Romeo and Juliet

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Recommended: Romeo and juliet a love story

Romeo and Juliet is known as one of the greatest love stories, but it has its fair share of tragedy as well. The story riddles with themes throughout. Love is the first theme and there is no greater love than the love Romeo and Juliet share. Shakespeare offers his audiences just as much hate as love in Romeo and Juliet. The families of both Romeo and Juliet involve themselves in centuries of feuding. The ongoing feud between the Montagues and Capulets drives Romeo and Juliet into a life of secrecy, which ultimately causes their deaths. Youth is another theme and ties directly to how young both Romeo and Juliet are both in their age and their relationship. The story of Romeo and Juliet uses sex as a theme as well although not in the intimate details of more modern stories. The two lovers concerns are not with the wishes of their warring families, they just want to be together “Deny thy father and refuse thy name / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn by my love / And I’ll no longer be a Capulet” (2.2.34-36). Love is the first theme Shakespeare displays in this play.
The story begins with Romeo in love with Rosaline and it is not long before Romeo realizes that Rosaline does not feel the same about him. Romeo, in fact, tells Benvolio that Rosaline has sworn to a life of chaste. “Then she hath sworn that she will live chaste? / She hath” (1.1.226-227). To Romeo and Benvolio chaste means Rosaline will not engage in sexual activity. Benvolio, who is his cousin, helps Romeo see that Rosaline is not the only girl that he will love the rest of his life. Benvolio convinces Romeo that he needs to consider other women in order to get over Rosaline faster. “By giving liberty unto thine eyes. Examine other beauties!” (1.1.236).
The Capulets hire...

... middle of paper ...

...akes both the ceremony as well as sex to validate the marriage. The secret lives Romeo and Juliet have to live take a toll on their life as well as the lives of those around them. In the end they both pay the ultimate price by taking their own lives.

Works Cited

Birnie, Peter. "Bard's Romeo and Juliet Strikes Right Balance of Grief, Love; Weapons Never Leave the Stage in this Graphic Production." The Vancouver Sun: 0. Jun 18 2007. ProQuest. Web. 18 Apr. 2013 .
Decker, Pamela. "Romeo and Juliet." Theatre Journal 62.4 (2010): 681-3. ProQuest. Web. 18 Apr. 2013.
Rosenberg, David A. "Romeo and Juliet." Back Stage East 48.26 (2007): 14-. ProQuest. Web. 18 Apr. 2013.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. 2nd. New York City: New American
Library, 1998. Print.
"Shakespeare with a Twist." Express & Echo: 23. Aug 09 2007. ProQuest. Web. 18 Apr. 2013 .

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