As an embodiment of passion and self-sacrifice, the characters of Romeo and Juliet are timeless reminders of eternal nature of love. Romeo is making a valiant, impassioned attempt to hold onto the form of Juliet, as her spirit begins to soar upward. As he grasps her around the legs, he already knows that he has lost her, and his head is bent against his arm in a gesture of anguish and mourning.