Romeo and Juliet Themes

The prosperous and vibrant play of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is written by William Shakespeare and is set in Medieval Italy in the city of Verona. Centring two feuding families, the Montagues, and the Capulets. All whilst it relays the story of two ill-fated lovers. We witness the theme of ‘love’ being discovered as Romeo and Juliet meet and cannot withstand to be apart, but as well as the love we witness other themes such as ‘fate’ and ‘duty and loyalty’ being displayed throughout the play.

The theme of love in Romeo and Juliet extends beyond the love that Romeo and Juliet feel for each other. In the beginning of the play, Benvolio asks Romeo what’s wrong with him, and Romeo says he is “out of her favour where I am in love” (1.1.160). In this case “her” is Rosaline, during which we find out Romeo is in love with the idea of being in love. The love between Romeo and Juliet is a form of romantic love as they would do anything to be together, “I take thee at thy word. Call me but love, and I’ll be baptiz’d anything for Romeo and Juliet” (2.2.50) Romeo shows that he is willing to give up anything for Juliet.  Mercutio’s view of love I is quite the opposite to Romeo, see it as a little more than an excuse to pursue sexual pleasure, thinking it makes a man weak and dumb, “If love be rough with you, be rough with love; prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.” (1.4.27-18) In this particular scenario Mercutio is claiming that Romeo’s love sickness is caused by lack of sex; if he’d just had some, he’d get over thinking he needs to be in love. Juliet’s parents see love as obedience and that means going along with what they have in plan for her and that also includes marrying Paris, “Marry my child, early next Thursday morn, The gallant, young and noble gentlemen, The county Paris, at saint Peter’s Church, Shall happily make thee there a joyful bride” (1.3.64) Another form of love is the close relationship Juliet has with her nurse, as they both share a love much like a mother and daughter relationship, “Thou was the prettiest babe that e’r I nursed” (1.3.64) Raising her since birth, the nurse is very close with Juliet, this closeness is also evident as Juliet trusts her to relay messages between Romeo and herself. Romeo and Friar Lawrence also have a very close bond as Friar Lawrence warns Romeo about loving too quickly looking out for his best interests “Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.” (2.3.97) Love appears in many forms during the play, but there are also many incidents of fate.

Fate also plays a tremendous role in Romeo and Juliet and is shown right from the opening when the chorus tells us that “A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life” (1.6) Throughout the play, the audience is put in an omnipotent position forced to know what lies ahead for Romeo and Juliet. It is not merely a coincidence that Romeo and Juliet meet in the first place but furthermore before Romeo attends the Capulet ball, he says, “Some consequence yet hanging in the stars/shall bitterly begin this fearful date,” (1.4.144-11) Romeo already predicts what the fates have in store as he says something bad might transpire if he dares to show up at the ball, where he will meet Juliet, and we as the audience know their meeting is ultimately leading them to their deaths. When Tybalt kills Mercutio we witness a form of fate as Romeo claims that he’s going to kill Tybalt for the love he has is turned into hatred so quickly. After Romeo kills Tybalt; he realises he is the victim of fortune, and no longer has any control over his fate as Romeo is cries “Oh I am a fortunes fool” (3.1.144) Romeo is crying to the greater force, that he is under the works of fate, or rather a puppet and wasn’t intended on killing Tybalt: it was fate that drove him. We also witness fate after Romeo and Juliet first meet at the Capulet ball where Juliet is quoted saying “if he married. My grave is likely to be my wedding bed.” (1.5.146) This is an example of fate as the audience already known what is to come and we see Juliet foreshadow her own death because her grave does become her wedding bed. Friar Lawrence warns Romeo, that people who act impulsively often have very negative and destructive consequences. “These violent delights have violent ends/ And their triumph die like fire and power.” (92.6.9-10) This warning reminds the audience that Romeo’s fate is already predetermined, and there will, in fact, be consequences. Romeo is known for foreshadowing his own death as he paradoxically, has a dream “I dreamt my lady came and found me dead,” (5.1.6) and seems to be rather prophetic as not long after he receives the news of Juliet’s death. It is fate that that did not allow Friar John to reach Romeo in time and thus, it is also fate that Romeo buys poison and eventually kills himself. When Juliet wakes up and asks Friar Lawrence where Romeo is, the Friar responds by saying “A greater power than we can contradict/Hath thwarted our intents” (5.3.153-54) Suggesting that a higher power is what people have no power over. Through fate, Friar Lawrence does not make it time. Romeo kills himself before the Friar can tell him that Juliet is not really dead. This is not the Friar’s fault. Rather, it is fate he did not get there in time. We see many occurrences where fate takes place throughout the play. But another theme explored in the play is duty and loyalty.