Themes

Love versus hate - and the many forms love takes; its power to challenge hate; the impetuosity of young love; the irrationality of hate and its capacity to destroy love.

Some related scenes:

Act 1 Scene 1: The Capulets and Montagues fight in Verona's market-place; Romeo tells Benvolio of his unrequited love for Rosaline.
Act 1 Scene 5: Forgetting Rosaline, Romeo falls in love with Juliet at first sight.
Act 2 Scene 2: In Juliet's orchard the two lovers agree to marry.
Act 3 Scene 1: Tybalt fatally wounds Mercutio under the newly-wed Romeo's arm.
Act 3 Scene 5: Romeo and Juliet prepare to part after their wedding night.
Act 5 Scene 3: Romeo and Juliet commit suicide; the Prince asks the two families to reconcile.

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Parents and children and the struggle of young people to make their own choices in the face of parents' vested interests.

Some related scenes:

The Prologue: The Chorus describes the parents' 'ancient grudge' which is the catalyst for the death of their children.
Act 1 Scene 1: Lord Capulet approves Paris's request to ask Juliet to marry him.
Act 3 Scene 5: Lord and Lady Capulet tell Juliet of their arrangements for her to marry Paris.
Act 5 Scene 3: Romeo and Juliet commit suicide; the parents are faced with the consequences of their ancient feud.

Chance versus choice - the inevitability and the fickleness of fate; the mixture of chance and choice in determining outcomes.

Some related scenes:

The Prologue: The Chorus describes the lovers as 'star-crossed'.
Act 1 Scene 4: As he goes to the Capulets' ball, Romeo tells of a dream he has had.
Act 3 Scene 3: Romeo happens upon the sword fight between Tybalt and Mercutio; his intervention results in Mercutio's death for which he kills Tybalt and calls himself 'fortune's fool'.
Act 5 Scene 1: Balthasar tells Romeo of Juliet's death and Friar Laurence learns that Brother John has been unable to travel to Mantua to tell Romeo that Juliet still lives.

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