Others have dangerous-and permanent-consequences. Love transforms previously stable characters into risk-takers in William Shakespeare's plays. Some risks pay off. We’ll examine these characters and others as we look at the ways that love transforms Shakespeare’s characters. And Romeo and Juliet were famously willing to give up their fortunes, families, and-ultimately-their lives for love. In As You Like It, Rosalind impersonates a man so that she can spend time with Orlando, her love interest. In The Taming of the Shrew, Kate gives up her abusive and headstrong behavior and becomes a domesticated version of her former self. It prompts them to change their personalities, to take risks, and to make sacrifices that would otherwise be unthinkable. So, too, can we identify with young lovers pursuing a forbidden relationship (Romeo and Juliet), the agony of unrequited love (Helena and Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and the sarcasm of an intense flirtation (Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado about Nothing).įor Shakespeare’s characters, love transforms. While it’s unlikely that an audience member will have murdered the king of Scotland (as Macbeth does), almost everyone has experienced or seen a power struggle between a married couple (as between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth). As viewers and readers, we can relate to Shakespeare’s characters because we understand the desire for heartfelt relationships.