Romeo and Juliet

• Fate and astrology


  Elizabethan people had a particular interest in astrology, where Elizabeth herself had her own personal astrologer who provided her advice based on the stars
• "Star cross'd"


  Created by Shakespeare, shows that people's power was controlled by celestial bodies
• Prologue


  Introduces immediately the themes of determinism, that everything had been set out beforehand and uses dramatic irony to highlight our lack of control over what occurs in the play, that we are simply awaiting for things to happen
• Nihilistic


  The belief that everything is trivial, and nothing matters anymore
• Juliet's horoscope


  Born on Lammas Eve, making her a Leo, shows her fiery and determined spirit, how in her loneliness we see that true personality but still overshadowed by her own (and Romeo's) manipulation
• Petrarchan Lover


  A man who is hopelessly and unrequitedly in love, that romanticises his object of love, putting her on a pedestal and almost controlling her personality to what Romeo wants himself
• Romeo shows this for Rosalind at first


  Shakespeare almost ironically ridicules this part of Romeo's personality as he switches to Juliet
• Petrarchan Lover


  Shows the lack of grounding in his love, how they are blinded by the object of his desires
• Petrarchan Lover


  Romeo objectifies his love, seeing them as objects rather than real people which is ridiculed
• Elizabethan times


  A time of Protestant reformation, which Shakespeare was dedicated to, but Italy (where the play is set) the characters are Roman Catholic
• Religion


  Highlights the fluidity of religion, how there are higher powers that complete switch everything they do, that religion is a result of power, but the stars control this power
• Friar Lawrence


  A character that mocks Catholicism, how his ironic stupidity when he is the voice of reason for Romeo makes it humorous for the audience, it contrasts what Catholicism should be, that they are the moral high ground
• Catholicism


  Fallible (they are capable of doing wrong), which is a critique of the religion that appeals to the Protestant Elizabethan nature
• Friar Lawrence


  Also led by the catholic desire to do good and dissolve hatred, one of his main reasons for the marriage of Romeo and Juliet is because he believes it will end the feud, it shows how his religious goal for peace is still overpowered by the concept of fate
• Trope of forbidden love


  Idea of having lovers from two rival families, seen in Ovid Metamorphoses
• Trope of forbidden love


  Magnifies the plays tragedy genre as it seems as though everyone is against the couple
• Trope of forbidden love


  Highlights the destructive nature of feuds, that love should overcome hate
• Italy


  Shakespeare utilises this foreign land that has a completely different political situation, where Shakespeare can voice his own commentaries and criticism
• The Prince


  Holds a lot of powers, but does not have the power to prevent the two murders and 2 suicides that occur
• Italy


  A romantic and wild country, where women were sexually promiscuous, so Juliet's sexual promiscuity can be developed on as it isn't as discouraged
• Tybalt's rage


  Can also be criticised with it being seen as Italian nature
• The Great Chain of Being


  The belief that god created the world with a clear hierarchy encompassing all matter and life, with the monarch at the top, so their religious and political choices were significant
• The Great Chain of Being


  Men were seen as superior to women, so they had to submit to their husbands, fathers and brothers
• The Great Chain of Being


  Elizabethan people saw this concept as a fact of life, rather than a religious belief
• Romeo and Juliet


  Are both punished by their violation of this great chain, they try and alter their position by using their relationship
• Juliet's disobedience to her father


  Shows how she's violated her role, almost like her suicide was punishment, self destructive
• Romeo: '"O brawling love, O loving hate"'
• Romeo: '"O she doth teach the torches to burn bright!"'
• Romeo: '"Snowy dove trooping with crows"'
• Romeo: '"I defy you stars!"'
• Romeo: '"It is the east and Juliet is the sun, arise, fair sun and kill the envious moon"'
• Romeo: '"I am fortune's fool"'
• Romeo: '"Thy beauty hath made me effeminate"'
• Romeo: '"Fire eyed fury be my conduct now"'
• Juliet: '"Will I indart mine eye / Than your consent gives strength to make it fly"'
• Juliet: '"O happy dagger, This is thy sheath: there rust, and let me die."'
• Juliet: '"My only love sprung from my only hate"'
• Juliet: '"Henceforward I am ever ruled by you"'
• Juliet: '"All my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay"'
• Juliet: '"Sweet, sweet nurse"'