ROMEO & JULIET - THEMES

OVERVIEW:

Exile is when someone is banned from entering the place where they live. This is seen in Romeo & Juliet when Romeo is exiled from Verona for killing Tybalt.
The main question that this theme spawns is whether exile is worse than death. Several characters in the play have conflicting viewpoints on the matter, which makes the audience of the play question the benefits of exile themselves. Both Romeo & Juliet though that exile was worse than death, as they would have to live without each other. 

CONTEXT:

In history, royality were often exiled from their kingdom when overthrown. They usually saw this as worse than being executed, as it put shame upon the monach and their family.

At the time, exile was a much worse prospect for women, as they relied on men for money, food and shelter. Because of this, many men threatened women with fear of exile. 

QUOTES:

"All slain, all dead. Romeo is banishèd". - Juliet. Act 3, Scene 2
"Hang, beg, starve, die in the streets". - Capulet. Act 3, Scene 5
"In that word’s death" - Juliet. Act 3, Scene 2

OVERVIEW:

Hatred is a core theme of the play, with the premise being that the two familes of Capulet and Montague hate each other, and want to fight. This makes it much harder for Romeo & Juliet to be together.
Sometimes, characters show hate because of love, such as the hatred that Capulet has for Juliet, when she disobeys him. However, some characters hate others without any reason or motive, such as Tybalt.

CONTEXT:

The idea of a "Blood Feud" has been ongoing for a long time. Families fought each other for many years. Sometimes with a mtoive, sometimes not. 
A popular blood feud in Shakespeare's time would have been the war of the roses, The house of montague & Capulet shares similarities the house of Plantagenet & York. While the war of the Roses had a reason behind it (the crown), the two houses fought for many years preceeding that, as there was a lasting hatred between the two houses. 

QUOTES:

"From ancient grudge, break to new mutiny" - Chorus, Prologue
"What? Drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee" - Tybalt, Act 1, Scene 1
"It fits when such a villain is a guest. Ill not endure him" - Tybalt, Act 1, Scene 5
"A plague on both your houses"  - Mercutio - Act 3, Scene 1

OVERVIEW:

"Romeo & Juliet" is a tragedy. It ends with many people, including the two main characters, dead. Many characters change as a result of death, and subsequently react differently to characters.
Tybalt kills Mercutio, which causes Romeo to kill Tybalt. Romeo kills Paris, and Romeo kills himself at the sight of a 'dead' Juliet. Juliet wakes up, and she kills herself at the sight of a dead Romeo, and Lady Montague dies from grief.
There is a lot of foreshadowing in the play to the death of the two main characters. 

CONTEXT:

People died much younger at the time of the play, so death was more common than in modern times. However, people were much more scornful when it came to death of a loved one, and often sought some kind of revenge.

QUOTES:

"I will drag thee on a hurdle hither" - Capulet - Act 3, Scene 5
"Hang, beg, stave, die in the streets " - Capulet - Act 3, Scene 5
"Death is my son-in-law" - Capulet - Act 4, Scene 5
"We were born to die" - Capulet - Act 3, Scene 4

OVERVIEW:

Many people question whether it was Destiny that lead to the death of Romeo or Juliet, or the result of actions between the characters of the play. In an Elizabethan audience, it was meant to be shown that fate brought the two together, and eventually brought them apart. However, a modern audience often views the plot as an interconnecting chain of events. 

CONTEXT:

Elizabethans often thought that stars could tell the future. The characters of the play often references the stars, and ultimately concludes that the stars caused the two's death. 
Another common belief was that of Fortuna, and her wheel of fortune. Fortuna was a roman goddess, and her wheel had the ability to change the course of one's luck at any time. When characters mention fortune, thisis usually in reference to Fortuna.

QUOTES:

"Fickle Fortune" - Juliet, Act 3, Scene 5
"I am Fortune's fool" - Romeo, Act 3, Scene 1
"Two star-crossed lovers" - Chorus, Prologue
"I defy you, stars" - Romeo, Act 5, Scene 1
"Some consequence still hanging in the stars" - Romeo, act 1, Scene 4

OVERVIEW:

The Montagues and Capulets are divided by family. The play asks whether Romeo & Juliet can love each other when their families hate each other, and most of the fighting in the play is seperated by family.
The relationship between Romeo & his parents is rarely mentioned, however, the family life of the Capulets is explained quite clearly. Juliet is quite distant to her parents, as the wet nurse looks after her most of the time. This makes Juliet's interactions with her parents seem rather formal, and emotionless.

CONTEXT:

The play was set in a patriachal society, where the father effectively owned the women, and had control over them. This meant that at the time, women had very little say in what they could do, and as the daughter of the family, Juliet had very little control, being both a child, and a woman. 

QUOTES:

"And you be mine; I'll give you to my friend" - Capulet, Act 3, Scene 5
"I think she will be ruled, in all aspects, by me" - Capulet, Act 3 Scene 4
"Deny thy father, and refuse thy name" - Juliet - Act 2, Scene 2
"Doth with their death, bury their parents' strife" - Chorus, Prologue