The Paradoxical Theme of ‘Love unto Death’: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and the Christian Perspective of ‘Self-Gifting’ Love

Abstract

All religions and cultures have developed concepts of love. The age-old question of love’s plurality creates ambiguity and confusion. All the living beings need love and therefore make love. The concept of love becomes more elevated when viewed metaphysically. Love which is seen as essential for life can also be a ‘love’ destined to death, which means death can be used as a proof of the real love. Here soars a paradox in the concept of love: ‘love unto death’. Christianity is a religion built on the paradoxical theme of ‘love unto death’. “Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her.” (Ephesians, 5:25) Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, though a romantic literary text, in a way renders this Christian perspective of self-gifting love to a secular situation. This paper examines the secular romantic love of Romeo and Juliet and the Christian religious perspective of self-gifting love to demonstrate that two extreme concepts of love are converging on the paradoxical theme of ‘love unto death’. Attention is drawn here that in any way, it is not an attempt to compare Christ’s self-gifting love with the secular romantic love of Romeo and Juliet. The focus is on the theme of ‘love unto death’ which is apparent in religious as well as secular situations. Thus it is more of a metaphysical study on love and the paradox of love and death.