Skip to content

Literary Hub

Romeo and Juliet
Sign up
  1. Literary Hub
  5. Themes

Themes

  • Conflict
  • Family and authority
  • Death and time
  • Love
  • Gender and honour
  • Youth and impulsiveness
  • Fate

The seven themes of Romeo and Juliet tell one story from seven sides: two young people from feuding houses meet, marry in secret and are dead within four days.

The themes as one argument

Shakespeare tells the ending first and names the stars, but builds the road to the tomb from human choices and a few accidents: the lovers' haste plays its part, yet old men keep alive a feud whose code calls a young man's peace cowardice, and a father hurries his daughter towards a second wedding; the play seems to admire the love while judging its speed, and Verona buys its peace only with its children.

Every theme, scene by scene

Revise the densest scenes first: 5.3, 3.1 and 3.5. 3.5 has been set as an AQA extract. A scene where several themes meet gives you evidence for almost any question.

P12345C1234561234512345123Past paperUse the arrow keys to move between scenes and themes. Enter opens the theme.
LoveGender and honourYouth and impulsivenessFateConflictFamily and authorityDeath and time
  • AbsentCentral
  • Set as an AQA extract