Romeo and Juliet Themes
Uploaded by matty on Nov 11, 2007
In the play Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, there are many key and issues. Some of these themes are the power of love, and all of its different forms, the inevitability of fate, and the battle between social constraints and personal desires. Shakespeare shows the power of love, and how love is not always peaceful, but can blind people nearly as much as strong hate. Shakespeare also shows how many people will judge people on their outer identity, such as a name, and not see their inner identity. This essay will now explore these key themes and issues.
Romeo and Juliet is considered as one of the most famous love stories ever written. Naturally, love, and all of its different forms, becomes a major theme in the play. They play begins with Romeo being very depressed and despondent. He feels this way because he thinks that he is in love with a girl called Rosaline. Romeo was not experiencing true love, however, as he believed, but in fact was experiencing unrequited love. This love is a love of ideals, rather than a love of something real. Romeo does not love Rosaline for her personality, but for her role in society. Another example of the many different forms of love is the brotherly love that is felt between Romeo and his friends and kinsmen. There are many examples of how this love is powerful enough to make people risk their lives to try and save the life of others. This power of this love is also shown when Mercutio dies and Romeo seeks revenge. Romeo’s love for Mercutio is so strong that when Mercutio is killed, Romeo is willing to condemn himself to death to seek revenge. The extreme power and of love is shown between Romeo and Juliet. The love that these two experience is a violent, ecstatic, overpowering force that supersedes all other values, loyalties, and emotions. Romeo and Juliet feel an intense passion at the first sight of each other, so much so that they kiss before even learning each other’s names. When they do discover that they both belong to two feuding families, they are unable to stop themselves falling evermore deeply in love. This is shown when Juliet says, “My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late!” (Act I, Scene V). The love that they experience...