Romeo And Juliet Thesis

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Recommended: Symbolism and imagery of romeo and juliet by william shakespeare

I. Introduction
A. As Oscar Wilde once said in The Picture of Dorian Gray, “I have grown to love secrecy. It seems to be the one thing that can make modern life mysterious or marvelous to us. The commonest thing is delightful if only one hides it.” (Ch. 1)
1. In William Shakespeare’s iconic tragic play Romeo and Juliet, many characters secretly go against society in order to fulfill their personal needs.
2. As the book progresses, we see the characters make decisions based on the motives of love.
B. Thesis Statement: Romeo and Juliet’s need to rebel against society is expressed by their love of night and darkness and the abundant use of symbol, metaphor and imagery depicting secrecy.

II. First Body Paragraph
A. Romeo and Juliet must find a way to be together, breaking society’s boundaries and concrete rules. They often meet at night, a time that we usually view as the time of romance and liberation. This is when all of the intimate scenes take place during the play.
1. Imagery: The two lovers first meet at a ball that takes place at night. Romeo is masked so that he can make it into the ball without being thrown out by a Capulet. The fact that Romeo is wearing a mask already paints a picture of secrecy and shows that the night will likely end with an event that must be kept in the dark.
2. Symbolism: Romeo often compares Juliet to brightness. This is a symbol for how bright and bold their love is for one another. This is slightly ironic as they are always forces to meet in the middle of the night when others can’t see their love. Romeo compares Juliet to a jewel that stands out. “Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! / It seems she hands upon the cheek of night / like a rich jewel in Ethiope’s ear;” (Act I, Scene V...

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...hat, they would die than have to live without one another.
b) Symbolism: The final act of suicide takes place at the darkest of night, representing the ultimate privacy.

V. Conclusion
A. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet the consistent depiction of love in darkness is extremely important for understanding the secrecy of their relationship. The use of metaphor, imagery and symbolism helps to portray the prominence of light and darkness and the connection this had on their love for one another.
B. Romeo, Juliet, Friar Lawrence and the Nurse all go against the traditional boundaries of society to fulfill their personal needs, especially under the motives of love. In the end, their secrecy managed to get the better of them, and they died for their love. It’s possible that without secrecy their love wouldn’t have been as passionate, and their deaths less tragic.

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