romeo and juliet introduction paragraph essay

Romeo And Juliet Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on romeo and juliet.

Romeo and Juliet is the most famous love tragedy written by William Shakespeare. This is a story of love and fate. Furthermore, the basis of this tragic love story is the Old Italian tale translated into English in the sixteenth century. The story is about two young star-crossed lovers whose death results in reconcile between their feuding families. Moreover, Romeo and Juliet is among the most frequently performed plays by Shakespeare .

Lessons of Love from Romeo and Juliet

First of all, Romeo and Juliet teach us that love is blind. Romeo and Juliet belonged to two influential families. Furthermore, these two families were engaged in a big feud among themselves. However, against all odds, Romeo and Juliet find each other and fall in love. Most noteworthy, they are blind to the fact that they are from rival families. They strive to be together in spite of the threat of hate between their families.

Another important lesson is that love brings out the best in us. Most noteworthy, Romeo and Juliet were very different characters by the end of the story than in the beginning. Romeo was suffering from depression before he met Juliet. Furthermore, Juliet was an innocent timid girl. Juliet was forced into marriage against her will by her parents. After falling in love, the personalities of these characters changed in positive ways. Romeo becomes a deeply passionate lover and Juliet becomes a confident woman.

Life without love is certainly not worth living. Later in the story, Romeo learns that his beloved Juliet is dead. At this moment Romeo felt a heart-shattering moment. Romeo then gets extremely sad and drinks poison. However, Juliet was alive and wakes up to see Romeo dead. Juliet then immediately decides to kill herself due to this massive heartbreak. Hence, both lovers believed that life without love is not worth living.

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Legacy of Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. Furthermore, the play was very popular even in Shakespeare’s lifetime. Scholar Gary Taylor believes it as the sixth most popular of Shakespeare’s plays. Moreover, Sir William Davenant of the Duke’s Company staged Romeo and Juliet in 1662. The earliest production of Romeo and Juliet was in North America on 23 March 1730.

There were professional performances of Romeo and Juliet in the mid-19th century. In 19th century America, probably the most elaborate productions of Romeo and Juliet took place. The first professional performance of the play in Japan seems to be George Crichton Miln’s company’s production in 1890. In the 20th century, Romeo and Juliet became the second most popular play behind Hamlet.

There have been at least 24 operas based on Romeo and Juliet. The best-known ballet version of this play is Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. Most noteworthy, Romeo and Juliet have a huge impact on literature. Romeo and Juliet made romance as a worthy topic for tragedy. Before Romeo and Juliet, romantic tragedy was certainly unthinkable.

Romeo and Juliet are probably the most popular romantic fictional characters. They have been an inspiration for lovers around the world for centuries. Most noteworthy, the story depicts the struggle of the couple against a patriarchal society. People will always consider Romeo and Juliet as archetypal young lovers.

Q1 State any one lesson of love from Romeo and Juliet?

A1 One lesson of love from Romeo and Juliet is that love brings out the best in us.

Q2 What makes Romeo and Juliet unique in literature?

A2 Romeo and Juliet made romance as a worthy topic for tragedy. This is what makes it unique.

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How to Write a Romeo and Juliet Essay ( OCR GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

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How to Write a Romeo and Juliet Essay

Your OCR GCSE English Literature exam will include questions on the Shakespeare play that you’ve been studying.

You will have 50 minutes to complete one Romeo and Juliet question from a choice of two options:

Either a question based on an extract (of about 40 lines) from Romeo and Juliet

Or a “discursive” essay question, which is not based on any extract

You will not have access to a copy of Romeo and Juliet for either of these two options, so it’s important that you know the plot of the play very well. Examiners want you to track themes or character development by referring to key parts of the play. A good tip is to consider the way the theme or character has been introduced, how they develop, and how the play’s ending presents them. OCR examiners state that, for the Romeo and Juliet essay, you need to use evidence from elsewhere in the play, even for the extract-based question : to get a Grade 9, it’s not enough to rely on the text from the extract. See our Romeo and Juliet Quotations and Analysis revision note page for key quotations you can use in your answer.

How do you start a Romeo and Juliet essay?

It’s always daunting when you know you have 50 minutes to write only one long answer. So how do you start writing? It might sound frightening, but the answer is: don’t start writing. With such limited time, preparation is key, so try not to rush into it.

The single most important thing you can do in order to get the highest mark on your Romeo and Juliet essay is to hold off on writing anything before you make a plan. A plan should include your general answer to the question, and then some references from across the play that will support your argument. For both the OCR 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 could look something like this:

How do you structure a Romeo and Juliet essay?

OCR Examiners give the highest marks to students who have managed to create a “coherent line of argument” throughout their essay. One of the best ways to achieve this is – before you start writing – to form 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. This means considering how each paragraph will analyse a different point in your argument, and choosing relevant evidence from across the play to support your ideas. To achieve a grade 9, OCR 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 essay

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

Your thesis statement should be one or two sentences that focus on the question you’ve been set

It can also include a reference to what you think Shakespeare’s overall message might be

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

You could consider genre:

For example, the fact that Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy

Include three or four paragraphs in your essay:

Including more paragraphs can result in a vague essay that doesn’t specifically answer the question – writing more about less leads to a coherent essay

For the extract question, remember to spend some time considering the rest of the play, such as how the character has changed or will change by the end

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

Try to reuse the words of the question, and the words in your thesis statement

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

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

This is a good way to help you achieve the objectives on the mark scheme, but do make sure it does not limit your analysis. For example, OCR examiners want to see you explore an idea thoroughly before moving onto another piece of evidence. But what does this mean? It does not mean repeating what you have said in different words. Instead, it means that you should consider the evidence you use in the wider context of the play, or a particular character’s development. For example, rather than simply analysing a metaphor in a particular line, consider if this is typical language for that character, how it may be received by other characters and, importantly, how it is delivered to the audience and what they know at this point.

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

Romeo and Juliet essay top tips

Shakespeare, William. Complete Works of William Shakespeare . Edited by Peter Alexander, HarperCollins, 1994. Accessed 26 March 2024.

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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.

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Romeo and Juliet

William shakespeare.

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Romeo and Juliet: Introduction

Romeo and juliet: plot summary, romeo and juliet: detailed summary & analysis, romeo and juliet: themes, romeo and juliet: quotes, romeo and juliet: characters, romeo and juliet: symbols, romeo and juliet: literary devices, romeo and juliet: quizzes, romeo and juliet: theme wheel, brief biography of william shakespeare.

Historical Context of Romeo and Juliet

Other books related to romeo and juliet.

• Full Title: Romeo and Juliet
• When Written: Likely 1591-1595
• Where Written: London, England
• When Published: “Bad quarto” (incomplete manuscript) printed in 1597; Second, more complete quarto printed in 1599; First folio, with clarifications and corrections, printed in 1623
• Literary Period: Renaissance
• Genre: Tragic play
• Setting: Verona, Italy
• Climax: Mistakenly believing that Juliet is dead, Romeo kills himself on her funeral bier by drinking poison. Juliet wakes up, finds Romeo dead, and fatally stabs herself with his dagger.
• Antagonist: Capulet, Lady Capulet, Montague, Lady Montague, Tybalt

Extra Credit for Romeo and Juliet

Tourist Trap. Casa di Giulietta, a 12-century villa in Verona, is located just off the Via Capello (the possible origin of the anglicized surname “Capulet”) and has become a major tourist attraction over the years because of its distinctive balcony. The house, purchased by the city of Verona in 1905 from private holdings, has been transformed into a kind of museum dedicated to the history of Romeo and Juliet , where tourists can view set pieces from some of the major film adaptations of the play and even leave letters to their loved ones. Never mind that “the balcony scene,” one of the most famous scenes in English literature, may never have existed—the word “balcony” never appears in the play, and balconies were not an architectural feature of Shakespeare’s England—tourists flock from all over to glimpse Juliet’s famous veranda.

Love Language. While much of Shakespeare’s later work is written in a combination of verse and prose (used mostly to offer distinction between social classes, with nobility speaking in verse and commoners speaking in prose), Romeo and Juliet is notable for its heady blend of poetic forms. The play’s prologue is written in the form of a sonnet, while most of the dialogue adheres strictly to the rhythm of iambic pentameter. Romeo and Juliet alter their cadences when speaking to each another, using more casual, naturalistic speech. When they talk about other potential lovers, such as Rosaline and Paris, their speech is much more formal (to reflect the emotional falsity of those dalliances.) Friar Laurence speaks largely in sermons and aphorisms, while the nurse speaks in blank verse.

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114 Romeo and Juliet Essay Titles & Examples

Looking for Romeo and Juliet essay titles? The world’s most tragic story is worth writing about!

🥀 Best Romeo and Juliet Essay Titles

🖤 romeo and juliet essay prompts.

• 🏆 Best Romeo and Juliet Essay Examples

📌 Interesting Romeo and Juliet Essay Topics

🎭 easy titles for romeo and juliet essays, 👍 exciting romeo and juliet title ideas, ❓ romeo and juliet essay questions.

Romeo and Juliet is probably the most famous tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is a story of two young lovers whose deaths reconcile their feuding families. Whether you are assigned an argumentative, persuasive, or analytical essay on this piece of literature, this article will answer all your questions. Below you’ll find Romeo and Juliet essay examples, thesis ideas, and paper topics.

• “Romeo and Juliet”: character analysis
• What role does the setting play in “Romeo and Juliet”?
• “Romeo and Juliet” and antique tradition of tragic love stories
• Theme of love in “Romeo and Juliet”
• What role does the theme of fate play in “Romeo and Juliet”?
• “Romeo and Juliet”: dramatic structure analysis
• Analyze the balcony scene in “Romeo and Juliet”
• “Romeo and Juliet”: feminist criticism
• The most famous adaptations of “Romeo and Juliet”
• “Romeo and Juliet” in the world culture

Keep reading to learn the key points you can use to write a successful paper.

• Original Italian Tale vs. Shakespeare’s Tragedy

The story described in Shakespeare’s tragedy is based on the Italian tale that was translated into English in the sixteenth century. Original version represents situations and lines from Romeo and Juliet lives.

Shakespeare added a few more main characters: Mercutio, Paris, and Tybalt. Numerous researches state that Shakespeare used three sources to write his tragedy: a novella Giulietta e Romeo by Matteo Bandello, written in 1554; a story Il Novellio, by Masuccio Salernitano; and the Historia Novellamente Ritrovata di Due Nobili Amanti, written by Luigi Da Porto.

You can learn more about these novels to find out similarities and differences between primary sources and Shakespeare’s work

• Love and Fate in Romeo and Juliet

If you’re going to write Romeo and Juliet essay on fate, read this paragraph. Fate is the fundamental concept of the plot. It makes us look at Romeo and Juliet affair as a single tragedy.

At the same time, another core element of the story is love. From the very beginning of the drama, you will clearly understand that the story will end in tragedy.

Shakespeare shows us the value of fate events.

However, love remains a crucial thematic element. The roles of Nurse, Paris, and Romeo show us a physical attraction, sympathy, and romantic affection while being the embodiment of love. Analyze what type of love is represented by each character in your essay. Explain, what do you think real love is.

• Value and Duality in Romeo and Juliet

Among the central idea to consider for your Romeo and Juliet essay titles is an issue of value and duality. Shakespeare actively uses duality in his tragedy by representing the deaths of Romeo and Juliet as reasons of tragedy in Verona, which brought new order to the city.

Friar Laurence also reveals ambiguity when he helped Romeo and thus forced young lovers to suffer in the end. The decision to marry couple had a reason to end the conflict between Montague and Capulets.

Romeo and Juliet’s example discloses happiness and blame brought by key episodes and change in society. In your writing, you may analyze how the effect of adoration had influenced Romeo, Juliet, and other people lives.

• Masculinity in Romeo and Juliet

A lot of Romeo and Juliet essay examples analyze the role of gender and masculinity in the tragedy. Mercutio is shown as a classic example of a real man: active, brave citizen.

He is a person of action. On the other hand, Romeo is described as a boy who seeks for love. Romeo and Juliet love thrown into quarreling world.

You can analyze the reasons why Romeo fights and kills Paris when finding him near Juliet body.

Covering all of the points mentioned above will help you to produce an outstanding Romeo and Juliet essay. Check the samples below to get inspiration and more ideas that you can use in your own paper.

🏆 Best Romeo and Juliet Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

• Different Types of Love Portrayed in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Term Paper In regards to this communication, the issue of romantic love between Romeo and Juliet is highlighted7. The concept of true love is no where to be seen in Romeo and Juliet’s relationship.
• The Portrayal of Fate in “Romeo and Juliet” Thus, the play Romeo and Juliet demonstrates that fate is the invisible, unavoidable force behind the entirety of the human experience.
• William Shakespeare “Romeo and Juliet” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” This paper examines romantic love as the source of joy and fulfillment in “Romeo and Juliet” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Love is the source of pain and suffering in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.
• The Renaissance Time During Romeo and Juliet Men and women performed different roles in the household; the man was responsible for farming while the woman took care of the poultry and dairy. In the upper-class, marriages were arranged and the parents chose […]
• William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” in Baz Luhrmann’s Interpretation The fragility of love in this work is contrasted with its hardness – it can be compared in quality and beauty to a cut diamond.
• Romeo and Juliet’s Analysis and Comparison With the Film Romeo Must Die It can be concluded that, in the case of the original Romeo and Juliet, the main heroes are dying, but their families reconcile.
• Franco Zeffirelli’s “Romeo and Juliet” Adaptation As the plot of the play develops and the reader gets more involved in the reading of the play, the constant need to read the stage directions has a disruptive effect on the reader’s interaction […]
• Breaking the Rules: Romeo and Juliet’s Quest for Independence Finally, the death of Romeo and Juliet puts an end to their love and is powerful enough to reconcile their feuding families.
• Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: Act 1 Scene 4 Review In this speech alone we see Mercutio in direct opposition to all of the characters in Romeo and Juliet while at the same time we are provided an alternate point of view to the ideals […]
• “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare: Play’s Concept In Romeo and Juliet, the development of characters eventually led to the tragedy of the main characters. The love of Romeo and Juliet is a remarkable love as they have to undergo many obstacles to […]
• Analysis of the Play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Another interesting scene of the production that makes it real understanding of the authors work is the casting of the romantic love between Romeo and Juliet, the physical love of the nurse and the contractual […]
• Romeo and Juliet: Analysis of Play Being a tragedy, the story narrates the challenges two lovers, Romeo and Juliet, go through due to the enmity between their respective families. For example, the story of Juliet and Romeo presents a romantic and […]
• Symbolism and Foreshadowing in “Romeo and Juliet” The love of Juliet to Romeo at the early stages is described as the “bud love, expected to grow into a beauteous flower” when the two meet later.
• Analysis of “Romeo and Juliet” Directed by Simon Godwin The actors played in the theater without an audience, and the shooting itself took two and a half weeks, but also due to the director’s attempt to combine the action on the theater stage and […]
• Personality and Maturity in the Romeo and Juliet Play by W. Shakespeare While this idea is not always true in specific cases, it can be assumed to be true in the case of Romeo and Juliet because of the ways in which they act.
• Forbidden Love in Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare From Freud’s perspective, the characters’ problems can be perceived as the result of a conflict between their superego, id and ego.
• “Romeo and Juliet”: Play and Film Preminger et al.claim that poetry is to be educative and pleasurable and both versions of “Romeo and Juliet” meet this criterion regardless of the fact that they had to appeal to the audience of a […]
• Love and Sadness in the First Act of “Romeo and Juliet” The love story of Romeo and Juliet is well known to most people, but one might forget that Romeo was initially not in love with Juliet; he met her later.
• Carlo Carlea’s Film “Romeo and Juliet” The new adaptation of my play generally made a controversial impression: the actors look suitable for their roles, but the internal theme of the play seems to be not so profoundly got.
• “Romeo and Juliet” Staged in Greek Style According to the analysis, it is evident that even though the story, plot, and characters stay the same, the change in the style of “Romeo and Juliet” will have a significant difference from the original […]
• Oh Tae-Suk’s Romeo and Juliet Oh Tae-suk is a South-Korean playwright and director, well-known for his masterful portrayal of modern Korean life and the use of the elements of the traditional Korean theater in his plays.
• What Shapes More Lovers’ “Story of Romeo and Juliet?” In Romeo and Juliet, love is the central theme of the tragedy, and the images of the protagonists are mostly shaped by the relationships and challenges they had to face.
• Friar Lawrence in “Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare The strengths of such friendships can be seen in the way Friar Laurence accepts and anticipates Romeo’s actions, showing that he is ready to hear him as a friend not as a priest, “Doth couch […]
• Nurse and Friar Laurence in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” The way Friar Laurence supported Romeo and Juliet to get Married, The way the Nurse is opposing in her regards of Romeo and Paris, When Friar Laurence clandestinely married them, the way the Nurse is […]
• Character Analysis of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” The Renaissance in Italy was a time in which historians and writers were most active, sparking a new wave of literacy in the Italian world, said to be the father of Renaissance Europe.
• “Analysis of Causes of Tragic Fate in Romeo and Juliet Based on Shakespeare’s View of Fate” by Jie Li The article is easy to read and makes a compelling case for the reasons that precipitated the tragedy in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
• “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Winter’s Tale” Comparison Because of the importance of the role of plants and trees in the two abovementioned plays, it would be reasonable to consider each of the plays in detail.
• Romeo and Juliet: The Twentieth Century This is the first scene of the play. In the mean time, Capulet learns that Juliet has fallen in love with Romeo, and he is infuriated with the behavior of her daughter.
• Relationships Among Individuals in Shakespeare’s Plays The events that take place in Athens are symbolic in the sense that they represent the sequence of events during the day whereas the events in the forest represent the dream like circumstances.
• The Saga as Old as Time: Romeo and Juliet, Vampire Style Basing partially on the plot of Romeo and Juliet story and partially on the problems that modern teenagers face, The Twilight Saga offers a number of issues that are quite topical nowadays, such as the […]
• The Interpretation of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” by Baz Luhrmann and Franco Zeffirelli
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• The Key Elements of Aristotle’s Unity of Action Theory in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
• The Love of Young Lovers in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
• The Lack of a Real Loving Connection Between Juliet and Her Own Parents in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
• The Language of Love and Death in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
• The Life-Changing Decisions During the Teen Years in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
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• The Origins of the Archetypal Themes Present in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
• The Passionate Hatred of Tybalt and the Theme of Revenge in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
• The Perceptions of Love and the Use of Language and Structure in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
• The True Meaning and Experience of Love in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
• The Relationship Between Parents and Children Presented in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
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• The Responsible for the Deaths of the Lovers in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
• The Role of Fate and Coincidence in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
• Comparing the Characters of Tybalt and Mercutio in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
• The Role and Representation of the Nurse in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
• The Significance of Mercutio in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
• The Tragic Ending of a Pair of Star Crossed Lovers in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
• The Underlying Theme and Message in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
• The Unselfish Character of Benvolio in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
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• The Use of Dramatic Irony and Other Literary Elements in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
• Young Love and Human Nature in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
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• The Use of Verbal, Situational, and Dramatic Irony in William Shakespeare’s Play “Romeo and Juliet”
• Shakespeare’s Reflections on Love in the Play “Romeo and Juliet”
• The Importance of Act Three Scene One in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
• The Use of Sonnets in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
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• How Does Shakespeare Create a Sense of Tragedy in the Final Scene of “Romeo and Juliet”?
• Are Romeo and Juliet Responsible for Their Deaths?
• How Does Shakespeare Create Drama and Tension in “Romeo and Juliet”?
• Why Does Shakespeare Create Sympathy for “Romeo and Juliet”?
• Is “Romeo and Juliet” Relevant to Modern Life?
• How Does Shakespeare Create a Dramatic Conclusion in Act Five Scene Three of “Romeo and Juliet”?
• How Are Adults Presented in “Romeo and Juliet”?
• How Are the Main Themes Presented in the Opening Sequence of Baz Luhrman’s Film “Romeo and Juliet”?
• Does “Romeo and Juliet” Deserve to Be Considered Pop Culture in the Elizabethan Era?
• Why Does “Romeo and Juliet” Attract Teenagers?
• How Did Shakespeare Introduce the Characters of “Romeo and Juliet”?
• How Does Act One Scene One Provide an Effective Opening to “Romeo and Juliet”?
• How Did Hate Cause Major Events in “Romeo and Juliet”?
• How Does Bas Luhrman’s Staging of Key Scenes “Romeo and Juliet”?
• Did Baz Luhrmann Manage to Gain Sympathy for “Romeo and Juliet” and Interest a Modern Audience?
• How Does Baz Lurhmann Make “Romeo and Juliet” More Accessible to a Modern Audience?
• How Does Conflict Manifest Itself in “Romeo and Juliet”?
• How Does Fate Affect “Romeo and Juliet”?
• Why Did Fate Lead to the Tragic Conclusion of “Romeo and Juliet”?
• How Does Lord Capulet Change Through the Course of the Play “Romeo and Juliet”?
• Why Does Love Change Romeo and Juliet’s Life?
• How Do Shakespeare Introduce Romeo and Juliet’s Relationship?
• Did Romeo and Juliet Ever Have Control Over What Happened to Them or Was It All Fate?
• How Does Shakespeare Make Romeo and Juliet Dramatically Effective?
• How Do Juliet’s Decisions Affect Her Growth and Her Relationships in “Romeo and Juliet”?
• How Does Shakespeare Portray Ambiguity in the Play “Romeo and Juliet”?
• How Are the Relationships in “Romeo and Juliet” Represented and Developed?
• Does the Film “Romeo and Juliet” Have the Same Dramatic Impact on the Audience as the Original Play?
• How Does Shakespeare Portray Love in “Romeo and Juliet”?
• How Does Shakespeare Present Conflict at the Start of “Romeo and Juliet”?
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Exemplar Essay: Fate

How does Shakespeare present the theme of fate?

Read this extract from Act 5 Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet and then answer the question that follows. At this point in the play the Friar John has returned unsuccessfully from trying to deliver Friar Laurence’s letter to Romeo.

Going to find a bare-foot brother out

One of our order, to associate me,

Here in this city visiting the sick,

And finding him, the searchers of the town,

Suspecting that we both were in a house

Where the infectious pestilence did reign,

Seal'd up the doors, and would not let us forth;

So that my speed to Mantua there was stay'd.

FRIAR LAURENCE

Who bare my letter, then, to Romeo?

I could not send it,--here it is again,--

Nor get a messenger to bring it thee,

So fearful were they of infection.

Unhappy fortune! by my brotherhood,

The letter was not nice but full of charge

Of dear import, and the neglecting it

May do much danger. Friar John, go hence;

Get me an iron crow, and bring it straight

Unto my cell.

Starting with this extract, explore how Shakespeare presents fate as a force that controls the characters.

Write about:

• how Shakespeare presents fate in this extract.

• how Shakespeare presents fate in the play as a whole.

AO4 [4 marks]

Romeo and Juliet is about how strong emotions have tragic consequences. Through the theme of fate, Shakespeare invites his audience to question how far the characters’ tragic deaths were predetermined and how far they were decided by Romeo and Juliet’s impulsive actions. He also invites the audience to consider how far their future is decided by societal norms - not fate.

In the extract, Shakespeare implies that fate has prevented the letter from reaching Friar John. In lines 5-8, Shakespeare has Friar John state that he was unable to deliver the letter due to an ‘infectious pestilence’, which resulted in the doors of Mantua being ‘sealed’. While Shakespeare does not state explicitly that it is fate that has caused the plague to hit Mantua at the very moment that Friar John needs to deliver an important letter to Romeo, his Elizabethan audience, strong believers in the power of the stars and planets to predetermine our futures, would have seen this as more than an unhappy coincidence. It does therefore seem that fate is working against Romeo and Juliet.

In the extract, Shakespeare also suggests that Friar Laurence blames fate for this unfortunate event. In line 14, Shakespeare has Friar Laurence cry ‘unhappy fortune!’. In other words, Friar Laurence is stating that it is terribly bad luck that the letter has not reached Romeo. Shakespeare’s use of the word ‘fortune’ implies that Friar Laurence blames a higher power for this coincidence. Friar Laurence’s words could echo the Elizabethan audience’s fears that fate has already decided Romeo and Juliet are doomed. Shakespeare’s choice for the letter to be undelivered creates tension for the audience, as they begin to wonder if Romeo and Juliet are drawing ever-closer to their tragic deaths.

In the prologue, Shakespeare makes clear that Romeo and Juliet are doomed to die. The first time the audience is introduced to Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare describes their love as ‘death-marked’, which immediately tells the audience that the lovers will die tragically. An Elizabethan audience, who believed in fate, would have believed it possible for Romeo and Juliet’s fate to be decided from birth. By introducing Romeo and Juliet to the audience in this way, perhaps Shakespeare invites the audience to closely scrutinise the actions taken by all of the characters and decide for themselves how far fate is to blame for the tragic deaths.

However, in the play as a whole, Romeo acts impulsively, which contributes to his tragic downfall. The moment he meets Juliet, Romeo forgets Rosaline, his previous love, and asks ‘did my heart love till now?’. This surprising and impulsive change of mind is a stark example of the tragic flaw that leads Romeo towards his death, and is just the first of many similar actions: Romeo marries Juliet the day after meeting her; he murders Tybalt without thinking of the consequence threatened by Prince Escalus; he rushes to Verona with poison and takes it before Juliet wakes. Shakespeare’s presentation of Romeo in this way indicates that Romeo’s depth of passion and emotion are partly to blame for the speed at which he and Juliet are catapulted towards their deaths. If Romeo had been able to think more clearly and rationally rather than rushing to action before considering the consequences, perhaps some of the tragedy could have been avoided.

Also in the play as whole, Shakespeare explores how the restrictions of arranged marriage force Juliet closer to her tragic death. Unlike Romeo, whose impulsive actions are within his control as a man in the Elizabethan era, Juliet’s future is out of her hands. Before the audience meets Juliet in person, we witness a discussion about her between Lord Capulet and Paris. Although Lord Capulet is protective over Juliet, urging Paris to wait for two more years as Juliet is still a ‘stranger in the world’, he does consent to Paris wooing Juliet before asking Juliet’s views. It is clear, therefore, that Juliet has limited say in her future. The audience cannot help but wonder how the marriage between Romeo and Juliet can end happily, given that she has chosen her own suitor and has gone as far as to choose the son of her father’s arch-enemy. Later in the play, when Lord Capulet decides to speed up the marriage, Juliet is pressured to take action. Knowing that she will ‘hang, beg, starve, die in the streets’ if she refuses to marry Paris, Juliet feels she has no option but to consent, and plan an escape. Perhaps if Lord Capulet had not chosen to bring the marriage forward by two years, Juliet may have had an opportunity to be reunited with Romeo. Shakespeare could therefore be challenging traditional patriarchal attitudes to marriage, in which the daughter has limited say over her husband, because this is arguably a contributing factor in Juliet’s death.

In conclusion, it is clear that there are many references to fate within the play that indicate a higher power could be dictating Romeo and Juliet’s future but Shakespeare’s presentation of Romeo’s tragic flaw and arranged marriage certainly invite the audience to consider how far events may have played out differently if the characters had made different decisions.

In the extract, Shakespeare suggests that fate has prevented the letter from reaching Friar John. In lines 5-8, Shakespeare has Friar John state ‘Where the infectious pestilence did reign, Seal'd up the doors’. In other words, Friar John is saying that he couldn’t deliver the letter because he wasn’t allowed into Mantua dye to the plague. Although Shakespeare does not state that fate has stopped Friar John from delivering the letter, it is hinted at. His Elizabethan audience, who believed that the stars and planets could decide their futures, would have believed that fate stopped Friar John from delivering the letter. Therefore it does seem that fate is working against Romeo and Juliet.

In the extract, Shakespeare also suggests that Friar Laurence blames fate. In line 14, Shakespeare has Friar Laurence cry ‘unhappy fortune!’. In other words, Friar Laurence is stating that it is very bad luck that the letter has not reached Romeo. Shakespeare’s use of the word ‘fortune’ implies that Friar Laurence blames a higher power for this. The Elizabethan audience would have understood why Friar Laurence blames a higher power because they believed in fate. Shakespeare’s choice for the letter to be undelivered creates tension for the audience because they begin to wonder if Romeo and Juliet will soon die.

In the prologue, Shakespeare makes clear that Romeo and Juliet are doomed to die. The first time the audience is introduced to Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare describes their love as ‘death-marked’, which immediately tells the audience that the lovers will not lead long and happy lives. An Elizabethan audience, who believed in fate, would have believed it was possible for Romeo and Juliet’s fate to be decided from birth. Shakespeare could have described Romeo and Juliet as ‘death-marked’ because he wanted his audience to think very carefully about the actions the characters take and decide if it was fate or their own choices that caused them to die.

However, in the play as a whole, Romeo acts impulsively, which contributes to his death. When Romeo sees Juliet at the Capulet ball, Shakespeare has him ask ‘did my heart love till now?’. This question is very surprising because moments earlier Romeo was claiming to be madly in love with Rosaline. This reveals that Romeo is impulsive and quickly changes his mind. We also see that Romeo is impulsive when he kills Tybalt and when he takes the poison at Juliet’s tomb. Shakespeare presents Romeo as impulsive because he wants to show how dangerous it can be when you act quickly on your feelings without thinking about the consequences. It could be argued that Romeo’s impulsive actions are the cause of his death rather than fate.

Also in the play as whole, Shakespeare presents Juliet’s arranged marriage as a cause of her death. Unlike Romeo, Juliet is not able to choose who she marries. When Juliet refuses to marry Paris, Shakespeare has Lord Capulet order her to ‘hang, beg, starve, die in the streets’. Shakespeare’s use of violent language demonstrates how trapped Juliet is because, if she chooses not to marry Paris, she will be thrown out and left to die. As a result of Lord Capulet rushing the marriage, Juliet asks for Friar Laurence’s help to fake her own death. Because of her faking her own death and the letter not reaching Romeo, he thinks she is actually dead and kills himself. Maybe if Juliet hadn’t been told she was going to marry Paris straight away, she might have had time to reunite with Romeo properly, which could have stopped her death. Shakespeare could therefore be suggesting that Juliet’s arranged marriage caused her death, rather than fate. Perhaps he wanted to challenge traditional views towards marriage in the Elizabethan era.

Introduction

Shakespeare is largely considered to be the greatest writer in the English language. Though we may find his writing an eloquent maze of prose today, we must remember that he was writing to every class and creed. 400 years in the future, a literary scholar may marvel over the complexity of rhyme and rhythm of a Jay Z song as we marvel over Shakespeare’s Sonnets.  In his lifetime, William Shakespeare wrote thirty-nine plays, most of which are still read and performed today. Romeo and Juliet is one of the best known, and yet Shakespeare did not invent the story. The tragic tale of two star-crossed lovers existed for a few hundred years before Shakespeare took a stab at it, and audiences in the early modern era were familiar with the story before setting foot in the theater. It might seem surprising to modern audiences that this story wasn’t treading any new ground at the time of its “conception,” and some might wonder why the brilliant and mighty Shakespeare might have retold a story whose twisted ending came as no surprise to its audience. Shakespeare apparently felt driven to write the narrative all over again, and something about his version impacted audiences so intensely that it is today considered one of the greatest stories ever told. Why is it that Shakespeare’s version affected his audience deeply enough that it is still firmly lodged in the literary cannon? What about this story is so enduring? And most importantly: why is it so popular?

The time period in which Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet debuted was one of particular distress and turmoil. At the time, England was ravaged by the Bubonic Plague, which had a fatality rate of 50%. Theaters were closed during mass outbreaks, which likely impacted Shakespeare financially, since he lived off the revenue from theater admissions to his plays. England was also in the grips of the Catholic-Protestant divide, which often erupted into violence. Romeo and Juliet was written, directed, and enjoyed during a time characterized by fear, tension, and disease, effectively making it a play for people of any era, who grapple with their own catastrophes and terrors. The role of theatre and literature (in society at large. and in…ahem…classrooms) is hotly debated, and we cannot claim to have a definitive answer to this age-old question. We can, however, assert that the endurance of plays such as this one speaks to their ability to move people, to speak to them in ways that inspire their preservation through the ages. And so, we became inspired to make this age-old classic more readily accessible to you, both in the digital format that has made its way onto your screens, or paper copies that you hold in your hands, and in way that the content has been carefully collected and presented.

Our Process

In an effort funded through Open Oregon State and with support from Oregon State’s School of Writing, Literature, and Film, a group of 20 students, led by Dr. Rebecca Olson, crafted this edition of Romeo and Juliet with the vision that it be easily read and accessed by high school students everywhere. As a group, we decided upon a set of guiding principles, which included an effort to modernize spellings that are no longer in use, encourage your interaction with the text, and support the Shakespeare-related Common Core educational goals. Above all, we hope that this edition will allow you, the reader, to move through the text with little need to stop and look up an unfamiliar word, or to try and figure out what in the world a “Lanthorne” is (it’s an old-fashioned word for “lantern.” Could you imagine using that word for a lantern? Neither could we, so we changed it).

To put all this together, we created a set of guidelines to get us started. We decided which text versions of the play to use as primary sources and we settled on using one Quarto and the First Folio1. We decided that we wanted to include some very important things like footnotes—necessary to clarify some words and concepts, but often intimidating and numerous—but we determined that we’d keep them brief and use them only when necessary. We also decided on some more mundane things, like the font we wanted, which is clean and easily readable instead of that nasty Times New Roman. What ever happened to Times Old Roman anyway? We made countless other decisions at the outset of this project, and after establishing these ground rules we separated into editing groups, each focusing on a particular act within the play.

When the groups had completed their edited acts, we met again as a large group to review all the work together. It was at this time that we discovered how differently each editing group had approached our individual edited acts and scenes, while still following the same set of established guidelines.  Should we use bold for the character names?  How much white space should we include?  Should there be one space after a line of dialogue, or two?  How far should we indent the stage directions? What is the impact of these seemingly trivial questions on the experience of the reader?  The team set out to analyze these and many other questions. Our deliberations were lengthy, and at times unexpectedly heated. We learned much about ourselves (and about our apparent passion for uniform margins and un-bolded character names).

After arranging our edition into a single, consistent document, we set out to consider the other requirements that go along with creating a new edition of an old work. We again separated into groups to address the facets of this project. There was a group to draft out scene and location summaries; a group to establish the technical formatting of the finished work; a group to reach out to high school teachers and students to better understand their needs and concerns when engaging with a canonical work such as Romeo and Juliet ; and a group to ensure that there was consistency in formatting throughout the edition. We also created a group to draft this introduction. We also identified individuals to work on creating the cover of this edition (which, we are sure you will agree, is top notch). With the groupings settled, and the work underway, the edition that you hold in your very hands (or upon your very screen) began to take shape.

In 2020, another class, led by Dr. Olson, has endeavored to recraft this edition. We have added sensitivity footnotes to represent changing opinions and social standards. We have also put a lot of energy into creating supplemental material for students and teachers alike as they become more familiar and comfortable with reading Shakespeare.

We recognize that there are numerous other editions out there, and fervently hope that this one will be effectively suited to your educational needs. But this may beg the question: why are there so many editions? Why not just use the original? Great question!  The answer is that there not just one original edition. The idea of a singular “original” Shakespeare text is a common misunderstanding. Shakespeare was a 17th Century playwright, so he didn’t necessarily intend his works to be published for broad literary audiences–most published versions were printed after his death. This being the case, there is much debate regarding the authority of different published versions. In the particular instance of Romeo and Juliet , there are multiple versions, all of which can be seen as authentic or “original,” but are dissimilar from each other in sometimes slight and sometimes significant ways. Some scholars believe that people who attended the play numerous times and recorded the dialogue in writing produced the earliest versions of the texts. Others believe that these texts were generated by a few of the play actors. Theories abound regarding the original production. Maybe several of them are correct, maybe none, but whatever the case, this allows modern editors to have a selection of authentic Shakespearean texts to draw from, which leads to some distinct differences from one edition to the next. (Spoiler alert!) Did Juliet awaken before Romeo was fully dead? The text seems to indicate that she didn’t, but others have interpreted it differently. This play has passed through the hands of many, many editors through the centuries, all of whom have left their own distinct marks; our hope is that our varied perspectives and orientation toward our readers’ needs will result in an edition that is relatable in the events and motivations of characters that you will encounter.

Shakespeare’s Language

Shakespeare is famous for his plays. He is famous for the emotions and the responses that these plays inspire in those who interact with them. He is credited with creating over 1700 original words alone in the English language (you’re welcome, Jessica). And so, when we’re considering Shakespeare, we’re not looking just at the play, or the performance, or its history—we’re looking at the language.

Language has acted as Shakespeare’s central tool in creating some of the world’s greatest literary compositions. Both a powerful playwright and literary icon, the fundamental aspects of what makes Shakespeare’s work Shakespeare’s work in the first place—and what continues to perpetuate his worldwide fame—can be understood in some of his most recognizable moments. The average North American high school student can identify Romeo and Juliet as the source of  “Wherefore art thou, Romeo?” as easily as they can fail a math test.

When we started out to create the world’s most accessible version of Romeo and Juliet , the biggest question that we were tasked to answer was: how do we treat the language? What needs to be changed? Should the text be completely modernized—removing early modern English altogether? What about iambic pentameter—the rhythmic meter that makes poetry of Shakespeare’s words? Is it necessary to preserve a rhythm that doesn’t seem so universal without the archaic pronunciation of the words within? Where does the line between historical preservation and accessibility meet, and how do we land at that crossroad?

The language in this edition is thus a compilation of the First Folio and Quarto, as well as the collective minds of dozens of students working diligently to achieve clarity and ensure comprehension. The language has been only slightly altered, so as to maintain Shakespeare’s original intent, and in order to also appeal to a more modern audience; punctuation has been updated where appropriate; spellings have been modernized. But the story is the same. The famous, dramatic, moving story of a forbidden love and its original contexts remains. If we have changed anything, it is so that such a story can be loved and adored (though, perhaps with a bit more reserve than either Romeo or Juliet display toward one another) and can be read by many, many more people.

Romeo and Juliet On Stage

“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks” is probably one of the most quoted and easily recognizable lines of Shakespeare. Good ol’ Romeo and Juliet have been around for centuries, brought to life again and again through the text that houses them. This text is read in high schools, watched on the stage, adapted for film, and even re-written in terms of a text conversation. But where did it all begin?

Originally, Romeo and Juliet was designed to be played on a thrust stage, which extends into the audience, allowing viewers to watch from three sides. Scenery was sparse to allow for quick action and a focus on the carefully crafted language. There was a rear balcony staged as Juliet’s window and a trapdoor for her tomb. The play ran briefly in London following the Restoration of Charles II when William Davenant, acclaimed “son of Shakespeare” (whether literary or biological, we’re still not sure), presented it at Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

Several adaptations made their way around, including a version set in ancient Rome and a version in which a father and daughter played the titular characters in 1744, which was not widely accepted (for obvious reasons, we think). In 1748, David Garrick, a man renowned in the world of theatre, staged a production of Romeo and Juliet at Drury Lane and removed all sexual references and jokes present in the text. Why someone would take the best bits out we do not know. However, this version became the standard for the next century.

When Shakespeare was staging performances of Romeo and Juliet , most all actors were men, which means that Juliet was traditionally played by men dressed up as women. This tradition persisted until the late 17th century. By the 19th century, playing the role of Juliet became an actress’s marker of success in the theatrical world, and by the mid-19th century women were even allowed to take on the role of Romeo as well.

Throughout the 1900s, several noted playwrights and producers adapted and toured the play. William Poel of the Elizabethan Stage Society created a version chock-full of fast-paced action and complicated stage directions, or blocking. Before directing the 1968 film version of the play, Franco Zeffirelli created an adaptation of the original script for the stage, and then his film premiered in 1968 at the Old Vic Theatre in London. The Old Vic was traditionally a venue for live theater, and had never before hosted a film screening. The Italian renaissance setting at the Old Vic was so realistic and natural that audience members were awed by the never-before-seen representational style of stepping into a virtual snapshot of Verona.

The film was adapted again for Baz Luhrman’s 1996 Romeo + Juliet , a lush cinematic experience that exemplified Lurhman’s decadent style. This version, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, brought the tale of tragic romance to a whole new generation of teenagers. To this day, the play is read, performed, and referenced at a massive scale, but echoes of the original production linger.

Reading Romeo and Juliet Today

The challenge presented to us in our editing of the second edition was simple: How to edit the text in a way that creates total accessibility. We were then presented with articles and journal entries speaking on the implied biases rooted deep within historical texts, including the one we present to you now. The task proved to be much more difficult than anticipated. The questions had much more nuanced solutions that required extensive discussion on how to effectively combat this biased writing. Questions like: Do we change the vocabulary? Can we remove iambic pentameter? What do we do with insensitive language? Through much deliberation, we decided to keep the core language used while adapting footnotes expressing the problematic usage of specific words and phrases. These “sensitivity footnotes” are meant to explain exactly why and how the noted section exercises human biases. We don’t want to ignore the problems of the past but recognize them and learn from them.

While everyone in the class acknowledged discomfort at passages that use human beings as a comparison base for worth, there was also a discomfort in changing the language. The language was problematic, but why hesitate? Through this awkward period, we decided to keep the language as a learning opportunity. It is important to look back on the problems of the past and see the harm caused by the bias infused writing. In order to counter those biases, the sensitivity footnotes have been added in their respective passages. These footnotes are meant to inform you where and how biases are slipped into the pages that have been read for centuries.

While we’re on the subject of important social ramifications of the play, we feel it’s important to talk about the crux of the play’s tragedy: the choice Romeo and Juliet make to die by suicide. To some it can seem strange, absurd, or even silly. Why would anyone kill themselves over someone they met only earlier that same week?

The suicides of Romeo and Juliet suggest that their love and subsequent marriage were more than the result of the exaggerated emotions of a first love. What other, less obvious factors were at play? What would drive someone to make the worst and most permanent of all mistakes? Rather than attempt to answer this question that has followed this text around like a phantom, we’ll leave you with some questions that help us contemplate the complicated tangle of intention and action in this play: How did Juliet view her future after being forced to marry someone she barely knew? Maybe Romeo felt locked into the family feud and was looking for an escape? By seriously considering the motivations that led these characters to a tragic end, can we learn how to better respond to those situations that inspire feelings of powerlessness?

We also wanted to recognize the medium of this work. A play is more than words on a page; a play is a story full of feelings and experiences that the actors and the audience bring to the table. A play like Romeo and Juliet is an experience that captivates and challenges the imaginations of people across generations, across centuries. Romeo and Juliet is not a static story about a boy and a girl. It is an open story about love between two people—a story that adapts and changes in the minds and bodies that contemplate and reenact it. We believe this play offers a chance to explore what love can actually mean, from a wide variety of genders, sexual orientations, and experiences. It is a story about the tragedies and triumphs of love, and its special power lies in its ability to inspire contemplation of these ideas in all who encounter it.

Slowly but surely, our world is warming up to the idea that love is universal regardless of the identity of the bodies involved with it. More and more, people are exploring characters with more flexible categories of analysis, opening up new (or centuries-old) avenues of sexuality that challenge a heterosexual-dominant narrative. Actors of all ages are subverting historically gendered roles to inspire audiences to question their implicit assumptions. Players and playgoers are not disregarding what these stories were, but are imagining new possibilities for what these stories could be. In other words, it can be tempting to think that the script is rigidly set, but in actuality there is a real freedom in the performance. We encourage students and teachers alike to embrace that freedom, to widen their perspectives and see Romeo and Juliet (and plays in general) as tools to help explore what it means to be human.

In any case, we’ll leave the answering of those questions to you. Just as we have enjoyed Romeo and Juliet in its many forms, and from the many angles through which we have viewed it, we hope that you will enjoy this newly revised edition!

The Editors

Corvallis, Oregon

December 2020

Romeo and Juliet Copyright © 2021 by Rebecca Olson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Romeo and Juliet

By william shakespeare, romeo and juliet essay questions.

In what way do Romeo and Juliet break gender conventions? How do these roles fluctuate throughout the play?

At the beginning of the play, the young lovers' behavior reverses common gender conventions – Romeo acts in a way that his friends call feminine, while Juliet exhibits masculine qualities. Romeo is by no means an archetypal Elizabethan man; he is disinterested in asserting his physical power like the other male characters in the play. Instead, Romeo chooses to stew in his pensive melancholy. On several instances, Romeo's companions suggest that his introspective behavior is effeminate. On the other hand, Juliet exhibits a more pronounced sense of agency than most female characters in Shakespeare's time. While the women around her, like her mother, blindly act in accordance with Lord Capulet's wishes, Juliet proudly expresses her opinion. Even when she has lost a battle (like when Lord Capulet insists she consider marrying Paris), she demonstrates a shrewd ability to deflect attention without committing to anything. In her relationship with Romeo, Juliet clearly takes the lead by insisting on marriage and proposing the plan to unite them. As the play progresses, Romeo starts to break out of his pensive inaction to the point that Mercutio notices this change. Romeo also makes a great shift from his cowardly attempt at suicide in Act III to his willful decision in Act V. Overall, Romeo and Juliet are arguably a good match because they are so distinct. Juliet is headstrong, while Romeo is passive until passion strikes and inspires him to action.

Contrast Romeo's attempted suicide in Act 3 with his actual suicide in Act 5. How do these two events reveal changes in his character and an evolving view of death?

Romeo considers suicide in both Act 3 and Act 5. In Act 3, Romeo's desire to take his own life is a cowardly response to his grief over killing Tybalt. He is afraid of the consequences of his actions and would rather escape the world entirely than face losing Juliet. Both Friar Laurence and the Nurse criticize Romeo for his weakness and lack of responsibility - taking the knife from his hands. In contrast, Romeo actually does commit suicide in Act V because he sees no other option. He plans for it, seeking out the Apothecary before leaving Mantua, and kills himself out of solidarity with Juliet, not because he is afraid. While suicide is hardly a defensible action, Romeo's dual attempts to take his life reveal his growing maturity and his strengthened moral resolve.

Several characters criticize Romeo for falling in love too quickly. Do you believe this is true? Does his tendency towards infatuation give the audience occasion to question Romeo's affection for Juliet?

This question obviously asks for a student opinion, but there is evidence to support both sides of the argument. In Act 2, Friar Laurence states his opinion that Romeo does indeed fall in love too quickly. Romeo is arguably in love with being in love more than he is in love with any particular woman. The speed with which his affections shift from Rosaline to Juliet – all before he ever exchanges a word with the latter – suggests that Romeo's feelings of 'love' are closer to lust than commitment. This interpretation is supported by the numerous sexual references in the play, which are even interwoven with religious imagery in Romeo and Juliet's first conversation. However, it also possible to argue that Romeo's lust does not invalidate the purity of his love. Romeo and Juliet celebrates young, passionate love, which includes physical lust. Furthermore, whereas Romeo was content to pine for Rosaline from afar, his love for Juliet forces him to spring into action. He is melancholy over Rosaline, but he is willing to die for Juliet. Therefore, a possible reading is that Romeo and Juliet's relationship might have been sparked by physical attraction, but it grew into a deep, spiritual connection.

Examine the contrast between order and disorder in Romeo and Juliet . How does Shakespeare express this dichotomy through symbols, and how do those motifs help to underline the other major themes in the play?

The contrast between order and disorder appears from the Prologue, where the Chorus tells a tragic story using the ordered sonnet form. From that point onwards, the separation between order and disorder is a common theme. Ironically, violence and disorder occurs in bright daylight, while the serenity of love emerges at night. The relationship between Romeo and Juliet is uncomplicated without the disorderly feud between their families, which has taken over the streets of Verona. The contrast between order and disorder underscores the way that Shakespeare presents love - a safe cocoon in which the lovers can separate themselves from the unpredictable world around them. At the end of the play, it becomes clear that a relationship based on pure love cannot co-exist with human weaknesses like greed and jealousy.

Many critics note a tonal inconsistency in Romeo and Juliet . Do you find the shift in tone that occurs after Mercutio's death to be problematic? Does this shift correspond to an established structural tradition or is it simply one of Shakespeare's whims?

After the Prologue until the point where Mercutio dies in Act III, Romeo and Juliet is mostly a comic romance. After Mercutio dies, the nature of the play suddenly shifts into tragedy. It is possible that this extreme shift is merely the product of Shakespeare's whims, especially because the play has many other asides that are uncharacteristic of either comedy or tragedy. For example, Mercutio's Queen Mab speech is dreamy and poetic, while the Nurse's colorful personality gives her more dimension than functional characters generally require. However, it is also possible to see the parallels between this tonal shift and the play's thematic contrast between order and disorder. Shakespeare frequently explored the human potential for both comedy and tragedy in his plays, and it is possible that in Romeo and Juliet , he wanted to explore the transition from youthful whimsy into the complications of adulthood. From this perspective, the play's unusual structure could represent a journey to maturity. Romeo grows from a petulant teenager who believes he can ignore the world around him to a man who accepts the fact that his actions have consequences.

Eminent literary critic Harold Bloom considers Mercutio to be one of Shakespeare's greatest inventions in Romeo and Juliet . Why do you agree or disagree with him? What sets Mercutio apart?

One of Shakespeare's great dramatic talents is his ability to portray functional characters as multi-faceted individuals. Mercutio, for example, could have served a simple dramatic function, helping the audience get to know Romeo in the early acts. Then, his death in Act 3 is a crucial plot point in the play, heightening the stakes and forcing Romeo to make a life-changing decision. Mercutio barely appears in Arthur Brooke's Romeus and Juliet , which Romeo and Juliet is based on. Therefore, Shakespeare made a point of fleshing out the character. In Mercutio's Queen Mab speech, Shakespeare has the opportunity to truly delve into the bizarre and often dangerous sexual nature of love. Further, Mercutio's insight as he dies truly expresses the horrors of revenge, as he declares a plague on both the Montague and Capulet families. He is the first casualty of their feud - and because he transcends functionality, the audience mourns his untimely death and can relate to Romeo's capricious revenge.

How does Shakespeare use symbols of gold and silver throughout the play? What does each element represent?

Shakespeare uses gold and silver as symbols to criticize human folly. He often invokes the image of silver to symbolize pure love and innocent beauty. On the other hand, he uses gold as a sign of greed or desire. For example, Shakespeare describes Rosaline as immune to showers of gold, an image that symbolizes the selfishness of bribery. Later, when Romeo is banished, he comments that banishment is a "golden axe," meaning that banishment is merely a shiny euphemism for death. Finally, the erection of the golden statues at the end of the play is a sign of the fact that neither Lord Capulet nor Lord Montague has really learned anything from the loss of their children. They are still competing to claim the higher level of grief. Romeo, however, recognizes the power of gold and rejects it - through him, Shakespeare suggests a distinction between a world governed by wealth and the cocoon of true love.

Do a character analysis of Friar Laurence. What motivates him? In what ways does this motivation complicate his character?

Friar Laurence is yet another character who transcends his functional purpose. When Romeo first approaches the Friar to plan his marriage to Juliet, the older man questions the young man's sincerity, since Romeo openly pined for Rosaline only a few days before. However, the Friar shows a willingness to compromise by agreeing to marry the young lovers nevertheless. What ultimately motivates Friar Laurence is his desire to end the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues, and he sees Romeo and Juliet's marriage as a means to that end. While his peaceful intentions are admirable, his devious actions to achieve them – conducting a marriage that he explicitly questions – suggests he is more driven by politics than by an internal moral compass. The fact that a religious figure would compromise one of the Church's sacraments (marriage) further suggests that the Friar wants his power to extend beyond the confines of his Chapel. He also displays his hubris by helping Juliet to fake her death, rather than simply helping her get to Mantua to be with Romeo. While Friar Laurence is not an explicit villain, his internal contradictions speak to Shakespeare's ability to create multi-faceted characters.

Should Romeo and Juliet be considered a classical tragedy (in which fate destroys individuals)? Or is it more a tragedy of circumstance and personality? Moreover, could the tragic ending of Romeo and Juliet have been avoided?

In classical tragedy, an individual is defeated by Fate, despite his or her best efforts to change a pre-determined course of events. A classical tragedy both celebrates an individual's willpower while lamenting the fact that the universe cannot be bested by mankind. The tragic elements in Romeo and Juliet are undeniable - two young lovers want nothing more than to be together and fall victim to an ancient feud and rigid societal conventions. However, while Romeo and Juliet's deaths result from human folly, the immovable power of fate also has a hand in sealing their destinies. For instance, Romeo and Juliet had many opportunities to simply run away together instead of being separated after Romeo is banished from Verona. Furthermore, many of the tragic occurrences are contingent on antagonistic characters running into one another, and then choosing to pursue vengeance rather than simply walk away. Based on this evidence, it is possible to read Shakespeare's intent as suggesting that behavioral adjustment can often prevent tragic events.

How is Romeo and Juliet a criticism of organized religion? Examine the play's secularism to develop your answer.

While Romeo and Juliet does not present explicit attacks against religion, Shakespeare reveals his skepticism of Christianity in subtle ways. In many ways, Romeo and Juliet must reject the tenets of Christianity in order to be together. In their first meeting, they banter, using religious imagery to share their sexual feelings. In this exchange, the lovers acknowledge the omnipresence of Christianity, but cheekily use religious images in an unexpected context. Further, Christian tradition would have required Juliet to submit to her father's desire, but instead, she manipulates his expectations to distract him from her real agenda. Even Friar Laurence, an explicitly religious figure, uses Christianity as a tool towards his own ends. In this way, the play implicitly suggests that the rigid rules of religion often work in opposition to the desires of the heart - and to pursue true happiness, one must throw off the shackles of organized faith.

Romeo and Juliet Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Romeo and Juliet is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Can you find verbal irony in the play? Where?

One example of verbal irony would be Romeo's reference to the poison he has purchased as a "sweet medicine". A cordial is a sweet liquor or medicine.

Come, cordial and not poison, go with me To Juliet's grave; for there must I use thee.

What do we learn about Mercutio in queen man speech?

The whole speech is based on pagan Celtic mythology. Mercutio’s speech is laced with sexual innuendo. The words “queen” and “mab” refer to whores in Elizabethan England. As his speech goes on we notice the subtext get increasingly sexual...

What does Romeo fear as he approaches Capulet house? What literary device would this be an example of?

Romeo feels something bad is going to happen.

I fear too early, for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars

Looks like foreshadowing to me!

Study Guide for Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Romeo and Juliet
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Essays for Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

• Unity in Shakespeare's Tragedies
• Fate in Romeo and Juliet
• Romeo and Juliet: Under the Guise of Love
• The Apothecary's Greater Significance in Romeo and Juliet
• Romeo and Juliet: Two Worlds

Lesson Plan for Romeo and Juliet

• About the Author
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• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
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• Related Links
• Romeo and Juliet Bibliography

E-Text of Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet e-text contains the full text of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Romeo and Juliet — The Role of Fate in “Romeo & Juliet” by William Shakespeare

The Role of Fate in "Romeo & Juliet" by William Shakespeare

• Categories: Fate Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare

About this sample

Words: 707 |

Published: Mar 1, 2019

Words: 707 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

The essay explores the theme of fate in Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet," emphasizing how both fate and human actions contribute to the tragic outcome of the star-crossed lovers. The analysis highlights that while Romeo and Juliet's love is strong, they are ultimately powerless against the forces of destiny and human errors.

Fate is portrayed as an uncontrollable and omnipresent force that shapes the characters' lives. The Prologue sets the stage by declaring that the lovers' fate is "marked for death," suggesting their destiny was predetermined from the beginning. Romeo himself acknowledges this when he speaks of an "unknown danger hanging in the stars," emphasizing the idea that life events are written in the stars and beyond individual control.

The essay also emphasizes the role of human actions in influencing the tragic fate of Romeo and Juliet. Examples include the illiterate servant who inadvertently leads Romeo to the Capulet party, Friar John's failure to deliver a crucial message, and Old Capulet's decision not to eject Romeo from the party. These actions, seemingly unrelated, contribute to the unfolding tragedy.

“Romeo and Juliet” Essay: Hook Examples

• A Fateful Encounter: Step into Verona and witness the moment when two star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, first set eyes on each other, igniting a timeless tale of love and tragedy.
• The Power of Forbidden Love: Explore the theme of forbidden love as Romeo and Juliet defy their feuding families, highlighting the enduring allure of love that knows no boundaries.
• Shakespeare’s Timeless Poetry: Delve into the eloquent language and poetic verses of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, “Romeo and Juliet,” and uncover the profound emotions and themes hidden within.
• The Tragic Flaw of Impulsiveness: Examine how the impulsive actions of the young lovers, Romeo and Juliet, lead to their ultimate tragedy, shedding light on the consequences of rash decisions in the name of love.
• A Tale of Immortal Love: Discover why “Romeo and Juliet” endures as one of the most beloved love stories in literature, transcending time and culture, and capturing the hearts of readers and audiences for generations.

Works Cited

• Bloom, H. (Ed.). (2010). Romeo and Juliet. Infobase Publishing.
• Greenblatt, S. (Ed.). (2016). The Norton Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Holland, P. (2000). Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: The Relationship between Text and Film. Teaching English, 2(1), 3-9.
• Levin, F. R. (2012). Love and Death in Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare Quarterly, 63(1), 36-54.
• Mowat, B. A., & Werstine, P. (Eds.). (2019). Romeo and Juliet. Simon and Schuster.
• Shakespeare, W. (1597). Romeo and Juliet. First Folio.
• Starks, L. D. (2004). Romeo and Juliet: A Text to Film Comparison. The English Journal, 93(3), 65-70.
• Thompson, A. (2015). Romeo and Juliet: A Critical Reader. Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Wells, S., & Orlin, L. (Eds.). (2003). Shakespeare: An Oxford Guide. Oxford University Press.
• Zeffirelli, F. (Director). (1968). Romeo and Juliet [Film]. Paramount Pictures.

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