Theme Quote Technique Analysis
Love Mercutio: “If love be Repetition Mercutio is trying to pick Romeo up, since
rough with you, be he has been sorrowful because of his
rough with love” failed pursuit of Rosaline. Mercutio and
Romeo’s views on love are fundamentally
different. Mercutio appeals to the more
hyper-masculine view which is that love
should be controlled by a man.
Juliet: “Too rash, too Tripling, Juliet can see Romeo’s fatal flaw
unadvis’d, too anaphor immediately: he is too impulsive. The
sudden” couple did not take their time to cultivate
their love, partly because of Romeo’s
obsessive behaviour.
Romeo: “Did my heart Rhetorical Forgetting about his failed love with
love til now? I never question Rosaline, Romeo is sure he has not
saw true beauty till experienced love like this before. Again,
this night.” Romeo’s reaction to Juliet is
melodramatic.
Juliet: “Too early seen Paradox The paradox represents Juliet’s confusion.
unknown, and known She feels disdain knowing that Romeo is a
too late! Prodigious Montague, but nevertheless knows that
birth of love it is to was she feels for him is still love. This
me, that I must love a quote is a reflection of her internal
loathed enemy.” conflict, as her feelings battle with her
identity.
Friar Laurence: Figurative Friar accuses Romeo of being superficial.
“Young men’s love lang He believes that an outpouring of love
then lies not truly in from Romeo is conditional on him
their hearts, but in believing a woman is beautiful, rather
their eyes.” than Romeo delving into their personality.
Conflict Tybalt: “Talk of Repetition Tybalt is immediately established as a
peace! I hate the , semantic character that is divisive and does not run
word, as I hate hell, all field of from conflict. He is fully immersed in the
Montagues, and thee” hatred conflict between the Montagues and
Capulets and only makes such conflict
worse.
Prince: “My blood for Irate tone The Prince and Mercutio are cousins. The
your rude brawls doth prince’s initial warning to the Montagues
lie a bleeding” and Capulets that they must no longer
fight in Verona, combined with the fact
that his cousins dead, has led to his anger.
Lord Capulet: ““o, Symbolism When both Capulet and Montague learn
brother Montague, of Romeo and Juliet’s death, they unite as
give me thy hand” families and end their conflict. This was a
long overdue reconciliation, as Romeo
and Juliet’s tragedy likely would not have
ensued if not for family conflict.
, Fate Romeo: “Some Metaphor Romeo’s intuition is telling him that his
consequence yet fate may lead him to an early death.
hanging in the stars, … Romeo says this before the Capulet party,
some vile forfeit of right before he meets Juliet and falls in
untimely death” love. This reminds the audience that they
are ‘star-crossed’ lovers.
Friar Laurence: “A Spiritual When Friar learns that Romeo did not
greater power than language hear of the plan for Juliet to fake her
we can contradict death, he seems to try and blame a higher
hath thwarted our power for such failure, instead of taking
intents.” responsibility.
Romeo: “O I am Alliteratio One could interpret this as an oxymoron,
fortune’s fool.” n, as fortune suggests some sort of luck or
Oxymoron favour, whereas fool suggests someone
who could be out of luck and fortune. This
muddled language symbolises represents
the mixed emotions Romeo feels after
killing Tybalt, his wife’s cousin.
Romeo: “Then I defy Exclamativ After learning of Juliet’s death, Romeo
you, stars!” e curses fate for what it has done to Juliet.
sentence However, but defying fate through killing
himself, he ironically fulfils their fate as a
couple, as Juliet kills herself when she
discovers Romeo’s dead body.
Chorus: “A pair of Metaphor Shakespeare uses the chorus to forebode
star-crossed lovers the tragic events in the play. The
take their lives” metaphor “star-crossed lovers”
communicates to the audience that
Romeo & Juliet’s love story will never
materialise. This play is not a love story, it
is a tragedy.
Family Friar Laurence: “In Complex The complexity of this sentence reflects
one respect I’ll thy sentence the complexity of such an endeavour. It
assistant be; for this was never going to be an easy feat for
alliance may so happy Romeo & Juliet’s love to be the catalyst of
prove, to turn your reconciliation for the Capulets and
households’ rancour Montagues.
to pure love”
Prince: “And I for Short The Prince has made up his mind about
winking at your declarativ the feud between the Montagues and
discords too have lost e Capulets; it has spiralled too far. The feud
a brace of kinsmen: all sentence has meant he has lost two family
are punished.” members so the prince is set on finding
punishment for the people who are
causing death in his own family.
Lord Capulet: “My Metaphor Though not literally a stranger, Lord
child is yet a stranger Capulet is trying to communicate Juliet’s
