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  1. In this simile, Friar Lawrence advises Romeo to temper his extreme passion for Juliet, warning that their hasty marriage could turn out like a “kiss” between fire and gunpowder, causing a short-lived but violent explosion that consumes them both. Death lies on her like an untimely frost.

    • No Fear Translation

      Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare, scene summary, scene...

    • Key Facts

      Full Title The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of...

    • Character List

      But, until a disagreement near the play’s end, the Nurse is...

    • Related Links

      The Folger Shakespeare Library: Romeo and Juliet. The Folger...

    • Suggestions for Further Reading

      Halio, Jay L., ed. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: Texts,...

    • Context

      How does Shakespeare's version of Romeo and Juliet differ...

    • Antagonist

      Either way Romeo will suffer, and this suffering will drive...

    • Tone

      The tone of Romeo and Juliet is sympathetic to the plight of...

  2. Need help on literary devices in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet? Check out our detailed literary device explanations and examples. From the creators of SparkNotes.

    • Looking For Themes and Symbols in Romeo and Juliet
    • Love and Hate
    • Fate and Free Will
    • Youth and Age
    • Death
    • Light and Dark
    • Oppositions and Oxymorons

    Themes are recurring preoccupations that appear within a play. Sometimes these take the form of language, sometimes as imagery. Many of Shakespeare’s plays contain similar overarching themes such as conflict and change; but each play also contains its own ‘fingerprint’ of deeper themes too. Here we explore some of the particular themes you can find...

    Romeo and Juliet is possibly Shakespeare’s most famous play, and everyone quickly recognises that love is the central theme. Equally as important though is the idea of opposing forces, and so hate plays a crucial role too. Love is represented in many ways, firstly as the stylized ‘Petrarchan Love’ that lovesick Romeo feels for the unattainable Rosa...

    More opposing ideas here too. At the very opening of the play the prologue warns us of this, kicking off with the idea of “A pair of star-crossed lovers” for whom fate has already decided the outcomes. It is in the hands of the stars. Tension is created as Romeo and Juliet experience premonitions of ill-fortune, yet neither lose their ability to ac...

    Many times you’ll see that the perceived differences between young an old fuel the events of the play. Contrast is made between the vigorous and sometimes impetuous emotions of youth against the more cautious wisdom which appears to come from maturity. We find this in the relationship between Romeo and Friar Lawrence. “I stand on sudden haste” urge...

    All of these themes ultimately tie up with the notion of death versus life. The play is full of references to death, both serious and playful. Life seems to be pretty cheap in Verona, and that death is never far away is reflected in richness of the language used to describe it: “death-mark’d love”, “canker death”, “love-devouring death”, “death-dar...

    One of the most arresting and recurring symbols used throughout the play is that of light and dark. Romeo and Juliet meet at night, and much of the time we spend with them together is in the hours of darkness. But time and again Romeo sees nothing but light from Juliet, “Juliet is the sun” he says. So much of their shared language concerns light an...

    Along with the oppositions we’ve identified in theme and motif, oppositions also turn up spoken in the form of oxymorons. These literary devices are used within the play’s language to heighten the complexity and intensity of the emotions expressed. For example, confronting his own unrequited love for Rosaline Romeo says “Here’s much to do with hate...

  3. Themes and Colors. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Romeo and Juliet, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. When Romeo and Juliet fall in love, their individual desire for each other—which flies in the face of their families’ “ancient grudge” and thus the social order of Verona, a city run by ...

  4. Romeo and Juliet study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes.

  5. Discussion of themes and motifs in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. eNotes critical analyses help you gain a deeper understanding of Romeo and Juliet so you can excel on your...

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  7. The beautiful and impersonal forces of the heavens are a constant note in Romeo and Juliet. From Romeo’s first impassioned speech in which “Juliet is the sun” to Juliet’s “take him and cut him out in little stars” (II.2.3, 3.2.22), the lovers see each other in celestial terms.