Romeo And Juliet - Themes Flashcards
1
Q
Religion
A
- sex outside marriage wasconsidered a sin, they have to be married so they could be together - this motivated friar lawrence to marry them quick so they are not ‘alone’ together - juliet threatens to kill herself rather than marrying paris, suicide considered a sin - led friar lawrence to fake her death
- friar lawrence is the religious character and acts a he should - tries to end feud suggesting he is motivated by christian ideas of love and goodwill, also stops 2 suicide attempts, stops marriage to paris as this would be bigamy which is a sin - he also gives advice in the manner of a spiritual leader, like when he told romeo to ‘love moderately’
2
Q
Family and marriage - business deal, paris approach to wooing juliet vs romeo, capulet
A
- marriage was a business deal arranged by parents, capulet views juliet as property, men in charge of the family - threatens to disown when gone against, he took ‘care’ to ‘have her matched’
- paris asked capulets permission whereas romeo asked juliet directly, paris is more patient “times of woe afford no time to woo” - he will give capulets time before wooing juliet (showing his honor) - romeo marries as soon as he could
3
Q
Family and marriage - womens role in family, love over family
A
- lady capulet did not speak to juliet after capulet threatens to disown her, husabands influence - juliet is unmarried and daughter of rich and powerful man, she cannot go out alone or without permission - can only go alone to confession with friar lawrence
- as romeo killed tybalt juliet had to choose, she says she must not ‘speak ill’ of her husband showing she chose romeo over family
- romeo has good relationship with family and cousin benvolio but he was willing to reject his family name if it means juliet will accept his love - choosing juliet over family
4
Q
Conflict, honour and feuds
A
- feud described as an “ancient grudge” - been going a long time with 3 fights that “disturbed the quiet” - said the prince when breaking up fight
- some fights shown for honour - mercutio ashamed romeo wont fight, “vile submission” and fights tybalt for him, paris insists on fighting romeo as he is viewed as a ‘felon’ - must protect juliets grave
- increased viokence throughout the play builds tension, heads towards violent climax (marcutio, romeo and tybalt) - also emphasises how the love is doomed, more and more of an obstacle of their love preventing them to be together - fighting increases the more they are together
5
Q
Love - romeo and rosaline, juliet is young, love as a disease
A
- romeos love fr rosaline was unrequited, a painful experience, compared it to “bitter gall” (poison)- foreshadowing juliets death by poison
- her being young emphasises her innocence, making her death more tragic, the audience may not take the love seriously
- his love also compared to as bitten by a “love-bug” and compared to a “sycamore” - both connoted disease, as if the love has infected him
6
Q
Love - destructive, true love or youthful romance
A
- made them impulsive, both threaten to kill themselves as soon as it seems they cannot be together, eventually leads to their own deaths and other peoples deaths
- true love - both totally comitted from beginning and feel unable to live without eachother, juliet describes omeo as her ‘only love’ and ‘true love’
- youthful romance - happens so quickly, friar lawrence isnt convinced they are in love as it is so impulsive, romeo moves on from rosaline as soon as he sees juliet, thinking with eyes not heart
7
Q
Fate
A
- prologue talks about the love being written in the stars, and destiny
- the prince says that ‘heaven’(fate) killed romeo and juliet but this was caused by the “hate” between the families, ending with the families making up
- audience would have known tragedies often ended in deaths, the idea that romeo and juliet are doomed to dei because of the plays form emphasises they have no control and are restricted to a specific course
