Romeo and Juliet (Grades 9–1) York Notes

From the Prologue the audience know that this story will end in tragedy but the characters have no knowledge of their fate.

Shakespeare often uses prose sentences without set rhythms for common and comic characters and then changes to poetry for those who are noble or for elevated topics such as love.

Much of the play is written in blank verse where there are ten syllables in a line, and in Shakespeare’s time blank verse was often used to express the theme of love.

When a character is alone on stage and their speech reveals thoughts and feelings directly to the audience.

Words connected to light and religion are used throughout the play to indicate how heavenly and bright the love is between Romeo and Juliet. Darkness is usually linked to bad omens and fate.