Critic Bloom continues, "But it could be said also that the audience would understand that Romeo, as a lover-hero, really belongs to another religion, the religion of love, which doesn't collide with Christianity or prevent him from confessing to Friar Laurence, but nonetheless has different standards of what's good and bad" (Bloom 2000, 159). Thus, a strong love like Romeo and Julie profess for each other, is like a drug or religion, creating another link to a theme of this play. Just as a religious zealot can become immersed in their beliefs, zealous lovers can become immersed in each other, with fateful results, as this play clearly shows.

Birth and death play a central role in the imagery of the play, too. Early in the play, Romeo refers to his love for Rosaline as a living death. Critic Hager continues, "Romeo says: 'She hath forsworn to love, and in that...
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