The most obvious theme in Romeo and Juliet is that of love, but the play deals with many other important ideas too. Shakespeare invites us to examine the importance of fate, death, honour, friendship and duality. All of these themes are still relevant today, which is why the play is still popular after all these years.
The main themes in Romeo and Juliet are:
Source: https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/zvfk7ty/revision/1
Love
The theme of love in Romeo and Juliet also extends beyond the love that Romeo and Juliet feel for each other. All the characters in the play constantly talk about love. Mercutio thinks love is little more than an excuse to pursue sexual pleasure and that it makes a man weak and dumb. Lady Capulet thinks love is based on material things:..
Value and Doubleness (Duality)
Another important theme is the idea of value and doubleness. Just as language is ambiguous, so are value judgments. As the Friar reminds us, "virtue itself turns vice being misapplied, /And vice sometime's by action dignified" (II.iii.17-18). Within a flower, for example lies both poison and medicine. Similarly, the deaths of Romeo and Juliet are tragic but also bring new life to Verona. The Friar's own role in the play contains this ambiguity. Although he tries to help the lovers, his actions lead to their suffering. Shakespeare's message is that nothing is purely good or evil; everything contains elements of both. Ambiguity rules.
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