Themes

Question 1

What is a theme

Answer 1

A message that runs through the play or story

Question 2

Fate destiny and free will

Answer 2

• the Elizabethans believed that everything that happens to a person is controlled by god, everyone’s fate or destiny has already been decided
• being able to makes one’s own decisions and choices in life
• Elizabethans belived in the Chain of Being where everything had its place
• God was at the head of the Chain of Being , then the angles and the stars .under these came everything on earth beginning with the king to ordinary men women animals and plants
• they believe if anyone were to chance the Chain of Being up a disaster

Question 3

Love and hate

Answer 3

• two young people from two families that hate each other
  -eg of contrasting love and hate :Romeo’s words to Tybalt and Paris before they fight .Romeo is secretly related to them through marriage to Juliet so he says he loves the but they hate him.

Question 4

True love and romantic love

Answer 4

• Shakespeare explores the difference between true love that Romeo and Juliet feel for each other and romantic love -the obsessive passion that Romeo felt for Rosaline
• “A madness, most discreet, A choking gall, and a preserving sweet “
  In contrast when Romeo first meet Juliet for the first time he says :”if I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine”

Question 5

Passion and reason

Answer 5

-def of passion:having very strong feelings/emotions about something without having much control over these feeling
- def of reason :the ability to think, consider and make informed decisions
-eg:Romeo has no control I’ve his emotions when thunking about Rosaline “O brawling love , O loving hate”(Act 1 scene 1)
-while Juliet is more reasonable when Romeo wants to swear his love to her although she loves Romeo she allows reason to control her responses so she says:”I have no joy of thus contract tonight:It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden…”(Act 2 scene 2)

Question 6

Appearance and reality

Answer 6

• sometime things are not what they seem, people can be fooled by appearances
• some of the characters in the play are confused by appearances
  Eg:Juliet’s appears dead in (Act 5 scene 3) and Romeo is fooled
• the themes of appearance and reality can also be linked to the theme of secrecy and lies both Romeo and Juliet tell lies about their relationship (eg:relationship and marriage keep a secret , adds to the conflict of the plot as woks against their happiness )

Question 7

Order and disorder

Answer 7

• people who govern cities and like things to be orderly
• like people to obey the rules and not cause trouble
• feuding families represent disorder and can be harmful to the smooth running of society
• eg:beginning of the play when Montague and Capulet servants are fighting (disorder), Prince Escalus enters and says
  “Rebellious subjects , enemies to peace “ (Act 1 scene 1)

Question 8

Youth and old age :the ‘generation gap’

Answer 8

-a breakdown in understanding between the you and their elders
- The elders think they know everything and want to control the young
- The young rebel
-Romeo and Juliet rebel against the custom of society that says their parents decide who they should marry
- partly results in their deaths

Question 9

Honor and reputation

Answer 9

• a person who is honorable has firm values and always does what he believes is right
• A persons reputation depends on what other people think of them
  -eg:Tybakt insults Romeo by saying “Thou art villain” (Act 3 scene 1)
  Tybalt fights and kills mercutio, romeo says “my reputation stained with tybalt slander”
  Romeo kills tybalt for mercutio and to defend his honor , in his family that would be honorable