Throughout the play there is a constant theme of love and fate. This is portrayed directly from the beginning in the prologue, which is in the form of a sonnet. An example of this theme is when Romeo and Juliet are described as, 'a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life'. This line also has contemporary relevance to today as it still may occur in practice or in language. The prologue gives a brief summary of the whole play and includes an oxymoron: 'death-marked love'. This provides the reader with contrast and because they are so opposite the reader does not expect death to be associated with love; it also has relevance to the theme of the play throughout.

In Act 2 Scene 3, Romeo goes to Friar Lawrence to ask him to marry him and Juliet. The Friar thinks that Romeo and Juliet's love is fickle and they are rushing, but in the end agrees to marry them. One of his reasons for this is so that the two feuding families may come together, which seems quite a naive reason:

The final scene of Romeo and Juliet is set at night in the graveyard. The theme of love and hate continues due to the three deaths, which occur and cause a sense of fate and despair: it seems that fate has now conquered love.

Act One Scene Three again gives us historical context due to the fact that the nurse has raised Juliet. The nurse plays a very important character in the play because she is the only one in whom it seems that Juliet confides with her problems. She also acts as a messenger between Romeo and Juliet. The nurse is Juliet's surrogate mother and her relationship with her is stronger than with her own mother, which is also portrayed when we find Juliet was breast fed by her.

Act One Scene Five is definitely one of the most important parts of the whole play as it is the scene when Romeo first notices Juliet and immediately falls in love with her. This is revealed though the language he uses. Shakespeare uses many similes and metaphors, when describing Juliet and also rhyming couplets. 'As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear' is an example. They are used to make a comparison so that the audience can picture not only how beautiful Juliet is, but also how Romeo has his own opinions about her. It seems that Shakespeare only uses rhyming couplets when a character is talking about love and the language can be seen, in Romeo's case, as a stereotypical person in love. They are also used when a character is describing their feelings and another person, typically Romeo about Juliet. When Romeo has finished describing Juliet, he realises that his love for Rosaline was false and compares his first feelings for Juliet, which he hasn't yet spoken to, to Rosaline: 'Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!'

During the scene, Shakespeare uses falconry imagery to convey the lovers' current roles. In Elizabethan times, falconry was a popular sport and the Falconer used to lure the bird with bait therefore taming it. This is why Juliet compares herself to an untamed hawk, because she is waiting for Romeo to 'man' her.

The scene is set at nighttime and this is what creates suspense because the Capulet's are his family enemy and it is dangerous for him to be in the grounds.

The next part of the scene is very different from Romeo's departure; it is very fast and sharp in comparison. Juliet's parents are furious at Juliet's refusal to marry Paris. Capulet explodes into a violent rage and criticises his daughter, calling her a 'disobedient wretch'. This could be seen as historical context due to the fact that Juliet has disobeyed her parents' plans and also her 'mother' doesn't even attempt to sympathise with her as they don't have a loving relationship: 'Talk not to me, for I'll speak not a word'.

This scene is extremely ironic because both Romeo and Paris meet at Juliet's side, the woman they both love and they fight over her, Romeo causing more harm to Paris.

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Approximate Word count = 3080
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)