Download Themes in Romeo and Juliet and more Slides Literature in PDF only on Docsity! Themes Romeo and Juliet Aside from types of love and the question of guilt, there are other major themes present in this Shakespearean tragedy. fate vs. chance the role of women manipulation of time individual and society secrecy Theme #1: Fate vs. Chance In your group, discuss the different ways that fate is brought up in Romeo and Juliet. How is fate different from chance? What do the different members of your group believe about fate vs. chance? Are the things that happen in our lives a matter of fate? (it’s already “written in the stars”?) Formulate a theme statement about fate based on Romeo and Juliet. Remember that the theme is the main idea or message from a piece of literature. You might begin with the phrase, “In Romeo and Juliet, the role of fate is important because....” Pick one student who will share your theme statement with the entire class. Theme #4: Secrecy In your group, discuss the various ways that the theme of secrecy affects the characters in Romeo and Juliet. Remember that even well- intended deceptions and secrets can be destructive. Think of at least three examples of secrecy or deception in the play. Formulate a theme statement about the effects of secrecy based on Romeo and Juliet. Remember that the theme is the main idea or message from a piece of literature. You might begin with the phrase, “In Romeo and Juliet, secrecy has a powerful impact because....” Pick one student who will share your theme statement with the entire class. Theme #5: Manipulation of Time In your group, discuss why you think Shakespeare has the events of Romeo and Juliet happen so quickly. Is he making any statement about how time is measured differently when two people are in love? You may also want to think of the effects of “haste” (doing things too quickly). Consider just a few of the vast number of expressions we have that relate to “time”: * a race against time * in the nick of time * only a matter of time * just in time * time is on our side * time is running out * time heals all wounds * there’s no time to lose Formulate a theme statement about the effects of time/haste based on Romeo and Juliet. Remember that the theme is the main idea or message from a piece of literature. You might begin with the phrase, “In Romeo and Juliet, time is important because....” Pick one student who will share your theme statement with the entire class.
