truly does love her. As a result, when it comes down to love and infatuation, both begin immediately, but love sustains. Another line that plays a key role in dividing love and infatuation is the feelings felt between the two. Romeo had quick feelings for both Rosaline and Juliet, but the feelings felt back was what sets them apart.   When Romeo confesses his love for Rosaline, Rosaline was unwilling to get involved with Romeo and she was not moved by his money or his good looks. On the other hand, when Romeo declares his love for Juliet, Juliet shows more affection toward Romeo instead of rejection. While standing on her balcony, Juliet professes her love for Romeo and says, “Deny thy father and refuse thy name! Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I’ll no longer be a Capulet” (II.ii 37-38). Juliet confesses that if Romeo swears that he loves her, she is willing to...