Romeo and Juliet Act 1

In Act 1, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet  Romeo informs his cousin, Benvolio, of his immense love for a girl, we later learn is named Rosaline, who does not, and cannot love him back. Of course Romeo seems so depressed that you can't help but pity him; poor, unloved, teenage boy, everyone can relate. But is his love for this woman sincere? One can't help but wonder if Romeo is simply lusting for Rosaline now that she has dedicated herself to being chaste and become, undeniably, "off the market." 

When Romeo First Sees Juliet

In my opinion Romeo was never truly in love with Rosaline, he simply adored her beauty and was able to convince himself it was some alternative form of love. This is most evident in the way he throws away his melancholy attitude the moment he sees Juliet, in Scene 5 of the first Act (Romeo and Juliet). But you can see slighter forms of it within his conversations with his friends, especially when he first mentions her to Benvolio. Romeo makes it obvious right away that he is mesmerized by her beauty, "O, she is rich in beauty; only poor / That, when she dies, with beauty dies her store" (I.i.206-207.) This is, of course, not unusual. The first thing that usually draws a couple together is attraction, but in Romeo's case it appears that the allure is the only thing he is declaring love for. 

His obsession with her beauty is made obvious when, as they continue to talk about Rosaline, all Romeo can speak of is how she is wasting her beauty by swearing to be chaste. "Benvolio. Then she hath sworn that she will still live chaste? / Romeo. She hath, and in that sparing make huge waste; / For beauty, starved with her severity, / Cuts beauty off from all posterity" (I.i.208-211.)  It's as if he only knows of her beauty and nothing of her mind, it's hard to tell if he has even spoken to her face to face. Even most arranged marriages include a stint in courting, whether or not they get a say in the union, couples are given time to familiarize themselves with the other before declaring love. If all Romeo likes about Rosaline is her beauty it is most definitely not love that he is feeling. For more on what "love" is you can follow this link to an article about the subject.

Works Cited: 
Domblewski, Carol. "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet." Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999. N. pag. Print.