"I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far/ as that vast shore washed with the/ farthest sea,/ I should adventure for such merchandise"(II;ii;88-89)
             In the tragedy Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Romeo is constantly pursued by the image of a drifting boat in the stormy sea. The first time that "more clouds" are "added to clouds"(I;I;136) happens due to Rosaline's refusal to Romeo's love intentions. Unable to sustain failure, he is at the border of striving for his boat to "sink" and thus "burden love"(I; iv; 23). However, the sun soon shows itself from behind the clouds, as Romeo sees Juliet and realizes that "[he] n'er saw true beauty till this night"(I; iv; 60). Juliet brightens up Romeo's existence, but the ever-severing storm, made of the events that built around the young lovers, prevents their happiness from being. Since Romeo is "no pilot"(II;ii;87), he is unable to steer the boat in such a manner as to resist the forces of nature, and therefore fate. Thus, boat imagery may be seen as a "symbolic" overview of the relationship between Romeo and Juliet, which proves that it is fate that drives the lovers "on the dashing rocks"(V;iii;118)
             Romeo's character is first mentioned in the conversation between Benvolio and Montague, as they discuss Romeo's depressed and gloomy mood. Neither of them are aware of his unfortunate love experience with Rosaline, in which Rosaline declines Romeo's "loving terms"(I, I, 220). However, they both agree that Romeo "shuts up his windows, [and] locks fair day out,/ and makes himself an artificial night"(I;I;142-143). Romeo locks himself up in his own boat, therefore not permitting the sun rays to reach his soul and make his life meaningful. In this sense, the suffering due to his love to Rosaline is completely pointless, since it is not R...