Why do schools still read and discuss work from Shakespeare? Shakespeare has written many pieces that were talked about a lot during his time. It’s almost like he adds hidden lessons in his works, especially in the well-known Romeo and Juliet. The play Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare is a tragic story about love and loss. Two people from opposing families fall in love in spite of the feud between families. Although many themes are present, the one that sticks out the most is ‘love vs hate’. In the first two acts of this play, the theme of love vs hate appears many times. The first major appearance is in the prologue. The prologue introduced the story, in turn introducing the theme: “From forth the fatal loins of these foes a pair of star-cross’d …show more content…
In Act Three, Juliet finds out that Romeo had killed her cousin Tybalt: “O, find him! Give this ring to my true knight and bid him come to take his last farewell.” After she found out, she felt all this hatred towards him, but still decided she loved him. This was her way of letting him know she forgave him. In Act Four, Juliet is being forced by her parents to marry Paris even though she is already married to Romeo: “O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, from off the battlements of yonder tower;” After Romeo had left, Juliet’s parents were forcing her into marriage but she refused. Further proving her love, Juliet would rather her whole family think she was dead than marry a man that was not Romeo. In Act Five, when Romeo thought that Juliet was dead, he was ready to kill himself but Paris confronted him: “Put not another sin upon my head, by urging me to fury: O, be gone! By heaven, I love thee better than myself;” Even when Romeo is completely upset and mad that Paris was there, his love for Juliet kept him from starting conflict with anyone associated with her family. Their love was so strong that he continued to honor her wishes even when he thought she was dead. Altogether, the theme develops a great amount along with the story and helps the understand the