Essay plan one: Romeo

Introduction:
● The eponymous character of the play, who is initially portrayed as an archetypal
Petrarchan lover.
● self conscious sufferer, driven by his unrequited love for Rosaline which causes him to
isolate himself from his family, relatives and friends (based on common tropes of
Petrarchan poetry).
● Romeo’s development is an important cursor for the transition from comedy to tragedy.
● The character's hamartia is the inability to think rationally, choosing instead to make
impulsive decisions, leading to his downfall.

Paragraph one: “O brawling love, O loving hate”

● From the first act and the first time we hear from Romeo.
● Use of oxymoron highlights the ineffable quality of love: full of contradictions and does
not make sense, and while arguably for others it may be interpreted as something
beautiful and of unique value, Romeo thinks it negative and ultimately unnatural.
● His speech is 13 lines, imperfect sonnet reflecting the idea that Romeo’s experience with
love is incomplete and flawed.
● Irregular rhyming couplets indicates the unpredictable nature of love, highlighting his role
as the Petrarchan lover suffering his unrequited love. However, it could also foreshadow
Romeo and Juliets irregular relationship as they come from quarreling families.
“smoke raised with the fume of sighs”
● Moans about his unrequited love for Rosaline, using a metaphor to compare love to a
smoke that arises from the sighs of lovers; suggesting that it perhaps is simultaneously
beautiful, potentially suffocating, and completely difficult to hold onto.
● demonstrates his complete negative experience with love and expresses it blatantly.

paragraph two: “some consequence yet hanging in the stars”

● When Romeo agrees to attend the Capulet's ball, he fears his decision may set off a
chain of events that will end in tragedy.
● “Yet hanging” we get this sense that Romeo and Juliet cannot escape their undeniable
fates henceforth the verb “hanging”.
● The use of the astrological term “stars” reminds the audience that the star crossed lovers
are doomed to die.
● This shows his slight rationality as he takes a thought to consider what he may be
causing, his hamartia.

Paragraph three: “O she doth teach the torches to burn bright!”

● The line expresses Romeo's first impression of Juliet. In discussing his love for Rosaline,
Romeo uses stale cliches drawn from the Petrarchan poetry that was popular in the
Shakespearean era, however as soon as he encounters Juliet, Romeo’s language takes
on a striking and original quality, which may suggest his passion for her is authentic.
● The regular rhyming couplets reinforce the excitement and intense emotions, in addition
to heightening the feeling of love.
 ● He deems Juliet “as a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear-“ which metaphorically portrays
her as transcendental as she “teaches the torches”.
● Shakespeare establishes the lexically cohesive conflict between light and dark in the
extract alluding to the “artificial night” in scene 1, emphasising the weight of Juliet's
presence.
● But also, the playwright portrays the objectification of Juliet using the simile,”as a rich
jewel”

paragraph four: “but soft, what light through yonder window breaks?” “It is the east and
Juliet is the sun”
● As Romeo approaches Juliet's bedroom, he describes her in language drawn from
astrology such as “sun”
● The grandiose imagery suggests that he believes his love for Juliet is not earthbound,
but transcendent. Juliet herself is as powerful as the sun, the literal centre of the
universe or in this case, his universe.
● However, astrological imagery also reminds the audience that Romeo and Juliet are
“star-crossed”- in other words, fated to die.
● Following onto her powerful force, the following lines read,”arise fair sun, and kill the
envious moon”, suggesting that his love for Juliet has supplanted his previous, weaker
infatuation with Rosaline.

paragraph five: “o sweet Juliet, thy beauty hath made me effeminate”

● Romeo is presented as a blunt sword, which symbolises his emasculation, his inability to
conform to violent behaviour is considered feminine.
● This is a turning point in Romeo's story. Up until now, Romeo has been trying to free
himself from the feud as well as the masculine code for honour thar keeps the feud
going. When he blames Juliet for making him effeminate, he is embracing the masculine
code once more.
● the alliterative “t” sound heightens the tension.

paragraph 6: “is it e’en so? Then I defy you, stars!”

● caesura indicates an assertion of agency and self autonomy, in order to defy the will of
the heavens, which is symbolised by the “stars”, creating the conflict between the
individual and the stars.
● This echoes the structure of the play as Romeo’s defiance against the stars leads to his
destruction.

paragraph seven: “o here, will i set up my everlasting rest, and shake the yoke of
inauspicious stars”
● Romeo once again attempts to defy fate, hinting at the speed of Romeo’s thought which
is rash and irrational.
● The enjambment suggests the inevitability of ending this soliloquy, which finishes with
Romeo’s death.
 Essay plan two: Juliet
Introduction:
● The female protagonist of the play. She makes up the “pair of star crossed lovers” the
tragedy is centred around.
● Shakespeare presents her as an object of desire whose only function is to be married.
● Although she is seen in such a reductive way, the character displays complexity and
maturity despite her being only 13 years of age.
● She can be perceived as an anomaly in the play as she is the only character who
attempts to reject the societal pressures she faces, insisting on marrying for love and
taking action on her circumstances.
● Thus, Juliet is the embodiment of a love that undermines the tradition of Petrarchan
courtly love.

Paragraph one: “my child is yet a stranger in the world”

● Emphasises how Juliet is stuck in a period between childhood and adulthood describing
her as a “stranger” which suggests she holds little to no experience of the world.
● ”thou wilt fall backwards when thou hast more wit” illustrates how patriarchal Verona is,
as the nurse and her husband had discussed Juliet’s reaching of sexual maturity even
when she was an infant, highlighting how Juliet has always been seen as an object to be
married off.
● The use of the rhetorical question is ironic, as Juliet is not given a choice and it cements
the inevitability of Juliet's circumstance.
●
Paragraph two: “my only love sprung from my only hate”
● Juliet complains that she saw and fell in love with Romeo “too early” before she knew he
was her enemy.
● The language of Romeo and Juliet insists that opposites can never be entirely
separated: the lovers will never be allowed to forget that they are also enemies.

Paragraph three: “my grave is likely to be my wedding bed”

● Shakespeare showcases a meta theatrical foreshadowing of the plays events. Freudian
ides of Eros and Thanatos can be identified in this quote; sex and love lead to death
● allegorically links the wedding bed to a grave which is associated with death and decay
demonstrating how oppositions are intertwined in the play.

Paragraph four: “o Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?”

● Mainly this dialogue is quoted frequently under the understanding that Juliet is asking
where he is, however it actually means why as to why Romeo is who he is- namely a
Montague, and therefore her sworn enemy.
● “Deny thy father and refuse thy name” imperatives suggest a conflict with fate: she
wants Romeo to take action indicating a youthful sense of idealism and naivety
highlighting two sides of her character.
Paragraph five: “o swear not by the moon, th’inconstant moon”
● Juliet rejects the idea of traditional fake love and encourages Romeo to follow a love
more spontaneous and unrehearsed.
● juliet's half line imperative riposte emphasises her decisive nature but also showcases
her deep understanding of nature as the moon goes through phases henceforth
inconsistent, which she may fear will reflect Romeo’s love for her.
● The monosyllabic phrases highlight how assertive she is antithetical to Romeo’s lyrical
language.

Paragraph five: “can heaven be so envious?”

● In this rhetorical question, Shakespeare conveys the dichotomy between fate and the
individual showing how physical matters have no effect on love, but only spiritual alluded
to by “heaven”.
● Juliet defies heaven as it is closely linked to angelic features by finding it envious
demonstrating her rebellion against societal norms and engaging in subtle blasphemy
solely for her strong love for Romeo that has arguably moulded her into a rather
irrational person.

Paragraph six: “i pray thee leave me to myself tonight”

● This depicts Juliet’s final detachment from the two maternal figures of her life indicating
that she asserts her independence and growth into a new level of emotional maturity.
● Use of dramatic irony, “thou knowest”, exposes how Juliet is attempting to make the
nurse feel guilty.

Paragraph seven: “o happy dagger”

● This final dialogue links back to Romeo’s “o brawling love….” As she ends their suffering
with a mere dagger but personifies it using “happy” whereas her body becomes its
“sheath” showing the idea that love and death are inextricably linked.
● In roman tradition, stabbing was the most honourable and noble form of suicide thus
presenting Juliet as a tragic hero. This is her only act of violence, and also the plays final
act of violence exerting a change in society as Shakespeare promotes the idea that
action is necessary.
 Essay plan three: Friar Lawrence
Introduction:
● Enables and facilitates most of the action within the play; he marries Romeo and Juliet,
helping Juliet to devise the plan to ‘reunite’ with Romeo after she is instructed to marry
Paris.
● He is shown to be a figure the characters turn to for wisdom due to his high religious
conduct.
● Henceforth he attempts to end the conflict occurring between the two families by using
Romeo’s relationship with Juliet.

Paragraph one: “young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes”
● The friar does not believe Romeo’s love for Juliet is genuine; he is confused as to why
Romeo’s had a quick change of heart, as up until the night before, Romeo was still
mourning his unrequited love for rosaline.
● He implies men love with their eyes, suggesting that Romeo’s love is shallow and only
concerned with Juliet’s beauty.

Paragraph two: “this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your households rancour to
pure love”
● This quote shows Friar Lawrence’s attempt to justify his reasoning for the allowance of
the marriage. He anticipates that through linking their families, the anger and aggression
towards one another will turn into love for each other.
● However we can argue that the friar could be the main reason of R&J death as he had
the authority and ability to refuse their marriage but in the end their death does unite the
Montagues and Capulets so ultimately he does achieve his goal.

Paragraph three: “til holy church incorporate two in one”

● Naturally Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is the central pairing of the play.
● The phrase reflects this semantic field of pairings and suggests the friar is a key
motivator in their relationship.
 Essay plan four: Mercutio
Introduction:
● Mercutio’s character not only encapsulates the comedic relief in Romeo and Juliet, but
Shakespeare also employs him to contrast the views of many other characters.
● He is well known for his explicit speeches about sexual desire and his emotionless views
of love potentially due to home being a product of lack of love.
● Throughout the play, mercutio consistently goes against the conventions formed by not
only the Elizabethan era, but also by other characters in the play.
● He arguably acts as a catalyst for Romeo’s violent behaviour.

Paragraph one: “prick love for pricking”

● The plosive lexis reinforces the impression of mercutio's harsh, and raw perception of
love because this almost suggests that he views love making as a violent action.
● The violent verbs create phallic imagery, demonstrating how he views love as purely
sexual, whilst also depicting the dominance men were supposed to have over women.
● The symmetry of the sentence structure contrasts mercutio's opinion of love. Symmetry
makes it seem as if love is very complete and perfect, unlike his belief.

Paragraph two: “I conjure thee by Rosaline's bright eyes, By her high forehead…”
● Mercutio's listing of Rosaline's body parts alludes to the popular poetic ‘blazon’
technique.
● The listing of parts reinforces the impression of mercutio's sexual and primitive view of
love as he creates sexual imagery through his speech.

Paragraph three: “o Romeo that she were, o, that she were an open arse, thou a poperin
pear!”
● Mercutio believes that love is grounded in sexual desire when Romeo makes the
romantic gesture of breaking into the capulet's garden to see Juliet.
● ”poperin pear” is a slang name for a fruit often compared to a woman’s genitalia.
● plosive lexis

Paragraph four: “true, i talk of dreams…”

● Mercutio's “Queen Mab” speech introduces an important aspect of his character: he is a
cynical realist who finds dreams and fantasies ridiculous.
● ”cry but “ay me”” mercutio makes fun of Romeo for using language drawn from the love
poetry drawing attention to the fact that Romeo’s romantic language is cliched
suggesting his feelings may be inauthentic or immature.

Paragraph five: “A plague o’both your houses. They have made worms’ meat of me”
● This sentence is repeated twice within Act 1 Scene 3. Thus, the religion of this phrase
enforces the impression that mercutio, unlike the majority of characters, completely
disregards fate but instills his opinion that the pointless feud caused his death.
● Mercutio himself describes his death in a strict physical and unromantic terms, as he will
be “worms meat”
 Essay plan five: Lord and Lady Caplet
Introduction:
● Lady Capulet is Juliet’s mother, however she acts in an unconventional way. Instead of
having a close, maternal relationship with her daughter their relationship is tense and
formal.
● She is fearful of her husband and lacks free will and rarely ever listens or cares for
Juliet’s concerns potentially because she never had to take care of her maternally.
● Lord Capulet is arguably a product of his time because he displays the characteristics of
a typical patriarch.
● In this way Elizabethan audiences may view him as a good father as he only tries to
protect Juliet by arranging a marriage for her.

Paragraph one: “nurse, come back again”

● Implies how she is unable to look after her own daughter, reliant on staff to do it for her.
This may show how she is an incapable character, but also demonstrates her as a
stereotypical Elizabethan woman.
“My child is yet a stranger in the world”
● The personal pronoun “my” emphasises lord capulets possessiveness over Juliet.
Furthermore the fact that he doesn’t mention Juliet’s name reinforces the impression of
this.
● One could argue that Lord Capulet merely views his daughter as his own property and
possession as this is what was expected of him.
● but it could also be out of concern and love for his child by fearing what the outer world
may hold for her and how he is willing to protect her from the dangers.

Paragraph two: “we will have vengeance for it”

● Lady Capulet is an unforgiving character who desires revenge.
”disobedient wretch”
● This epithet created through the adjective used to describe Juliet illuminates how cruelly
Juliet is treated by her father and further reinforces the impression that he views Juliet as
mere property.

Paragraph three: “talk not to me, for I’ll not speak a word”
● The major separation between mother and daughter is heavily implied here.
● shows the unemotional address that lady capulet utilises when conversing with her
daughter-but again this may be seen as common practice for contemporary audience
”hang, beg, starve, die in the streets, for by my soul I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee”
● Asyndetic listing here emphasises the idea that Capulet is becoming increasingly erratic
and distraught as Juliet continues to disobey him.
● Harsh terms agglomerate to create a semantic field of death reinforcing the impression
that he is more concerned with reputation and honour than his daughters life.
● Usually criminals are hung, so it could be implied that he may think his daughter a
criminal for not obeying his orders and swears by his soul to emphasise his assertive
tone and his idea that his daughter obeying him necessary although it may harm her.
Paragraph four: “o brother Montague, give me thy hand”
● Capulet here decides to end the feud directly after witnessing the death of his daughter
and Romeo, potentially classified as a healthy reaction to the tragic incident unlike his
other emotional outbursts where he chooses violence.
● However, some may deem this negative because he has chosen violence prior to this
with his daughter and wife, and it could be because of their gender, due to his toxic
masculinity, he’s able to negatively overpower them simply because he is a man.