Shakespeare's timeless tragedy unfolds through powerful dialogue and dramatic scenes, chronicling the ill-fated romance between two young lovers from feuding families. The play's key quotes reveal themes of love, hate, fate, and violence.
• The Prologue sets the tragic tone with references to "star-crossed lovers" and civil bloodshed
• Act 1 establishes the bitter feud between Montagues and Capulets
• Romeo's evolution from lovesick youth to passionate lover is tracked through his changing dialogue
• Religious imagery and metaphors of light pervade the lovers' exchanges
• The text builds tension through foreshadowing and dramatic irony
• Violence and death are recurring motifs throughout all five acts