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How does Shakespeare present the Theme of Conflict in Romeo and Juliet?
Shakespeare’s Tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, opens in “Verona”, a city in northern Italy where the hot, narrow
streets are the perfect place for tempers to flare
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Honour was seen as one of the most valuable
possessions one could have; if one were to questions another’s honour, be it simply by “biting” their
“thumb” at them, people could expect a fight
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In the Prologue, there are references to fate and destiny
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In Shakespeare’s time, people
believed that the stars determined human destiny, so by describing Romeo and Juliet’s love as “Starcrossed” (which means thwarted by the stars), Shakespeare illustrates the misery that their love will bring
them and those around them, and how inevitable that misery is
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However, this vile language is undercut by the form of the Prologue, as
it is written in the form of a Sonnet, a type of poem that was associated with romance in the Elizabethan
era
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In Act 1 Scene 1, there is a fight between the Capulets and the Montagues
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The “men” in this quote is
representative of both courage and masculinity, so Sampson is questioning the Montagues’ honour by
attacking these two characteristics
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Later in Act 1 Scene 1, Romeo is introduced into the play
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His inner conflict about his unrequited love for Rosaline is shown when he uses oxymorons, “O loving
hate!”, and metaphors, “a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes”
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Romeo constantly using over-blown language is an
intentional decision by Shakespeare, who is making fun not just of Romeo, but of the very concept of a
Petrarchan lover, presenting them as too emotional and dramatic
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In Act 1 Scene 5, Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time
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The Sonnet’s lines are spoken by both Romeo and Juliet,
Romeo says the first quatrain, Juliet the second, they share the third and the final couplet is divided evenly
between them
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The conflict here is between sex and religion, there is the vocabulary of the body, such as “hand” or “kiss”,
and the vocabulary of religion, such as “pilgrim” or “holy”
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For example, Romeo refers to his lips as “two blushing
pilgrims”, this metaphor attests to the seriousness of their relationship, as their physical attraction to eachother, represented here by Romeo’s lips, is spiritual and pure in nature, demonstrated by him refer

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