Classic Pattern Of Courtly Love

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The play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, can be interpreted and analyzed in many different ways. One interpretation is that the story follows a pattern of courtly love, defined as where a knight falls in love with a fair lady at first sight and their love is filled with ennobling passion. Other critics, such as Leonora Leet Brodwin in her article, “The Classic Pattern of Courtly Love Tragedy”, interpret the story as not only following a courtly love, but something beyond that typical love story. The story of Romeo and Juliet does not only follow the pattern of courtly love, but their devotion to one another exceeds courtly love’s limits. Their passion is infinite and eternal and can only be fulfilled outside of our Earthly world and therefore must be called mystical. In the beginning of the play, the audience is introduced to the feud prevents the love…show more content…
While in love, they hit many obstacles such as the feud between the Montagues and Capulets, the banishment of Romeo, and the wedding plans made for Juliet and Paris. This is where the audience is able to completely notice and understand the idea of divine love portrayed in this play. Their love has hit too many obstacles to be fulfilled on this Earth, the only way they can be in peace and fulfill their passion is in death. After the Friar’s plan goes wrong, the two lovers approach death cheerfully. Before they fell in love, Romeo considered dying a “vile forfeit”, but now he feels the forfeit has been restored. Juliet looks at Romeo’s dagger after his death and proclaims, “ O happy dagger! This is thy sheath” (5.3.175-6). “Brodwin clarifies this by saying, “When Romeo learns that 'my life is my foe's debt' and Juliet the same, they can therefore accept their fate with a commitment that redeems it from being a 'vile forfeit.'” (Brodwin 5). Their love was never a forfeit, their love was mystical and therefore considered
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