Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet tells the tale of a young man and woman, who fall in love but are destined for tragedy due to their warring families - the Montagues and the Capulets.

The characters of the play can be categorised into two groups - the Montagues and the Capulets. Their conflict fuels the play’s events and how they interact with one another.

A theme is a key idea that runs through a text. The key themes in Romeo and Juliet are love, conflict and family. All three themes interlink with one another.

The form, structure and language of Romeo and Juliet reveals how Shakespeare presented his play to his audience, exploring his intentions and what he was trying to make the audience think and feel.

Dramatisation is how the play is presented to the audience, thinking about casting, performance choices and staging.

An example of the type of question you might be asked about Romeo and Juliet in the exam and how best to approach it.