A common misconception of Romeo and Juliet is that it is a love story. Although Shakespeare uses love as a theme, this is not a story of embedded love that grows on the audience and the characters live happily ever after. Romeo and Juliet is a "tragedy" (it's actually titled: The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet). So what makes this story fall into the category of "tragedy" rather than "romance"? Click here to find out (spoilers if you have not seen or read the play)!
A theme in literature represents an overall message represented within the text. There are 3 major themes within Romeo and Juliet:
-Love versus hate
-Parents and children
-The inevitable fate
The Royal Shakespeare Company goes into detail about why these are prevalent messages within this Romeo and Juliet, citing examples from the text....click here
Analysis of Themes
