fate and destiny

• "two households both alike in dignity"-prologue


  -iambic pentameter: although theyre alike they still hold a grudge, not rooted in power imbalance

  -dramatic tool to create tension
• "civil blood makes civil hands unclean".- prologue


  -highlights paradoxial nature of feud

  -the feud has corrupted the whole city

  -prophetic + dramatic irony in "civil blood"
• "a pair of star crossd lovers take their lives"-prologue


  -signifies how love story is doomed to be tragic and is intertwined/opposed with fate

  -The phrase "star-crossed" implies that the lovers' relationship is opposed by the forces of fate, destined to fail. 
• "a plague on both your houses" - mercutio


  - expressing Mercutio's anger and bitterness towards both families for their role in his death and the senseless feud.

  -highlights the futility of the feud, as it leads to nothing but destruction and death, with Mercutio's death serving as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of the families' hatred.

  -pivotal moment: shift from comedy to tragedy
• "I dreamt a dream tonight"-romeo


  -prophetic dream foreboding juliets death: fate is predetermined

  -mercutio mocks romeo(speech on queen mab)emphasizing the idea that dreams are fleeting and unimportant.