Themes of Love and Death in Romeo and Juliet

Themes of Love and Death in Romeo and Juliet

The play Romeo and Juliet was set in Italy, Verona in the 17th

century. The stars of the play was a boy called Romeo and a girl

called Juliet

In this exciting story of love and death the plot of the play is a

teenaged boy falls in love with a teenaged girl and they are members

of feuding families the Montages and the capulets. This play was wrote

by William Shakespeare and in this essay I will explore the themes of

love and death.

This essay will look at how five different characters each have

different opinions on the themes of love and death. These characters

are Tybalt, Romeo, Juliet, Mecutio and Friar Lawrence

Tybalt first enters the play in Act 1 Scene 1. Tybalts name gives us a

clue to his character. He is Juliet's cousin and a Capulet.

We can see his aggressive attitude towards death. At the party held by

the Capulets in Act 1 Seen 5 his attitude to Romeo is clearly shown.

This is ironic because Romeo ends up killing Tybalt Act 3 Seen 1 "That

late thou gavest me, for Mercutio soul….. Either thou or I, or both,

must go with his"

In this play we can explore the theme of love in the character of

Mercutio. He is Romeo's best friend and sees love as purely physical.

In Act 1 Scene 4 Mercutio is talking to Romeo about love. (Line 27 to

28 " If love be rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love for

pricking, and you beat love down") also in act2 scene 1 Mercutio

thinks Romeo is making love with rosaline after the party (line 33-40

"If love be blind, love cannot hit the mar…… An open-arse and thou a

poperin pear"). In act two scene 4 Mercutio is looking for Romeo and

shows his feelings on love and death in line 12("Alas poor Romeo he is

already dead…..With the blind, bow boys but shaft. In act3 scene1

Mercutio is keen for a fight with Tybalt an his gang (line 41-42 " and