Editorial Piece
By: Christine Abanto
Shattering the Idea of Love at First Sight
In my opinion, love at first sight does not exist. In the Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet, this is clearly seen through the passionate infatuation between the star-crossed lovers. Love at first sight can not exist if Romeo and Juliet were both desperate for love before they found each other, immature and acted on the slightest impulses of their emotions. In the following paragraphs, the idea of love at first sight will be debunked for all of those hopeless romantics out there.
The idea of love at first sight can not exist if Romeo and Juliet were both desperate to find someone at the Capulet party to fall in love with. This is definitely seen on Romeo’s part when he enters the dance with his friends saying: “Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen”(1.4.114). Romeo is entering the Capulet party, where he first meets Juliet, in a state of mind where he will allow his lustful friends to direct his behaviour for the night. So naturally, Romeo’s actions and thoughts are rich with lust for the first pretty thing he sees. Therefore, love at first can not have existed in the play, Romeo and Juliet, so it can not exist now.
Love at first sight can not be real, and this is shown through how immature Romeo and Juliet were in the play. Juliet in particular was quite immature, her father even says to County Paris: “My child is yet a stranger in the world” (1.2.8). True love is not for those who are immature and “strangers” to the reality of the world. Yet, Juliet was just that in the play. She was in love with the thought of love entering her life. This is another reason why love at first sight can not possibly be true or real.
The concept of love at first sight can not exist if it causes Romeo and Juliet to act on the slightest impulses of their emotions, lust causes people to do that. Primarily, this is seen when they kiss after Romeo hits Juliet up with this Shakespearean pickup line:
“This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this;
My lips, two blushing pilgrims ready stand
to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss” (1.5.94-96)
Juliet and Romeo immediately act on the attraction that they are feeling and within a few minutes of chatting, “tenderly kiss”. The two lovebirds’ actions were filled with their raw passion for each other. Yet, Romeo and Juliet never really got to know each other emotionally or intellectually. Therefore, love at first sight can not occur truly or realistically.
To conclude, Romeo and Juliet being desperate for love,immature, and irrational with their actions due to the impulses of their emotions, proves that love at first sight is impossible and an absurd idea. There is so much more to a person than their physical appearance, so get to know someone before claiming it’s love. Nowadays, the term love is thrown around like it is some ordinary word. With Valentine’s Day coming up, why not bring back it’s meaning, passion and strength.