Themes in Romeo and Juliet:

Love at First Sight and Family Feuds


Brooke Webster

Overview
Human nature dictates the entertainment value of a production including elements of sex, violence, and humor.  William Shakespeare is a great writer because of the predominance of these themes in his writing, as well as his exploration of basic human truths and use of beautiful language.  Shakespeare has entertained generations of playgoers with his clever comedic and tragic tales.  Romeo and Juliet has become one of the playwright's most popular plays.  Audience members of all ages contemplate the timeless ideas and issues explored throughout the work.  The main themes of the play include love at first sight and an undying feud between families.
 

Love At First Sight

Love at first sight is a widely debated notion.  Some say that true love based on physical appearance without a deeper understanding of a person does not exist.  Others argue that one may be able to recognize true love immediately.  Shakespeare devotes part of the play to this question.  He makes reference to Romeo and Juliet as "star-crossed lovers".  In other words, the two lovers are thwarted by destiny from the very beginning.  Although not meant to be together, they may still truly love each other.  Romeo first sees Juliet during her parents' banquet.  His reaction  in Act I scene iv shows that Juliet's appearance greatly affects him:
   O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
   It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
   As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear-
   Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!(act I, scene iv, 45-48)
He says to himself, "Did my heart love til now?"(act I, scene iv, 53)  Romeo quickly decides that he is in love with Juliet even though he has not yet spoken to her.  Juliet is more level-headed.  She refuses his advances at first, but later allows him to kiss her.  At this point, the feelings of both characters appear at a superficial level.  However, fate tests their devotion by unmasking their identities.  Juliet is found to be a Capulet, and Romeo a Montague; a discovery upsetting them simultaneously.  However, they do not question their love.  This leads the audience to believe their love is real.  By presenting opposing views of their love, Shakespeare leaves room for one to question their love without completely invalidating it.
 

The Feud Between the Families

In addition to love at first sight, the feud between the Montagues and Capulets is also a main theme of the play.  The world that Shakespeare has chosen to portray is violent and hate-filled from the very beginning.  The prologue shows the audience exactly how the feud will play a major role throughout the production.  The Chorus states:
   The fearful passage of their death-marked love,
   And the continuance of their parents' rage
   Which, but their children's end, naught could remove,
   Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage…(prologue, 9-12)
This shows that everything in the play relates to the progress of Romeo and Juliet's love, and the ongoing family feud.  One is always aware of the tension between the two sides because of this strife.  The violence is minor at first, but intensifies throughout the play.  In the first scene, Benvolio of the Montague household, fights Tybalt of the Capulet household.  However, this is a mere scuffle in the street.  No one is seriously harmed.  After Romeo and Juliet are married, the violent action begins gaining pace.  Tybalt murders Mercutio in Act III, scene i.  His dying words, "A plague o' both your houses!"(act III, scene i, 90) foreshadow the end of the play, and the end of the violence.  Mercutio's death enrages Romeo, who challenges Tybalt, saying, "…Mercutio's soul is but a little way above our heads,/ Staying for thine to keep him company./  Either thou or I, or both, must go with him."(act III, scene i, 126-128)   Romeo slays Tybalt, and is banished to Mantua by the Prince.  Romeo will kill twice more before the end of the play.  After he is misinformed about Juliet's death, he plans to poison himself by her "dead" body.  At the tomb, Paris attempts to apprehend Romeo.  When he will not listen to Romeo's reasoning, Romeo slays him.  Once inside the tomb, Romeo drinks the powerful poison and dies.  Juliet awakens almost immediately thereafter.  She realizes what has happened and fatally stabs herself with Romeo's dagger.  Only with the death of their own children do Montague and Capulet bury their hatred.  The Prince states, "See what a scourge is laid upon your hate,/ That heaven finds a means to kill your joys with love/…All are punished."(act IV(to Act 4 page), scene iii, 292-293, 295)  The feud was an embodiment of the immaturity of the parents.  Five of their loved ones died before the realization occurred.

 Concluding Remarks

    Themes of a play result from various elements explored throughout the entire work.  Love at first sight and feuding families are two abstract topics.  The action of Romeo and Juliet works to define and develop these topics into a concrete plot structure.  From the action, the themes become apparent to the audience.  Conversely, by understanding the themes of this play, the audience will better interpret the action of the plot.
 

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