What does Courtly love mean?
Courtly love started with the troubadours in 12th Century France. The basic idea was that a man would begin to admire a (usually) married woman. However, she was expected to spurn his advances. He would try to woo her by serenading her, sending her presents, writing poetry and composing music/songs dedicated to her. (To a certain extent, it was a ‘harmless’ form of flirting.) The question that you have been asked seems to involve you deciding whether Romeo conforms to the male stereotype of the courtly lover and whether Juliet conforms to the stereotype of the reluctant female. It’s up to you to decide – there will be times when Romeo and Juliet seem to conform to the stereotypical types and others when they don’t. It’s up to you to back up your answers with times when they do and don’t with quotations and examples from the play. Hope this helps.
