INTRODUCTION

• All of Shakespeare's Tragedies seem to function as moralistic tales for the audience, and Romeo and Juliet is no exception to this rule. Set against the backdrop of courtly love and chivalric values, Shakespeare uses the play to caution against the perils of defying entrenched social norms and to present the consequences of unchecked emotions.

  The play's juxtaposition between love and violence reflects the political insecurities within the Elizabethan period at a time when a female monarch ruled.
• In his cautionary play, the concept of [QUESTION STEER] is potent to the tragedy. We observe this in the extract through [BIG idea 11, [BIG Idea 2] and elsewhere in the play through [BIG Idea 3].