Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet
Literary Devices
Symbols
Poison
Symbolizes human society's tendency
to take good things and make them
fatal.
Thumb biting
Symbolizes the foolishness of the
Capulet/Montague feud and of the
stupidity of violence in general.
Queen Mab
All desires and fantasies are
as nonsensical as Queen Mab,
and they are all basically
corrupting.
Themes
The Forcefulness of Love
Love as a cause of Violence
The Individual Versus Society
The Inevitability of Fate
Motifs
Light/Dark Imagery
Opposite points of view
Other Characters
the friar
Secretly marries the lovers.
Pairs
A suitor whom Juliet's
parents want her to marry.
Tybalt
Juliet's cousin whom Romeo
slays.
Mercutio
Romeo's close friend.
the Nurse
Juliet's nurse since she was a
baby. She helps Juliet and
Romeo.
the Capulets
Juliet's parents
the Montagues
Romeo's parents
Prince Escalus
The Prince and ruler of Verona
the Chorus
Offers commentary on the play's plot
and themes. Developed first in Greek
drama.
William Shakespeare
Born in England
Lived 1564-1616
The greatest playwright in
the English language
Wrote over 54 plays and 138
sonnets
Romeo
16 years old
Impulsive and immature at times
Idealistic and passionate
Not interested in the violent feud
between the two families. His only
interest is love.
Kills Tybalt during a fight in the streets
after Mercutio is slain. He is exiled
because of this.
He doesn't know Juliet has taken sleeping
potion, so he thinks she's dead and he
kills himself in her tomb.
Son of the Montagues
At first loves Rosaline but
immediately falls in love with Juliet.
"But soft, what light through yonder
window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet
is the sun." 2.1.4446.
Juliet
Daughter of the Capulets
13 years old
Is at first naive and innocent about
love, but matures as she loves
Romeo.
"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou
Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy
name. Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn
my love, and I'll no longer be a
Capulet." 2.1.7478
Doesn't have the same freedoms as Romeo,
because she is of an aristocratic family and
because she is a woman.
Her parents try to make her marry Paris,
but instead she marries the son of their
greatest enemies.
Devises a plan with the Friar when Romeo is exiled so she can
escape marrying Paris. She takes a sleeping potion so she
appears to be dead. This plan backfires and Romeo thinks she is
dead, so he kills himself. She awakes to find him dead so she kills
herself.
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