romeo and juliet love thesis statements

Romeo and Juliet Thesis Statements

Romeo and juliet thesis: brief summary of the work.

“Romeo and Juliet” is a work written around 1597 by the English writer and playwright William Shakespeare. Based on an Italian legend, it tells the story of two families from Verona confronted by old hatreds, the Montagues and the Capulets. In line with thesis statement for Romeo and Juliet, Romeo Montague falls in love with Juliet, the daughter of the Capulets. Knowing that their love is not going to be allowed by their families, they decide to plot a plan to get married in secret and escape together. But in a dispute, Romeo ends up killing Theobald, cousin of Juliet and is banished for it. Julieta then draws up a plan so that her entire family will believe her dead and thus be able to flee with her love. She drinks a potion that will let her sleep and is buried with the intention of being released later from her coffin and be free. But Romeo is not informed in time and believing really dead Juliet takes his life before his coffin. She, upon awakening from her dream and seeing that Romeo has committed suicide, chooses to do the same thing broken by the pain. After the death of the two young people, the families, impressed by what happened, decide to sign peace between them.

Personal essay on the novel and its main theme: thesis statements for Romeo and Juliet

“Romeo and Juliet” is one of the most popular works of its author; one of the most represented and most often has been versioned in theaters. It has become a symbol of passionate love and romanticism. According to the Romeo and Juliet thesis statement, there are many who say that the work is about the love that can do everything; others claim that it is a story about hatred and its destructive power; I believe that in a certain way, it could be said that it is a novel about the lack of communication and its fatal consequences.

Why do I defend that this novel should not be a symbol of romantic love? For start, Romeo falls in love with Juliet just seeing her. This, a constant in many novels, could not be considered love but only attraction since a real and deep love is based on the mutual knowledge and not on a physical attraction or on words in a dance. Throughout the work, there is very little time that both lovers have to meet and talk. His love is therefore a strong desire among adolescents strengthened only by the prohibition of being together. We all know that the forbidden is much more attractive to young people and can make them much more stubborn. Did Romeo and Juliet open up in love if they had carte blanche to express their feelings? It could be, but the opposite could also happen. We will never know. But what we do know is that they did not have enough time to discover it, much less to develop a feeling so strong that it pushes them to suicide. It would be, then, from my point of view, of youthful romantic rebellion and not of true love.

Is hatred then the real engine of history? This is what many defend, that “Romeo and Juliet” is a story about hate and its terrible consequences. It is hatred that makes the Montagues and the Capulets not understand each other. It is also the old grudges that lead Theobald, Juliet’s cousin, to kill Mercutio and Romeo to kill Theobald in revenge. But Romeo and Juliet do not die as a direct consequence of these hatreds that seem to invade all the characters in the story, but because of the misunderstandings that complicate their plan to be together. Although this evil feeling is present throughout the novel, it is not from my point of view the essence of it.

Why do I think then that it is the lack of communication that really triggers the whole story and its true soul? Let’s analyze thesis statement Romeo and Juliet:

The lack of communication is what makes Capulets and Montagues hate each other. We do not know the origin of their resentment, but we know that after the death of the two lovers the families talk and reconcile, realizing the absurdity of continuing to face each other. Hate is therefore a consequence of lack of communication and in the same way that there was an approach to the end of the story, it could have been much earlier if they had sat down to talk.

It is also the lack of communication that leads the two young people to love each other in secret. It is true that it is probable that they were not allowed to be together, at least not in principle, but it is also true that they did not try to explain their feelings to their families at any time, opting from the beginning for the secrets and lies that they ended up costing them their lives.

Finally, Juliet’s plan to run away with Romeo is truncated because Romeo does not receive the letter explaining that Julieta was not really dead. Again the lack of communication makes its appearance in history and it happens again because Romeo, thinking that his beloved has died, acts impulsively, without talking to anyone and therefore without possibilities for him to know the truth. He dies without reason, for ignoring the truth and not because his love was forbidden.

If the Montagues and the Capulets had sat down to talk and resolve their differences, there would not have been such a prolonged confrontation. It is evident from thesis for Romeo and Juliet that they were not irresolvable problems since finally, although too late for the lovers of Verona, if they could become friends again. If Julieta and Romeo had the courage to talk to each other, plot their plans together and not act each one on their own, neither would their story have had such a tragic end. That is why I defend that the true heart of history is the lack of communication and its dramatic consequences for men.

Argumentative Romeo and Juliet essay thesis

In the story of the play “Romeo and Juliet”, it is said that the families Montague (family of Romeo) and Capulet (family of Juliet) were enemy families for many generations. For this reason the two families did not agree with the relationship of Romeo and Juliet. In this thesis statement of Romeo and Juliet I am going to argue about why I am against the decision of both families to forbid the relationship of Romeo and Juliet.

I believe that they should not intervene in the relationship because Romeo and Juliet are free to decide what they want to do for their life. Families may be enemies, but that is no excuse to avoid a courtship. The fact that they are together does not mean that families have to be obligatorily friends, although it would be best for Romeo and Juliet.

Nor should they avoid this relationship because the relationship helps each one to raise their self-esteem. It helped a lot to Romeo to meet Juliet and to know that she loves him as much as he loves her, since in the story it turns out that Romeo was depressed because he could not stop thinking about Rosalinda. Speaking about thesis of Romeo and Juliet, one of the advantages of being in a relationship is that it makes you want more each day for who you are, since you know that there is a person who loves everything about you, from how you are with others to your own personality. It makes you feel appreciated, loved and at the same time flattered, which helps you feel better.

The last reason why I think that the Montague and Capulet families should not intervene or prohibit Romeo and Juliet to continue together or that they continue to see each other is because a relationship helps to learn to mature in different aspects faster. In this sense, their relationship helps Romeo gradually overcome Rosalinda and lets her know that she should only think about the present and the future she wants with the girl of her life, which is Julieta Capulets.

For this and other reasons is that I do not agree with the decision that the two families made regarding the relationship of Romeo and Juliet.

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Plays — Romeo and Juliet

Essays on Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and juliet essay topics: a guide for college students.

Explore essay topics on Shakespeare's timeless tragedy, "Romeo and Juliet." Selecting the right essay topic is the first step towards crafting a compelling and insightful analysis. This page aims to spark your creativity and personal interest in diving deep into the play's themes, characters, and societal implications.

Essay Types and Topics

Essays can vary greatly in type and focus. Below, we categorize potential "Romeo and Juliet" essay topics by type, providing a diverse range of subjects suitable for college-level analysis. Each topic suggestion comes with an introductory paragraph example, including a clear thesis statement, and a concluding paragraph that summarizes the essay and reiterates the thesis with a final reflection or call to action.

Argumentative Essays

• Topic: The Role of Fate vs. Free Will in Romeo and Juliet

Introduction Example: "Romeo and Juliet" is often interpreted as a narrative dominated by fate, yet a closer examination reveals a complex interplay between destiny and the choices of its characters. This essay argues that while fate sets the stage, the personal decisions of Romeo, Juliet, and others significantly influence the tragic outcome. Thesis Statement: Despite the heavy hand of fate, the tragic ending of "Romeo and Juliet" is the result of the characters' own choices, highlighting Shakespeare's commentary on free will.

Conclusion Example: In conclusion, "Romeo and Juliet" serves not only as a tale of doomed love but also as a profound exploration of the tension between fate and free will. The characters' decisions, as much as fate, weave the fabric of their tragedy, suggesting that our destinies are not solely at the mercy of the stars but also of our actions.

Compare and Contrast Essays

• Topic: Love and Hate in "Romeo and Juliet": A Comparative Analysis

Introduction Example: "Romeo and Juliet" masterfully juxtaposes the themes of love and hate, revealing how closely intertwined and yet vastly different they are. This essay will compare and contrast these central themes, examining how they coexist and influence the narrative's progression. Thesis Statement: Shakespeare demonstrates through "Romeo and Juliet" that love and hate are two sides of the same coin, each driving the story to its inevitable tragic conclusion.

Conclusion Example: Ultimately, the examination of love and hate in "Romeo and Juliet" reveals the complexity of human emotions and the tragic outcomes when these powerful feelings collide. Shakespeare's play serves as a timeless reminder of the destructive power of hate and the transcendent nature of love.

Descriptive Essays

• Topic: The Symbolism of Light and Darkness in "Romeo and Juliet"

Introduction Example: Throughout "Romeo and Juliet," Shakespeare employs the motifs of light and darkness to symbolize the dual nature of love and the societal constraints surrounding the protagonists. This essay aims to describe the significance of these symbols and their impact on the narrative. Thesis Statement: Light and darkness in "Romeo and Juliet" serve as powerful symbols that highlight the intensity of Romeo and Juliet's love and the darkness of the world that ultimately leads to their demise.

Conclusion Example: The symbolism of light and darkness in "Romeo and Juliet" enriches the narrative, offering deeper insights into the protagonists' love and the challenges they face. Through these motifs, Shakespeare communicates the enduring power and peril of love within a divided society.

Persuasive Essays

• Topic: The Importance of the Friar Lawrence Character in "Romeo and Juliet"

Introduction Example: Friar Lawrence is often viewed as a secondary character in "Romeo and Juliet," yet his role is pivotal to the unfolding of the play's events. This essay will persuade readers of the critical importance of Friar Lawrence, arguing that his decisions and actions are central to the narrative and themes of the play. Thesis Statement: Friar Lawrence is a crucial character in "Romeo and Juliet," whose actions and wisdom deeply influence the course and outcome of the story.

Conclusion Example: In persuading the reader of Friar Lawrence's significance, it becomes clear that his character is not only central to the narrative but also embodies the themes of wisdom, folly, and the unintended consequences of well-meaning actions. His involvement is essential to understanding the play's deeper messages.

Narrative Essays

• Topic: A Modern Retelling of "Romeo and Juliet"

Introduction Example: Imagining "Romeo and Juliet" set in the modern era offers a unique opportunity to explore how the themes of love, conflict, and tragedy translate across time. This narrative essay will recount the classic story through a contemporary lens, examining how the central themes endure in today's society. Thesis Statement: The timeless themes of "Romeo and Juliet" continue to resonate, even when set against the backdrop of the modern world, illustrating the universality of Shakespeare's masterpiece.

Conclusion Example: Through a modern retelling of "Romeo and Juliet," it becomes evident that the themes of love, hate, and fate are not confined to any one era but are enduring aspects of the human condition. Shakespeare's work remains relevant, reflecting the persistent nature of these experiences across generations.

Engagement and Creativity

As you embark on your essay-writing journey, choose a topic that not only aligns with your assignment requirements but also sparks your interest and curiosity. Let your exploration of "Romeo and Juliet" be guided by creativity and a desire to uncover new insights into Shakespeare's work. Engage deeply with the text, and allow your critical thinking to bring fresh perspectives to well-trodden paths.

Educational Value

Writing essays on "Romeo and Juliet" offers valuable opportunities to develop analytical thinking, persuasive writing skills, and a deeper appreciation for literature. Each essay type encourages a different approach to the text, whether it be through argumentative analysis, comparative exploration, descriptive detail, persuasive advocacy, or narrative creativity. Embrace these challenges as chances to enhance your academic skills and personal growth.

Homosexuality in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

The importance of names, made-to-order essay as fast as you need it.

Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences

+ experts online

Romeo Character Traits Analysis

The friar's responsibility in the tragedy in romeo and juliet, the forms of love in shakespeare’s romeo and juliet, real vs unreal world in romeo and juliet, let us write you an essay from scratch.

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Romeo and Juliet: Choice Or Fate

The depth of love and hatred in romeo and juliet, the role of fate in "romeo & juliet" by william shakespeare, the depiction of gender roles and social constructs in romeo and juliet, get a personalized essay in under 3 hours.

Expert-written essays crafted with your exact needs in mind

Maturity and Immaturity in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

Who is to blame for romeo and juliet's death, the extreme effects of love and hate in romeo and juliet, a play by william shakespeare, "romeo and juliet" by william shakespeare: fate and destiny, romeo and juliet: a tragic love story, themes of love, hatred and conflict in 'romeo and juliet', crucial role of love and death in "romeo and juliet", the discourse of misogyny in romeo and juliet, romeo and juliet and the theme of handling the teenage love, theme of love in romeo and juliet, the theme of deceit and its unveiling in romeo and juliet, the symbolism of light and darkness in romeo and juliet, action speaks louder than words: evidence in shakespeare’s romeo and juliet, the role of friar john in romeo and juliet, review of the romeo and juliet, romeo and juliet as an example of powerful young love, romeo and juliet as story of love, love and hate in romeo and juliet, romeo and juliet: a tragedy of two star-crossed lovers, romeo and juliet: an example of 'true' love.

1597, William Shakespeare

Play; Shakespearean Tragedy

Romeo, Juliet, Count Paris, Mercutio, Tybalt, The Nurse, Rosaline, Benvolio, Friar Laurence

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is based on a narrative poem by Arthur Brooke called "The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet," which was published in 1562. However, Shakespeare's play transformed the original story into a timeless masterpiece of love and tragedy. The historical context of the play is rooted in the Italian Renaissance, a period characterized by a renewed interest in classical literature, arts, and humanism. This cultural milieu influenced Shakespeare's portrayal of the conflict between love and societal norms, as well as the exploration of passion, honor, and fate.

In the city of Verona, two prominent families, the Montagues and the Capulets, are engaged in a bitter feud. Amidst this hostility, Romeo, a Montague, attends a masquerade ball hosted by the Capulets and instantly falls in love with Juliet, a Capulet. They share a passionate encounter and realize they are from rival families. Determined to be together, Romeo and Juliet secretly marry with the help of Friar Laurence. However, their blissful union is short-lived when a series of unfortunate events unfolds. Tybalt, Juliet's hot-tempered cousin, challenges Romeo to a duel, resulting in Tybalt's death. As punishment, Romeo is banished from Verona. Desperate to avoid her arranged marriage to Count Paris, Juliet seeks assistance from Friar Laurence, who devises a plan to reunite the lovers. But the plan goes awry, and miscommunication leads Romeo to believe that Juliet is dead. Overwhelmed by grief, Romeo drinks a poison and dies next to Juliet's lifeless body. Upon awakening and discovering Romeo's fate, Juliet takes her own life with a dagger. The tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet finally bring their feuding families together in sorrow, realizing the consequences of their longstanding enmity.

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is set in the Italian city of Verona during the 14th century. Verona serves as the backdrop for the tragic love story of the young protagonists, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. The city of Verona is depicted as a place of deep-seated rivalry and violence between the two influential families, the Montagues and the Capulets. The streets of Verona are filled with tension and hostility, as the feuding families constantly clash and disrupt the peace. Within Verona, significant locations play a vital role in the story. The streets and public squares serve as meeting places for the characters, where conflicts and confrontations often occur. The Capulet household, including the iconic balcony where Romeo and Juliet exchange their famous declarations of love, symbolizes the forbidden nature of their relationship. Additionally, the tomb of the Capulets becomes the tragic final setting where Romeo and Juliet meet their fateful ends.

Love: Romeo and Juliet's love is portrayed as passionate and all-consuming, transcending the boundaries of their warring families. The theme of love is further explored through the contrast between romantic love and familial love, as the couple grapples with loyalty to their families and their own desires. Fate: The play suggests that the lovers' tragic end is predetermined by forces beyond their control, emphasizing the role of destiny in their lives. This theme is captured in the famous line, "star-crossed lovers," which highlights the notion that their love is doomed from the start. Feuds and conflict: The bitter rivalry between the Montagues and the Capulets fuels the tension and violence that ultimately leads to the tragic events. Shakespeare explores the destructive consequences of long-standing enmity and the price that is paid when hatred triumphs over peace.

One prevalent literary device in the play is metaphor. Shakespeare employs metaphor to convey complex ideas and emotions. For example, in Romeo's famous line, "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun," he compares Juliet to the sun, emphasizing her radiant beauty and his adoration for her. Another device used extensively in Romeo and Juliet is dramatic irony. This occurs when the audience knows more about the events or the true intentions of the characters than they do themselves. A notable example is when Juliet takes a sleeping potion to feign her death, while Romeo, unaware of her plan, believes she is truly dead. This creates tension and heightens the emotional impact of the subsequent tragic events. Additionally, Shakespeare employs soliloquies and asides to reveal the characters' inner thoughts and feelings directly to the audience. These monologues provide insight into their motivations, dilemmas, and conflicts, fostering a deeper understanding of their complexities. Other literary devices employed in Romeo and Juliet include imagery, allusion, foreshadowing, and wordplay.

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." - Romeo (Act II, Scene II) "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." - Juliet (Act II, Scene II) "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" - Juliet (Act II, Scene II) "Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow." - Juliet (Act II, Scene II) "These violent delights have violent ends." - Friar Laurence (Act II, Scene VI)

In film, there have been numerous cinematic adaptations of Romeo and Juliet, each offering its unique take on the timeless story. Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film and Baz Luhrmann's 1996 modernized version are among the most well-known adaptations, capturing the tragic romance and passion of the original play. Television has also embraced Romeo and Juliet, with adaptations ranging from traditional period dramas to contemporary reinterpretations. These adaptations often explore different settings and time periods while staying true to the core themes of love, feuds, and destiny. The play has influenced music as well, with artists drawing inspiration from the story and its characters. Popular songs, such as "Love Story" by Taylor Swift and "Check Yes Juliet" by We the Kings, reference Romeo and Juliet, showcasing the enduring impact of the play on popular culture. Additionally, Romeo and Juliet has been referenced in literature, visual arts, and even advertising campaigns, highlighting its cultural significance and widespread recognition.

Cultural Significance: The play has become a symbol of romantic tragedy and forbidden love. It has inspired countless adaptations, films, and musicals, further cementing its status as an iconic love story. Language and Expressions: Shakespeare's unique language and poetic expressions in "Romeo and Juliet" have greatly influenced the English language. Phrases like "What's in a name?" and "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" have become widely quoted and integrated into everyday speech. Archetypal Characters: The characters of Romeo and Juliet have become archetypes of passionate, young lovers. Their plight and the themes of love, fate, and family conflict resonate with audiences across cultures and generations. Impact on Drama and Theater: The play's tragic structure, complex characters, and dramatic tension have had a lasting impact on the field of drama. It has served as a model for storytelling and character development, inspiring playwrights and directors for centuries.

Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is a timeless masterpiece that remains relevant and captivating across centuries. Exploring the reasons why it is worth writing an essay about involves delving into its enduring significance. Firstly, the play explores universal themes such as love, fate, and family conflict, which resonate with audiences of all ages and cultures. Its exploration of the intensity and consequences of young love provides valuable insights into human emotions and relationships. Secondly, the play showcases Shakespeare's unparalleled mastery of language and poetic expression. Studying the rich and evocative dialogue, intricate wordplay, and use of literary devices in "Romeo and Juliet" allows for a deeper appreciation of Shakespeare's artistic genius and contributes to the understanding of his broader body of work. Furthermore, the play's exploration of societal expectations, gender roles, and the power of passion challenges conventional norms and raises thought-provoking questions about the constraints of society. Lastly, the enduring popularity and numerous adaptations of "Romeo and Juliet" in various art forms demonstrate its cultural significance and ability to inspire creative interpretations.

1. Shakespeare, W. (2019). Romeo and juliet. In One-Hour Shakespeare (pp. 304-368). Routledge. (https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429262715-13/romeo-juliet-william-shakespeare) 2. Driscoll, R., Davis, K. E., & Lipetz, M. E. (1972). Parental interference and romantic love: The Romeo and Juliet effect. Journal of personality and social psychology, 24(1), 1. (https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1973-04399-001) 3. Whittier, G. (1989). The Sonnet's Body and the Body Sonnetized in" Romeo and Juliet". Shakespeare Quarterly, 40(1), 27-41. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/2870752) 4. Kottman, P. A. (2012). Defying the stars: tragic love as the struggle for freedom in Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare Quarterly, 63(1), 1-38. (https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/470678/summary) 5. Sánchez, A. B. (1995). Metaphorical models of romantic love in Romeo and Juliet. Journal of Pragmatics, 24(6), 667-688. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/037821669500007F) 6. Clark, G. (2011). The civil mutinies of Romeo and Juliet. English Literary Renaissance, 41(2), 280-300. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1475-6757.2011.01086.x) 7. Snyder, S. (1970). Romeo and juliet: Comedy into tragedy. Essays in Criticism, 20(4), 391-402. (https://academic.oup.com/eic/article-abstract/XX/4/391/599716?redirectedFrom=PDF) 8. Brown, S., Cockett, P., & Yuan, Y. (2019). The neuroscience of Romeo and Juliet: An fMRI study of acting. Royal Society Open Science, 6(3), 181908. (https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsos.181908)

Relevant topics

• Macbeth Ambition
• A Raisin in The Sun
• Thank You Ma Am
• Of Mice and Men
• Frankenstein
• Bartleby The Scrivener

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Love in 'Romeo and Juliet'

• Shakespeare's Life and World
• Best Sellers
• Classic Literature
• Plays & Drama
• Short Stories
• Children's Books
• M.A., Theater Studies, Warwick University
• B.A., Drama and English, DeMontfort University

The play "Romeo and Juliet" has become forever associated with love. It's a truly iconic story of romance and passion—even the name “Romeo” is still used to describe enthusiastic young lovers.

But while the romantic love between the titular characters is often what we think of when we consider the love theme in "Romeo and Juliet," Shakespeare ’s treatment of the concept of love is complex and multifaceted. Through different characters and relationships, he portrays some of the various types of love and the different ways it can manifest.

These are some of the expressions of love Shakespeare threads together to create the play.

Shallow Love

Some characters fall in and out of love very quickly in "Romeo and Juliet." For example, Romeo is in "love" with Rosaline at the start of the play, but it is presented as an immature infatuation. Today, we might use the term “puppy love” to describe it. Romeo’s love for Rosaline is shallow, and nobody really believes that it will last, including Friar Laurence:

Romeo: Thou chid'st me oft for loving Rosaline. Friar Laurence: For doting, not for loving, pupil mine. (Act Two, Scene Three)

Similarly, Paris’ love for Juliet is borne out of tradition, not passion. He has identified her as a good candidate for a wife and approaches her father to arrange the marriage. Although this was the tradition at the time, it also says something about Paris’ staid, unpassionate attitude toward love. He even admits to Friar Laurence that in his haste to rush the wedding, he hasn’t discussed it with his bride-to-be:

Friar Laurence: On Thursday, sir? the time is very short. Paris: My father Capulet will have it so; And I am nothing slow to slack his haste. Friar Laurence: You say you do not know the lady's mind: Uneven is the course, I like it not. Paris: Immoderately she weeps for Tybalt's death, And therefore have I little talked of love. (Act Four, Scene One)

Friendly Love

Many of the friendships in the play are as sincere as Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another. The best example of this is in Act Three, Scene One, where Mercutio and Romeo fight Tybalt. When Romeo attempts to bring peace, Mercutio fights back at Tybalt's slander of Romeo. Then, it is out of rage over Mercutio's death that Romeo pursues—and kills—Tybalt:

Romeo: In triumph, and Mercutio slain! Away to heaven, respective lenity, And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now.— Now, Tybalt, take the “villain” back again That late thou gavest me, for Mercutio’s soul Is but a little way above our heads, Staying for thine to keep him company. Either thou or I, or both, must go with him. (Act Three, Scene One)

It is out of friendly love for his companion that Romeo acts out.

Romantic Love

Then, of course, is romantic love, the classic idea of which is embodied in "Romeo and Juliet." In fact, maybe it is "Romeo and Juliet" that has influenced our definition of the concept. The characters are deeply infatuated with one another, so committed to being together that they defy their respective families.

Romeo: By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am. My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself Because it is an enemy to thee. Had I it written, I would tear the word. (Act Two, Scene Two)

Perhaps Romeo and Juliet's love is fate ; their love is given a cosmic significance, which suggests that the universe plays a role in the creation of deep romantic love. Despite their love being disallowed by the Capulet and Montague households , they inevitably—and irresistibly—find themselves drawn together.

Juliet: Prodigious birth of love it is to me That I must love a loathèd enemy. Act One, Scene Five)

All in all, Shakespeare presents romantic love as a force of nature, so strong that it transcends expectations, tradition, and—through the combined suicides of lovers who cannot live without one another—life itself.

• The Supporting Cast of 'Romeo and Juliet'
• The House of Montague in 'Romeo and Juliet'
• Romeo and Juliet From 'Beautiful Stories From Shakespeare'
• 'Romeo and Juliet' Scenes
• Members of the Montague-Capulet Feud in 'Romeo and Juliet'
• Romeo: Shakespeare's Famous Doomed Lover
• The Role of Fate in 'Romeo and Juliet'
• The House of Capulet in Romeo and Juliet
• Romeo's Monologues From "Romeo and Juliet
• The Recurrent Theme of Love in Shakespeare's Plays
• Key 'Romeo and Juliet' Quotes
• Mercutio Monologues
• Juliet's Monologues From Shakespeare's Tragedy
• A Character Profile of Juliet From 'Romeo and Juliet'
• Academic Speculation on the Year Shakespeare Wrote ‘Romeo and Juliet’
• Must-Read Books If You Like Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

William shakespeare, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

“These violent delights have violent ends,” says Friar Laurence in an attempt to warn Romeo , early on in the play, of the dangers of falling in love too hard or too fast. In the world of Romeo and Juliet , love is not pretty or idealized—it is chaotic and dangerous. Throughout the play, love is connected through word and action with violence, and Romeo and Juliet ’s deepest mutual expression of love occurs when the “star-crossed lovers take their life.” By connecting love with pain and ultimately with suicide, Shakespeare suggests that there is an inherent sense of violence in many of the physical and emotional facets of expressing love—a chaotic and complex emotion very different from the serene, idealized sweetness it’s so often portrayed as being.

There are countless instances throughout Romeo and Juliet in which love and violence are connected. After their marriage, Juliet imagines in detail the passion she and Romeo will share on their wedding night, and invokes the Elizabethan characterization of orgasm as a small death or “petite mort”—she looks forward to the moment she will “die” and see Romeo’s face reflected in the stars above her. When Romeo overhears Juliet say that she wishes he were not a Montague so that they could be together, he declares that his name is “hateful” and offers to write it down on a piece of paper just so he can rip it up and obliterate it—and, along with it, his very identity, and sense of self as part of the Montague family. When Juliet finds out that her parents, ignorant of her secret marriage to Romeo, have arranged for her to marry Paris , she goes to Friar Laurence’s chambers with a knife, threatening to kill herself if he is unable to come up with a plan that will allow her to escape her second marriage. All of these examples represent just a fraction of the instances in which language and action conspire to render love as a “violent delight” whose “violent ends” result in danger, injury, and even death. Feeling oneself in the throes of love, Shakespeare suggests, is tumultuous and destabilizing enough—but the real violence of love, he argues, emerges in the many ways of expressing love.

Emotional and verbal expressions of love are the ones most frequently deployed throughout the play. Romeo and Juliet wax poetic about their great love for each other—and the misery they feel as a result of that love—over and over again, and at great lengths. Often, one of their friends or servants must cut them off mid-speech—otherwise, Shakespeare seems to suggest, Romeo and Juliet would spend hours trying to wrestle their feelings into words. Though Romeo and Juliet say lovely things about one another, to be sure, their speeches about each other, or about love more broadly, are almost always tinged with violence, which illustrates their chaotic passion for each other and their desire to mow down anything that stands in its way. When Romeo, for instance, spots Juliet at her window in the famous “balcony scene” in Act 2, Scene 2, he wills her to come closer by whispering, “Arise, fair sun ”—a beautiful metaphor of his love and desire for Juliet—and quickly follows his entreaty with the dangerous language “and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief.” Juliet’s “sun”-like radiance makes Romeo want her to “kill” the moon (or Rosaline ,) his former love and her rival in beauty and glory, so that Juliet can reign supreme over his heart. Later on in the play, when the arrival of dawn brings an end to Romeo and Juliet’s first night together as man and wife, Juliet invokes the symbol of a lark’s song—traditionally a symbol of love and sweetness—as a violent, ill-meaning presence which seeks to pull Romeo and Juliet apart, “arm from arm,” and “hunt” Romeo out of Juliet’s chambers. Romeo calls love a “rough” thing which “pricks” him like a thorn; Juliet says that if she could love and possess Romeo in the way she wants to, as if he were her pet bird, she would “kill [him] with much cherishing.” The way the two young lovers at the heart of the play speak about love shows an enormously violent undercurrent to their emotions—as they attempt to name their feelings and express themselves, they resort to violence-tinged speech to convey the enormity of their emotions.

Physical expressions of love throughout the play also carry violent connotations. From Romeo and Juliet’s first kiss, described by each of them as a “sin” and a “trespass,” to their last, in which Juliet seeks to kill herself by sucking remnants of poison from the dead Romeo’s lips, the way Romeo and Juliet conceive of the physical and sexual aspects of love are inextricable from how they conceive of violence. Juliet looks forward to “dying” in Romeo’s arms—again, one Elizabethan meaning of the phrase “to die” is to orgasm—while Romeo, just after drinking a vial of poison so lethal a few drops could kill 20 men, chooses to kiss Juliet as his dying act. The violence associated with these acts of sensuality and physical touch furthers Shakespeare’s argument that attempts to adequately express the chaotic, overwhelming, and confusing feelings of intense passion often lead to a commingling with violence.

Violent expressions of love are at the heart of Romeo and Juliet . In presenting and interrogating them, Shakespeare shows his audiences—in the Elizabethan area, the present day, and the centuries in-between—that love is not pleasant, reserved, cordial, or sweet. Rather, it is a violent and all-consuming force. As lovers especially those facing obstacles and uncertainties like the ones Romeo and Juliet encounter, struggle to express their love, there may be eruptions of violence both between the lovers themselves and within the communities of which they’re a part.

Love and Violence ThemeTracker

Love and Violence Quotes in Romeo and Juliet

Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows, Doth with their death bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children's end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O any thing, of nothing first created; O heavy lightness! serious vanity! Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms!

Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear, Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear. So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows. The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, And, touching hers, make blessèd my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.

You kiss by th’ book.

My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late!

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; — Thou art thyself though, not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other word would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title: — Romeo, doff thy name; And for thy name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself.

I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptis'd; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

Good-night, good-night! Parting is such sweet sorrow That I shall say good-night till it be morrow.

Romeo, the hate I bear thee can afford No better term than this: thou art a villain.

Romeo: Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much. Mercutio: No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church-door; but 'tis enough, 'twill serve: ask for me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man.

O, I am fortune's fool!

Come, gentle night, — come, loving black brow'd night, Give me my Romeo; and when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of Heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night, And pay no worship to the garish sun.

Wilt thou be gone? it is not yet near day. It was the nightingale, and not the lark, That pierc'd the fearful hollow of thine ear; Nightly she sings on yond pomegranate tree. Believe me love, it was the nightingale.

Is there no pity sitting in the clouds That sees into the bottom of my grief? O sweet my mother, cast me not away! Delay this marriage for a month, a week, Or if you do not, make the bridal bed In that dim monument where Tybalt lies.

Or bid me go into a new-made grave, And hide me with a dead man in his shroud - Things that, to hear them told, have made me tremble - And I will do it without fear or doubt, To live an unstain'd wife to my sweet love.

Then I defy you, stars!

O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. — Thus with a kiss I die.

Yea, noise, then I'll be brief; O, happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rest, and let me die.

For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Thesis Statement For Romeo And Juliet 

Introduction.

A thesis statement is a document to provide a jist for the arguments and original thought of a written piece to present and analyze data and findings. Many fans wonder what inspired Shakespeare to draft Romeo and Juliet which is still unclear because no source directly influences the play. Many suspect it has something to do with Arthur Brooke’s poem The Tragical History of Romeo and Juliet, This thesis statement acknowledges the societal factors that shape the characters’ decisions, as well as the consequences of those decisions. Let us see about the Thesis statement for Romeo and Juliet.

Thesis Statement for Romeo and Juliet 

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a timeless masterpiece that explores the complexities of love, fate, and society through its portrayal of two young lovers from warring families, revealing the tragic consequences of passion. It serves as a powerful commentary on the destructive nature of hate and the devastating consequences of impulsive actions driven by passion.    

Thesis Statement 

Romeo and Juliet is written by Shakespeare and is a novel about two people, Romeo and Juliet, who fell in love and went against their family’s wishes. The Capulets and Montagues are rivals in Verona wherein Mercutio who was a friend of Romeo had a brawl with Juliet’s cousin Tybalt. This led to the former’s murder, and a plague on both houses spread. Mercutio strongly believed that no one would back down from a fight, and did not tolerate Tybalt, wherein he got killed. The Capulets were at fault because Tybalt reached the scene full of pride and anger to speak to Romeo and Mercutio. He also took his entourage to them and led them saying that he was their leader and teaching the opposition a lesson by mocking Romeo and Montagues. 

The story has an amazing plot line wherein the opening prologue refers to Romeo and Juliet as star-crossed lovers which portray that the stars and the planets can control events. Many believe that Romeo and Juliet are inexplicably bound to be together, and nobody can separate them. At the end of the play, it is clear that they have to fight for their love. The most prevalent example of celestial imagery is evident in the prologue which points out to stars and heavens. Romeo does not refer to these powers and uses stars to talk about the glory of Juliet which portrayed his lovestruck comparison of her to the stars and Juliet’s wish to cut out Romeo from the stars when he dies. 

Role of Destiny

Role of the main characters .

Through his tumultuous actions, Romeo moves the play into more tragedy than any other character. He climbs Juliet’s wall at night and convinces her to marry him and he poisoned himself thinking she was dead. These decisions made by him lack foresight and thus drive them into turmoil. Juliet always varies in the speed of progress when she compares her Romeo and her love to lightning which occurred quickly but also vanished in the blink of an eye. Unlike Romeo, Juliet responds logically when she agrees to marry him to show his commitment. She believes Friar Lawrence’s plan and takes the poison hoping that would set things right. All of these choices end them up in trouble, though they have been made after careful inspections. It is only when she sees that Romeo is dead, that she tries to kill herself in grief.    

Rhyme Schemes 

Use of language .

Shakespeare also uses language to reflect the social status of different characters in the play. For example, the Capulet family speaks in blank verse, a poetic form that does not rhyme but maintains a regular meter, while the lower-class characters, such as the servants and the Nurse, speak in prose. He also uses metaphor and imagery to create vivid and evocative descriptions of characters, settings, and emotions in the play. For example, in Act II, Scene 2, Romeo compares Juliet to the sun, saying “Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon / Who is already sick and pale with grief.” 

Feud Between the Families 

The feud between the two families is not only a conflict between individuals but also between two classes as a part of the aristocracy, wherein Montagues belong to the merchant class which is represented in the language and behavior. The rigid social hierarchy in the play makes Romeo and Juliet a sad tragedy. Gender norms shape society and the future where women are expected to be obedient to their husbands and not give much thought to their lives. Juliet is forced to marry another guy when she loves Romeo and her only escape from this was to fake their death. The play also gives insights into Juliet’s character as an independent woman who defies all odds. The Catholic Church in the Elizabethan Society is a major depiction of religion in Romeo and Juliet where the characters are deeply religious and Friar Laurence marries them in secret. The play critiques the hypocrisy of the church in many instances wherein he doesn’t deliver a major clue to Romeo.  

Theories of Love 

The play explores different kinds of love, including romantic love, familial love, and friendship. The romantic love between Romeo and Juliet is intense and passionate, while the love between family members is portrayed as more practical and duty-bound. The contrast between these different kinds of love helps to emphasize the unique and transformative nature of the love between Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet are often seen as a play about the conflict between passion and reason. Romeo and Juliet’s love is portrayed as passionate and intense, but also impulsive and irrational. The play suggests that love can be both a source of great joy and great tragedy and that the intensity of love can sometimes blind us to the consequences of our actions. 

Message to Society  

There are different kinds of love in society, and the compassion in each varies at distant points of life where the world sometimes stands in opposition to a certain belief that is duty-bound and conflicts with the basic concept of love.   

Key Learnings From the Play 

Conclusion .

Literary Theory and Criticism

Home › Drama Criticism › Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on July 25, 2020 • ( 6 )

Shakespeare, more than any other author, has instructed the West in the catastrophes of sexuality, and has invented the formula that the sexual becomes the erotic when crossed by the shadow of death. There had to be one high song of the erotic by Shakespeare, one lyrical and tragi-comical paean celebrating an unmixed love and lamenting its inevitable destruction. Romeo and Juliet is unmatched, in Shakespeare and in the world’s literature, as a vision of an uncompromising mutual love that perishes of its own idealism and intensity.

—Harold Bloom, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human

Romeo and Juliet, regarded by many as William Shakespeare’s first great play, is generally thought to have been written around 1595. Shakespeare was then 31 years old, married for 12 years and the father of three children. He had been acting and writing in London for five years. His stage credits included mainly histories—the three parts of Henry VI and Richard III —and comedies— The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Taming of the Shrew, The Comedy of Errors, and Love’s Labour’s Lost. Shakespeare’s first tragedy, modeled on Seneca, Titus Andronicus , was written around 1592. From that year through 1595 Shakespeare had also composed 154 sonnets and two long narrative poems in the erotic tradition— Venus  and  Adonis   and  The  Rape  of  Lucrece.  Both  his  dramatic  and  nondramatic  writing  show  Shakespeare  mastering  Elizabethan  literary  conventions.  Then,  around 1595, Shakespeare composed three extraordinary plays—R ichard II, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Romeo and Juliet —in three different genres—history, comedy, and tragedy—signalling a new mastery, originality, and excellence.  With  these  three  plays  Shakespeare  emerged  from  the  shadows  of  his  influences and initiated a period of unexcelled accomplishment. The two parts of Henry IV and Julius Caesar would follow, along with the romantic comedies The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night and the great tragedies Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra . The three plays  of  1595,  therefore,  serve  as  an  important  bridge  between  Shakespeare’s  apprenticeship and his mature achievements. Romeo and Juliet, in particular, is a crucial play in the evolution of Shakespeare’s tragic vision, in his integration of poetry and drama, and in his initial exploration of the connection between love and tragedy that he would continue in Troilus and Cressida, Othello, and Antony  and  Cleopatra.  Romeo  and  Juliet   is  not  only  one  of  the  greatest  love  stories in all literature, considering its stage history and the musicals, opera, music, ballet, literary works, and films that it has inspired; it is quite possibly the most popular play of all time. There is simply no more famous pair of lovers than Romeo and Juliet, and their story has become an inescapable central myth in our understanding of romantic love.

Despite  the  play’s  persistence,  cultural  saturation,  and  popular  appeal,  Romeo and Juliet has fared less well with scholars and critics, who have generally judged it inferior to the great tragedies that followed. Instead of the later tragedies of character Romeo and Juliet has been downgraded as a tragedy of chance, and, in the words of critic James Calderwood, the star-crossed lovers are “insufficiently endowed with complexity” to become tragic heroes. Instead “they  become  a  study  of  victimage  and  sacrifice,  not  tragedy.”  What  is  too  often missing in a consideration of the shortcomings of Romeo and Juliet by contrast with the later tragedies is the radical departure the play represented when compared to what preceded it. Having relied on Senecan horror for his first tragedy, Titus  Andronicus,  Shakespeare  located  his  next  in  the  world  of  comedy and romance. Romeo and Juliet is set not in antiquity, as Elizabethan convention dictated for a tragic subject, but in 16th-century Verona, Italy. His tragic protagonists are neither royal nor noble, as Aristotle advised, but two teenagers caught up in the petty disputes of their families. The plight of young lovers pitted against parental or societal opposition was the expected subject, since  Roman  times,  of  comedy,  not  tragedy.  By  showing  not  the  eventual  triumph  but  the  death  of  the  two  young  lovers  Shakespeare  violated  comic  conventions,  while  making  a  case  that  love  and  its  consequences  could  be  treated with an unprecedented tragic seriousness. As critic Harry Levin has observed, Shakespeare’s contemporaries “would have been surprised, and possibly shocked at seeing lovers taken so seriously. Legend, it had been hereto-fore taken for granted, was the proper matter for serious drama; romance was the stuff of the comic stage.”

Shakespeare’s innovations are further evident in comparison to his source material.  The  plot  was  a  well-known  story  in  Italian,  French,  and  English  versions. Shakespeare’s direct source was Arthur Brooke’s poem The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet (1562). This moralistic work was intended as  a  warning  to  youth  against  “dishonest  desire”  and  disobeying  parental  authority. Shakespeare, by contrast, purifies and ennobles the lovers’ passion, intensifies  the  pathos,  and  underscores  the  injustice  of  the  lovers’  destruction.  Compressing  the  action  from  Brooke’s  many  months  into  a  five-day crescendo, Shakespeare also expands the roles of secondary characters such as  Mercutio  and  Juliet’s  nurse  into  vivid  portraits  that  contrast  the  lovers’ elevated lyricism with a bawdy earthiness and worldly cynicism. Shakespeare transforms Brooke’s plodding verse into a tour de force verbal display that is supremely witty, if at times over elaborate, and, at its best, movingly expressive. If the poet and the dramatist are not yet seamlessly joined in Romeo and Juliet, the play still displays a considerable advance in Shakespeare’s orchestration of verse, image, and incident that would become the hallmark of his greatest achievements.

The play’s theme and outcome are announced in the Prologue:

Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life; Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.

Suspense over the lovers’ fate is eliminated at the outset as Shakespeare emphasizes the forces that will destroy them. The initial scene makes this clear as a public brawl between servants of the feuding Montagues and Capulets escalates to involve kinsmen and the patriarchs on both sides, ended only when the Prince of Verona enforces a cease-fire under penalty of death for future offenders of the peace. Romeo, Montague’s young son, does not participate in the scuffle since he is totally absorbed by a hopeless passion for a young, unresponsive beauty named Rosaline. Initially Romeo appears as a figure of mockery, the embodiment of the hypersensitive, melancholy adolescent lover, who  is  urged  by  his  kinsman  Benvolio  to  resist  sinking  “under  love’s  heavy  burden”  and  seek  another  more  worthy  of  his  affection.  Another  kinsman,  Mercutio, for whom love is more a game of easy conquest, urges Romeo to “be  rough  with  love”  and  master  his  circumstances.  When  by  chance  it  is  learned that Rosaline is to attend a party at the Capulets, Benvolio suggests that they should go as well for Romeo to compare Rosaline’s charms with the other beauties at the party and thereby cure his infatuation. There Romeo sees Juliet, Capulet’s not-yet 14-year-old daughter. Her parents are encouraging her  to  accept  a  match  with  Count  Paris  for  the  social  benefit  of  the  family.  Love  as  affectation  and  love  as  advantage  are  transformed  into  love  as  all-consuming, mutual passion at first sight. Romeo claims that he “ne’er saw true beauty till this night,” and by the force of that beauty, he casts off his former melancholic  self-absorption.  Juliet is  no  less  smitten.  Sending her nurse  to  learn the stranger’s identity, she worries, “If he be married, / My grave is like to be my wedding bed.” Both are shocked to learn that they are on either side of the family feud, and their risk is underscored when the Capulet kinsman, Tybalt, recognizes Romeo and, though prevented by Capulet from violence at the party, swears future vengeance. Tybalt’s threat underscores that this is a play as much about hate as about love, in which Romeo and Juliet’s passion is  increasingly  challenged  by  the  public  and  family  forces  that  deny  love’s  authority.

The  first  of  the  couple’s  two  great  private  moments  in  which  love’s  redemptive and transformative power works its magic follows in possibly the most famous single scene in all of drama, set in the Capulets’ orchard, over-looked by Juliet’s bedroom window. In some of the most impassioned, lyrical, and famous verses Shakespeare ever wrote, the lovers’ dialogue perfectly captures the ecstasy of love and love’s capacity to remake the world. Seeing Juliet above at her window, Romeo says:

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief That thou her maid art far more fair than she.

He overhears Juliet’s declaration of her love for him and the rejection of what is implied if a Capulet should love a Montague:

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name! Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet. . . . ’Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What’s Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet .So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name; And for that name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself.

In  a  beautifully  modulated  scene  the  lovers  freely  admit  their  passion  and  exchange vows of love that become a marriage proposal. As Juliet continues to be called back to her room and all that is implied as Capulet’s daughter, time and space become the barriers to love’s transcendent power to unite.

With the assistance of Friar Lawrence, who regards the union of a Montague and a Capulet as an opportunity “To turn your households’ rancour to pure  love,”  Romeo  and  Juliet  are  secretly  married.  Before  nightfall  and  the  anticipated consummation of their union Romeo is set upon by Tybalt, who is by Romeo’s marriage, his new kinsman. Romeo accordingly refuses his challenge, but it is answered by Mercutio. Romeo tries to separate the two, but in the  process  Mercutio  is  mortally  wounded.  This  is  the  tragic  turn  of  the  play  as  Romeo,  enraged,  rejects  the  principle  of  love  forged  with  Juliet  for  the claims of reputation, the demand for vengeance, and an identifi cation of masculinity with violent retribution:

My very friend, hath got this mortal hurt In my behalf; my reputation stain’d With Tybalt’s slander—Tybalt, that an hour Hath been my kinsman. O sweet Juliet, Thy beauty hath made me effeminate And in my temper soft’ned valour’s steel!

After killing Tybalt, Romeo declares, “O, I am fortune’s fool!” He may blame circumstances for his predicament, but he is clearly culpable in capitulating to the values of society he had challenged in his love for Juliet.

The lovers are given one final moment of privacy before the catastrophe. Juliet, awaiting Romeo’s return, gives one of the play’s most moving speeches, balancing sublimity with an intimation of mortality that increasingly accompanies the lovers:

Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-brow’d night; Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night And pay no worship to the garish sun.

Learning the terrible news of Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment, Juliet wins her own battle between hate and love and sends word to Romeo to keep their appointed night together before they are parted.

As Romeo is away in Mantua Juliet’s parents push ahead with her wedding to Paris. The solution to Juliet’s predicament is offered by Friar Lawrence who gives her a drug that will make it appear she has died. The Friar is to summon Romeo,  who  will  rescue  her  when  she  awakes  in  the  Capulet  family  tomb.  The Friar’s message to Romeo fails to reach him, and Romeo learns of Juliet’s death. Reversing his earlier claim of being “fortune’s fool,” Romeo reacts by declaring, “Then I defy you, stars,” rushing to his wife and breaking society’s rules by acquiring the poison to join her in death. Reaching the tomb Romeo is surprised to find Paris on hand, weeping for his lost bride. Outraged by the intrusion  on  his  grief  Paris  confronts  Romeo.  They  fight,  and  after  killing  Paris, Romeo fi nally recognizes him and mourns him as “Mercutio’s kinsman.” Inside the tomb Romeo sees Tybalt’s corpse and asks forgiveness before taking leave of Juliet with a kiss:

. . . O, here Will I set up my everlasting rest And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars From this world-wearied flesh.

Juliet  awakes  to  see  Romeo  dead  beside  her.  Realizing  what  has  happened,  she responds by taking his dagger and plunges it into her breast: “This is thy sheath; there rest, and let me die.”

Montagues, Capulets, and the Prince arrive, and the Friar explains what has happened and why. His account of Romeo and Juliet’s tender passion and devotion shames the two families into ending their feud. The Prince provides the final eulogy:

A glooming peace this morning with it brings. The sun for sorrow will not show his head. Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things; Some shall be pardon’d, and some punished; For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

The  sense  of  loss  Verona  and  the  audience  feels  at  the  lovers’  deaths  is  a  direct  result  of  Shakespeare’s  remarkable  ability  to  conjure  love  in  all  its  transcendent power, along with its lethal risks. Set on a collision course with the values bent on denying love’s sway, Romeo and Juliet manage to create a dreamlike, alternative, private world that is so touching because it is so brief and perishable. Shakespeare’s triumph here is to make us care that adolescent romance matters—emotionally,  psychologically,  and  socially—and  that  the  premature and unjust death of lovers rival in profundity and significance the fall of kings.

Romeo and Juliet Oxford Lecture by Emma Smith

Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Plays

Share this:

Categories: Drama Criticism , Literature

Tags: Analysis of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , Bibliography Of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , Character Study Of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , Criticism Of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , Drama Criticism , ELIZABEHAN POETRY AND PROSE , Essays Of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , Literary Criticism , Notes Of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , Plot Of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , Romeo and Juliet , Romeo and Juliet Analysis , Romeo and Juliet Criticism , Romeo and Juliet Drama , Romeo and Juliet Essay , Romeo and Juliet Guide , Romeo and Juliet Lecture , Romeo and Juliet Notes , Romeo and Juliet PDF , Romeo and Juliet Summary , Simple Analysis Of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , Study Guides Of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , Summary Of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , Synopsis Of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , Themes Of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , William Shakespeare

Related Articles

• Analysis of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream | Literary Theory and Criticism
• Cappello & Bedau Text | Ubiquity
• Fisher-Ari et al Full Text Volume 7 Issue 2 | Ubiquity
• Johnston Full Text Vol 7 Issue 2 | Ubiquity
• Gangi Full Text Vol 7 Issue 2 | Ubiquity
• Lowers et al Full Text Vol 7 Issue 2 | Ubiquity

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Romeo and Juliet Thesis Flashcards

Students also viewed

How to Write a Grade 9 Romeo and Juliet Essay ( WJEC Eduqas GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

English Content Creator

How to Write a Romeo and Juliet Essay

Component 1 of your Eduqas GCSE English Literature exam will include two questions on the Shakespeare play that you’ve been studying.

You will have 60 minutes to complete two Romeo and Juliet questions:

A question based on an extract from Romeo and Juliet for 15 marks

A “discursive” essay question for 25 marks

Eduqas examiners make it very clear that, while you need to learn quotations for the discursive essay question, you should not “stray beyond” the passage provided to you for the extract question. In fact, they say that students should try to explore the whole of the extract for this question, taking evidence from the beginning, middle and end of the passage.

However, even for the extract question, it is really important that you have a good knowledge of the whole play and how characters develop, so that you can make perceptive comments about how characters are presented in the extract. Understanding what a character was like prior to the extract, and how they are presented after it, will help enrich your analysis.

How do you start a Romeo and Juliet essay?

It’s always daunting when you know you have 60 minutes to write two answers. So how do you start writing? Students dread the idea of planning. Often that is because they are not sure how to make it work for them, and think it is a waste of time. But try to see it another way: with such limited time, preparation is key. 

The single most important thing you can do in order to get the highest mark on your Romeo and Juliet essay is to avoid jumping straight in before you have a firm grasp of the question. So, a plan begins with asking a simple question: what is your overall answer to the question you have been set? Once you know this, you can add some ideas about how you will support your argument with references from the play, or with evidence from the extract. For both the Eduqas extract-based question and the discursive essay, examiners award the highest marks to students who create a “coherent line of argument” and who maintain a “focus on the question” and a “critical style”. What do these phrases actually mean?

By creating a plan before you start writing, you are ensuring that your essay covers all three of these points.

Your plan for a discursive essay could look something like this:

How do you structure a Romeo and Juliet essay?

Eduqas examiners give the highest marks to students who have managed to create a “coherent line of argument” throughout their discursive essay. One of the best ways to achieve this is to formulate your own answer to the question: this is your interpretation or argument. Once you have done this, you can plan how to structure your ideas. Consider how each paragraph will analyse a different point in your argument, and choose relevant evidence from the extract or across the play to support your ideas. To achieve a Grade 9 in the discursive essay, Eduqas recommends that students include an introduction , clearly organised paragraphs and a conclusion .  If you look at the example plan above, you will see that the example plan includes a “ thesis statement ” and “ topic questions ”. See how to include these into your essay below:

Top tips for structuring your Romeo and Juliet discursive essay

Always begin with a clear thesis statement that sets out your argument:

Your thesis statement should be one or two sentences and should focus on the playwright

For a character-based question, consider what the character represents or how they convey a theme

You could consider genre; for example, the fact it is a tragedy

Include concise paragraphs in your essay:

Two or three paragraphs is enough for the extract question

Three or four paragraphs works best for the discursive essay

Including more paragraphs can result in a rambling essay that doesn’t always answer the question – less is more when writing a focused, coherent essay

Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence:

This is one sentence that sets out the argument of the paragraph

Topic sentences should always be directly related to your thesis statement

All the evidence (quotes or references) should prove your topic sentence

Finish your essay with a short conclusion:

The conclusion shouldn’t include any new evidence

As it should sum up your argument, it may help to reread your introduction

Some schools and teachers teach students a “scaffold” for writing essay paragraphs. This usually takes the form of an acronym, like PEE (Point, Evidence, Explanation).

While this is designed to help you achieve the objectives on the mark scheme, make sure it does not limit your analysis. A good idea is to use two pieces of evidence (these can be references or short quotes) in your paragraphs to better support your point. You could also comment on how the audience would respond. Eduqas examiners are looking for theatrical analysis, which means asking: “what do the audience know at this point?”, or “what are they seeing happen on stage?” Try to extend your explanation to include interpretations of the characters’ reactions, and always remember to comment on directed staging. 

To see an example of how to include these elements in your essay, see our model answer for the Eduqas Romeo and Juliet extract question , and a model answer for the Romeo and Juliet discursive essay question .

Top tips for structuring your Romeo and Juliet essay

You've read 0 of your 0 free revision notes

Get unlimited access.

to absolutely everything:

• Downloadable PDFs
• Unlimited Revision Notes
• Topic Questions
• Past Papers
• Model Answers
• Videos (Maths and Science)

Join the 100,000 + Students that ❤️ Save My Exams

the (exam) results speak for themselves:

Did this page help you?

Author: Sam Evans

Sam is a graduate in English Language and Literature, specialising in journalism and the history and varieties of English. Before teaching, Sam had a career in tourism in South Africa and Europe. After training to become a teacher, Sam taught English Language and Literature and Communication and Culture in three outstanding secondary schools across England. Her teaching experience began in nursery schools, where she achieved a qualification in Early Years Foundation education. Sam went on to train in the SEN department of a secondary school, working closely with visually impaired students. From there, she went on to manage KS3 and GCSE English language and literature, as well as leading the Sixth Form curriculum. During this time, Sam trained as an examiner in AQA and iGCSE and has marked GCSE English examinations across a range of specifications. She went on to tutor Business English, English as a Second Language and international GCSE English to students around the world, as well as tutoring A level, GCSE and KS3 students for educational provisions in England. Sam freelances as a ghostwriter on novels, business articles and reports, academic resources and non-fiction books.

ART to put a ‘bold new’ spin on ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in its 45th season

A reimagined “Romeo and Juliet,” a “Diary of a Tap Dancer,” and a fresh take on an ancient Greek epic by one of our most prolific young playwrights will highlight the 2024-25 season at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University. Three- and four-play subscriptions are now on sale for the 45th season of the ART at the Loeb Drama Center in Harvard Square.

The season opens in September with the reunited team of ART artistic director Diane Paulus and choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. They last collaborated on the Tony Award-winning “ Jagged Little Pill ,” which premiered at the ART in 2018 before moving to Broadway the following year. Cherkaoui, the acclaimed Belgian dancer who has worked with Beyonce and Madonna, will join Paulus to deliver a “bold new production” of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

Advertisement

In a statement, Paulus called her previous partnership with the choreographer “one of the most exhilarating creative collaborations of my life.” She added, “I can’t wait to bring Shakespeare’s iconic play to new life on our stage.”

Beginning in December, ART will produce the world premiere of Ayodele Casel’s “Diary of a Tap Dancer.” A blend of dance, song, and narrative directed by Torya Beard, the show will combine the story of Casel’s celebrated life in dance with nods to the legacies of the female tap dancers who preceded her. ART commissioned the play, which was developed in part during Casel’s fellowship at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute in 2019-20.

In February and March, ART will present Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Homer’s epic “Odyssey,” directed by Shana Cooper. Hamill has become a sensation for her contemporary adaptations of classics including Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” and Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women.” Her version of “The Odyssey” is expected to focus new energy not just on Odysseus but his wife, Penelope, as well.

ART plans to announce one more title in the coming weeks to complete its 2024-25 subscription series. In addition, in March and April, the theater will produce the world premiere of “Night Side Songs” at a Cambridge-area location to be announced. A “theatrical kaleidoscope” about illness and life written by the brothers Daniel and Patrick Lazour (“We Live in Cairo”), that show will be produced in association with Philadelphia Theatre Company.

James Sullivan can be reached at [email protected] .

In ‘Exhibit,’ a woman meets a ballerina and repressed desires bloom

R.O. Kwon’s second novel is about a married woman who finds freedom and possibly danger in a new relationship.

“Exhibit,” the second novel by R.O. Kwon, begins with the legend of a Korean curse. “No kisaeng, paid to sing, jig, and flirt in public, had the right to wed a Han.” So when a man from the Han family fell in love with a kisaeng, a courtesan trained to entertain wealthy men, the star-crossed lovers ended up taking their own lives, hanging from a tall pine tree.

In the present day, Korean photographer Jin Han is living in San Francisco married to a White man, her college boyfriend. She is aching for more while worried about the legend passed down through her family. “It might find me, this birthright evil. I’d flag it through a wild urge: to risk, for a futile, single love, all the ties I rated high. I had to kill this longing. If I didn’t, I’d light my life on fire.”

Sitting in a lecture given by a famed photographer, Jin listens closely. “It’s all licit, in photos,” the photographer says. “Nothing’s judged filth. Including sexual kinks, alas.” Jin, also a photographer, loves the way that light can illuminate a subject without defining it. She knows that her true desires, under closer inspection, would only get her into trouble.

It’s while considering her hidden, dangerous depths that Jin meets Lidija, an injured ballerina. Despite her chosen Russian name, Lidija is also Korean, and there’s a nonverbal connection between the two women from the start. Does Lidija know Jin, or does she just recognize her unhappiness? Jin’s ache shines off her like the chrome of a new car.

Jin’s story is broken up by the kisaeng’s story, as told to Jin by her mother. As we eventually learn, the Romeo and Juliet label isn’t so accurately applied to the legend. The reader wonders why Han’s mother tells her daughter a tale that comes across as a warning: Ask too much out of life and seek your own destruction. When Jin meets Lidija, she can’t even articulate what she wants. But it turns out Lidija is a good guesser.

Jin and her husband, Philip, have long agreed that they would never be parents, but now Philip wants a child. Jin wants it darker, as Leonard Cohen might sing. “I wish you’d hurt me,” she tells a horrified Philip. She senses that a child would be an ending. When her friend Elise, also a photographer, became a mother, “it was the last I’d heard of Elise’s hopes.”

Jin seems to have resigned herself to a life “buried, perhaps, but still living.” Philip can’t handle her desire, and she has a hard time expressing it to Lidija. Kwon is a deeply sensual writer, and Jin’s throbbing but tentative lust comes out in other ways, as in this passage suffused with food: “In Jinju, we had kelp-twined squid. I’d put on a long silk dress. Chili-spiced crab. Basil kimchi. Philip fiddled with the dress strap; he’d strip it off, at home, he said. Quince kalbi with pickled garlic. Jebi churi in rich kaenip oil. I’d turn the lights off, first.”

Kwon is also the author of “The Incendiaries,” a book about violence and faith. “Exhibit” includes references to a cult featured in the earlier novel. As Jin tells Lidija about a photo project: “I focused, I said, on a cult at Edwards, the college I’d attended. People in Jejah, this cult, had blown up abortion clinics.” Jin has lost her own faith, and her photos playing with religious themes get her into trouble with Christian groups. The only belief she has now is in the work, though she still speaks to God. Recalling Flannery O’Connor’s desirous prayer journals, she writes: “O Lord, I didn’t ask again. For so long, I’d thought, If I fell, I’d slip into a rift. But I had it wrong. Instead, I fell, then what I had pitch out of sight was all hope of finding You.”

Jin is on the search for her own personal Jesus — some strict machine that will give her life meaning. Where will she find it?

Both of Kwon’s novels bear epigraphs from the novelist Clarice Lispector. In “The Incendiaries”: “At the bottom of everything there is the hallelujah.” And in “Exhibit”: “Am I a monster or is this what it means to be human?” Lispector’s family fled to Brazil from Ukraine after World War I, when she was very young. Kwon was born in Seoul, but moved to Los Angeles when she was 3. The specter of war and its trauma haunts both writers. “Spilt life fed this soil,” Jin reflects in Korea. “I was forged in ash. It helped explain this past, the sole hostile spirit. It lent people hope to think, Oh, if I do this, I’ll escape fresh pain. It’s nothing but a tale.”

Where Lispector’s work featured an intense stream of consciousness, Kwon is reserved; she doesn’t give her reader any more than what’s required, and “Exhibit” is brief, at just about 200 pages. This kind of writing can disguise an athletic literary talent. The idea of a divided self, a way of half-living, defines this book. Even the meaning of the title suggests an art exhibit, of course, but also the question of what we show with our lives. What kind of story do we tell others, and more importantly, ourselves? “Exhibit” gives us more questions than answers. As Jin discovers, a curse can keep people in line when they strain for a truer life.

Jessica Ferri is a writer based in Berkeley, Calif., and the author, most recently, of “Silent Cities San Francisco.”

By R.O. Kwon

Riverhead. 208 pp. $28

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.