ROMEO AND JULIET ESSAY TOPICS

1) Discuss the character of Romeo and his infatuation with Rosaline. Does this weaken the credibility of the love he feels for Juliet?

2) Identify one of the central themes of the play. Discuss how Shakespeare develops this theme.

2) Friar Laurence serves many dramatic purposes in the play. Examine the Friar and his role in Romeo and Juliet.

3) Mercutio is considered to be one of Shakespeare's great creations, yet he is killed relatively early in the play. What makes Mercutio so memorable a character?

4) Examine the role of women in Romeo and Juliet.

5) Romeo and Juliet are referred to as "star-cross'd lovers". Discuss the concept of predetermined destiny and how it relates to the play.

6) Discuss Juliet's soliloquy that opens Act III, Scene ii, paying particular attention to its poetic merits and relevance to the overall play.

7) Mercutio gives a wonderful monologue on Queen Mab in Act I, Scene IV. Examine this passage and discuss its literary qualities. Of what significance is Mercutio's speech to the overall play?

8) Discuss one of the characters of the play in detail, using details from the text to illustrate his/ her defining characteristics. In your discussion, comment on this character’s role(s) in the play.

9) What does Shakespeare illustrate about the nature and power of love in Romeo and Juliet? Discuss how this idea develops and changes as the play progresses.

10) Shakespeare uses soliloquies to develop the major themes of his plays. Select one of the soliloquies (of Romeo, Juliet, Friar Lawrence, or Mercutio) and discuss its relationship to one of the central themes in the play. In your essay, discuss how the theme that you notice in the soliloquy is further developed throughout the play.