LITERARY ESSAY

In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, there are several different themes that are involved throughout the play.  Most importantly there are three main themes that occur and re-occur many times in the play.  The three themes are young love, which is portrayed in Romeo and Juliet’s relationship.  Determination, which is represented in the sacrifice that Romeo and Juliet make to try to keep their relationship in tact.  And finally grief, which is depicted in the play when both Romeo and Juliet grieve each other’s deaths.

Determination was the theme that drove Romeo and Juliet’s relationship.  For example, Romeo and Juliet always said that if they die they die together.  After that was said, Romeo got news later on that Juliet was dead, and was buried in the Capulet’s tomb.  After that, Romeo buys poison and goes to the tomb, and he then found Juliet dead and said “If thou be merciful, open the tomb, lay me with Juliet.” (Act 5, Scene 3, Lines 72 – 73).  Not only were Romeo and Juliet determined to live and die together, they were also determined for their love to be successful.  Romeo and Juliet had to be determined because if they weren’t their love wouldn’t be successful due to their families being enemies.  This causes Romeo and Juliet to learn that they have fallen in love with “the enemy.”  But to save their love, they are trying to extend an olive branch to one and the other. Besides Romeo and Juliet’s team determination to get Romeo to marry her.  In the text, Juliet’s determination to get Romeo to marry her was portrayed when she said “If that thy bent of love be honourable/thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow.” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 17).  As a result of all these points, determination is definitely an important theme in Romeo and Juliet.

The second theme that was strongly portrayed in Romeo and Juliet is young love.  Romeo and Juliet experienced young love throughout the whole play, but you could distinguish it in the beginning of the story.  When Romeo and Juliet first met their love for each other appeared instantaneously.  Romeo’s love for Juliet was depicted in the text when Romeo said, “She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste; for beauty, starved with her severity, cuts beauty off from all prosperity.  She too fair, to merit bliss by making me despair.  She hath for sworn to love, and in that vow do I live dead, that live to tell it now.”  (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 226 – 232).  Not only have Romeo and Juliet just experienced typical young love, but they have also fell into their young love extremely quick.  As a result of Romeo and Juliet falling into love extremely quick, the experiences they have together that follow their relationship are expected to happen just as fast.  This was evident in the text when Juliet said, “Gallop apace your fiery footed steeds, toward Phoebus lodging.  Such a wagoner as Phaeton would whip you to the west and bring in cloudy night immediately,”  (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 1 – 3).  This was the topic that was portrayed the most out of the whole play compared to any other theme.

The final theme that was clear in Romeo and Juliet was the theme of grief.  Towards the “Tragedy of Roeo and Juliet,” Romeo found out that Juliet was dead and Romeo found out that Juliet was dead and Romeo was going to see her in Capulet’s tomb he said “Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death, gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth, thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open and in despite I’ll cram thee with more food.”  (Act 5, Scene 3, Lines 45 – 48).  Also in the text when Romeo saw Juliet in the tomb, Romeo showed more grievance by not only committing suicide, but by saying, “For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes this vault a feasting presence full of light.”  (Act 5, Scene 3, Line 85 – 87).

All in all, the young love of Romeo and Juliet led to their grievance of when they died.  But their determination made them die relatively close together.  And those three themes basically lead the story of Romeo and Juliet.