Romeo and Juliet:
Question Points Quotations & Analysis Context
Fate Opposing force against ’I fear some In the Elizabethan
their archetypal love consequence yet Era, people believed
hanging in the stars’ in astrology.
•’ foreshadowing the However, it was also
repercussions of their a predominantly
relationship Christian society.
‘star-cross’d lovers’ Shakespeare
•’ ironic as they were incorporates the
destined to be lovers theme of faith in
however it lead to their order to evoke
tragic demise sympathy for the
‘violent delights have lovers - also
violent ends’ resonates with ideas
•’ lack of agency, about predestination
contrasting words Italian Renaissance
was a time of
growing humanist
beliefs which
promoted love, and
Shakespeare
portrayed this love
through the lovers.
Accelerates the ’doth with their death Goddess Fortune
tragedies of the play bury their parent’s believed to control
strife’ fate in this time.
•’ predestined to die Ideas about
‘thy love hath made me masculinity - it was
effeminate’ set in a patriarchal
•’ foreshadowing his society so Romeo
love is his weakness and was expected to fight
induced the death of back for his honour.
Mercutio Idea of the harmony
‘I am fortune’s fool’ of spheres - the
•’ fricative alliteration movement of the
sense of anger planets were
predictable and
everything was in
perfect spheres. The
Renaissance lead to a
growth in
individualism, and
most of the younger
generation were
encouraged to follow
their own beliefs
rather than religion -
Question Points Quotations & Analysis Context
Fate Opposing force against ’I fear some In the Elizabethan
their archetypal love consequence yet Era, people believed
hanging in the stars’ in astrology.
•’ foreshadowing the However, it was also
repercussions of their a predominantly
relationship Christian society.
‘star-cross’d lovers’ Shakespeare
•’ ironic as they were incorporates the
destined to be lovers theme of faith in
however it lead to their order to evoke
tragic demise sympathy for the
‘violent delights have lovers - also
violent ends’ resonates with ideas
•’ lack of agency, about predestination
contrasting words Italian Renaissance
was a time of
growing humanist
beliefs which
promoted love, and
Shakespeare
portrayed this love
through the lovers.
Accelerates the ’doth with their death Goddess Fortune
tragedies of the play bury their parent’s believed to control
strife’ fate in this time.
•’ predestined to die Ideas about
‘thy love hath made me masculinity - it was
effeminate’ set in a patriarchal
•’ foreshadowing his society so Romeo
love is his weakness and was expected to fight
induced the death of back for his honour.
Mercutio Idea of the harmony
‘I am fortune’s fool’ of spheres - the
•’ fricative alliteration movement of the
sense of anger planets were
predictable and
everything was in
perfect spheres. The
Renaissance lead to a
growth in
individualism, and
most of the younger
generation were
encouraged to follow
their own beliefs
rather than religion -
