The Theme Of Death And Death In Romeo And Juliet

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Romeo and Juliet is more about love than death. Discuss.

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Set in the city of Verona, William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet explores the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet, two young lovers whose relationship is intertwined within the bitter rivalry that exists between their families. Although love may seem like the natural solution to solve this crisis, it is actually death which leads to resolution. The predominant themes of love and death are equally essential in the outcome of the story. The importance of Romeo and Juliet’s love, Tybalt and Mercutio’s deaths, and the link between death and love in the two family’s reconciliation demonstrates the significance of both themes in the play. The play revolves around Romeo and
Romeo and Juliet’s love, despite the feud between their families, causes an “ancient grudge” to “break into new mutiny” (prologue). Their defiance of their families indirectly caused their untimely deaths. However this in turn allows the families to overcome their hatred and make peace with each other. Following their deaths, Lord Capulet reconciles with Lord Montague by asking “O brother Montague, give me thy hand”. This indicates that “the continuance of the parents’ rage, which, but their children’s end, naught could remove” (prologue), displaying the significance of their deaths in the play.
By demonstrating to readers how Romeo and Juliet’s deaths are instrumental in restoring harmony between two families, Shakespeare explicates how their relationship expresses the links between death and love. The themes of love and death feature equally prominently in the play Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare portrays the theme of love through Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. He shows that love is a human emotion that is capable of overcoming barriers, but that it can also lead to tragedy. In addition, Shakespeare utilises death to change the flow of the story and shows how it may be a necessity to settle conflicts. Love is a pivotal theme within the play but it would be false

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