The story follows the ill fated love story of Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, the teenage children of feuding families. It is set in a time when nobility, wealth and family honour and name provided a life of privilege. Marriages were arranged between families and it was considered important to marry within your own nobility and class to maintain family honour and social status. Themes of love such as Parental Love, Romantic Love, Love of Family Honour and Friendship are explored through the dramatic languages and provide an emotional context when the theme of hate and death cause conflict and dilemma for the characters. Love is an overpowering force that takes over all other values, loyalties and emotions. Love that is powerful and drawing between Romeo and Juliet is as potent and destructive in its effect on relationships between families and friends.
Romeo falls madly in love with Juliet at a party hosted by the Capulets. Juliet initially tries to resist his charm when she becomes aware that their families are fierce rivals creating a dilemma, however she is unable to do so. The situation is complicated by Juliet being betrothed to Paris by her father, Lord Capulet, against her wishes. This causes conflict between Juliet and her father when Juliet refuses to marry Paris. Street fighting between the males of the opposing families sees the death of Mercutio, Romeos loyal friend and then the death of Tybalt Capulet by Romeo who avenges his friends death and honour. Romeo is then banished from Verona. This leaves Juliet with a dilemma to marry Paris or run away to be with Romeo. Juliet seeks advice from the trusted Friar Lawrence who develops a plan for Juliet so she and Romeo can be together and advises Juliet to take some poison that will make her appear dead. This will allow time for a message to get to Romeo to rescue Juliet from the tomb.
Romantic Love is the overarching theme of the play. Romantic Love is experienced by Romeo and Juliet who are both teenagers and have never experienced love before. It is an instant love and attraction. Tension of the Task is created at this first meeting because the mutual attraction is made greater when it is revealed that each is from opposing families and each considering what it means to them and gives insight into their characters. For example, Romeo wants what he cannott have, as with his infatutation with Rosaline, who never returned his attention, and this made him more determined to have her. This provides dramatic meaning.
Romantic Love and the feelings and emotion of young love becomes evident in Act II, scene ii as language is used to provide dramatic meaning. Romeo reveals his private feelings and describes in metaphor Juliets beauty. He compares her to the stars, the moon and heaven and being angel like. This identifies Romeo as being captured by her beauty rather than by her as a person or her intelligence.
Intimacy is created when Juliet, alone on her balcony through sililoquoy, contemplates and speaks her private thoughts aloud. O Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo. Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Juliet then questions also in soliloquy, Whats in a name that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell so sweet. Juliets thoughts give some insight into her character. She is aware of the risk associated with such thoughts of romance or lust of her familys enemy such as maintaining her family name and honour. Juliet is unaware that Romeo has been eavesdropping and watching her from afar. Tension of Relationships is created when Romeo reveals himself to Juliet. Tension of the Task is created because Romeo has the objective is to convince Juliet that he is the one love for her. His motivation for achieving this objective is initially because he thought of Juliet as a conquest to win as with Rosaline. However, his motivation changes because he falls in love with Juliet and Juliet declares her love for him. Dramatic meaning is created with the revelations of thoughts and feelings to each other because had Juliet not spoken her thoughts and Romeo heard them, they would never have exchanged declarations of love made plans to marry the next day and for the future. Dramatic meaning is created in the way in which the words are spoken between Romeo and Juliet as they convey passion. As they do not wish to be heard by others their voice is in soft romantic whisper which adds to
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