NAME: JAMEELAH SAULS

GRADE: 9A

ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE

CREATIVE WRITING PROJECT- DRAMA

RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

HYPOTHESIS:

. The themes explored in the play, Romeo and Juliet, are still relevant in our
time.

INTRODUCTION:

Romeo and Juliet fall in love at a party. But they come from families that hate
each other. They are sure they will not be allowed to marry. Nevertheless,
helped by Friar Laurence, they marry in secret instead. Unfortunately, before
their wedding night, Romeo kills Juliet's cousin in a duel, and in the morning he
is forced to leave her. If he ever returns to the city, he will be put to death.
Juliet's parents told her she must marry Paris. Her parents did not know she
was already married. She refuses in the beginning, but later agrees because
she plans to fake her death and escape to be with Romeo forever again with
the help of Friar Laurence. Friar Laurence designed the plan. He gives Juliet a
sleeping potion. She appears to be dead and was put in a tomb. However,
Romeo does not know about the plan, visits her grave, thinks she is dead, and
kills himself. When Juliet finally wakes up, she discovers that Romeo is dead
and then kills herself. My understanding of the hypothesis is based on the fact
that all the themes explored in Romeo and Juliet are also present in our daily
lives, such as death and tragedy, forbidden love, and love at first sight.
INVESTIGATION:

I used many other sources such as class discussions with peers and I used the
internet (google) as my main source.

Playshakesphere.(n.d).Romeo and Juliet: synopsis & plot summary, retrieved

august 25 2022,

Freebooksummary.(2016).Romeo and Juliet- how themes are still relevant

today, retrieved August 25 2022,

Sparknotes.(2022)Romeo and Juliet-William Shakesphere Literary Devices,

retrieved august 28 2022,

FINDINGS:

-THEME 1:

FORBIDDEN LOVE:

- Our society and religion are still having similar experience with what Romeo
and Juliet went through. It is still relevant as arranged marriages, marriage
because of money or forced marriages by parents, all of those events are still
happening to this day. Often parents force their children to get married to
older men who are wealthy and have a high reputation and status and some
parents forbids their children from getting married to individuals with different
religions, cultures and race. Romeo and Juliet, who were from rivalry families,
are one of the prime examples as their love was forbidden and they died for it.

-THEME 2:

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT:

- Shakespeare has conveyed this idea in Act 1 scene 5 when Romeo sneaks into
the Capulets party, even though their families are enemies, once he is there he
lays eyes on Juliet and immediately falls in love with her beauty. This still
happens in today’s society , perhaps someone is swiping through photos on a
dating app when they happen to stumble upon a person they are attracted to
or when people of today attend parties and night clubs to find a lover. They
often then meet people who they are attracted to they then think it is love at
first sight.

-THEME 3:

DEATH AND TRADGEDY:

-This is relevant in today’s society as Death took many lives in the play, just as
it does today. People have died in tragedies, car accidents, suicide, or by
natural causes. Many people in the world grieve differently. In the play, some
died and it was evident after these deaths how their loved ones grieved. For
example Lady Capulet was hysterical after Tybalt’s death while the prince was
angry over Mercutio’s and Paris’s death. The play teaches us how people react
differently to a situation and how individual’s grieves over people who they
have lost.

PLOT SUMMARY:

-The Main theme of Romeo and Juliet is Love. The play which is set in Verona is
a story about a long feud between the Montague and Capulet families. This
feud causes tragic results for the main characters in the play, Romeo and Juliet.
The events contrast hatred and revenge with love and a secret marriage,
forcing the young star-crossed lovers to grow up quickly and die tragically in
despair.

EVENTS IN THE STORY THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE THEME ‘’LOVE’’

THE LOVERS MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME ( ACT 1 SCENE 4)

- Romeo is persuaded by Mercutio and Benvolio to attend a party at the

Capulet household to forget about his unrequited love. Not knowing
who she is, Romeo falls in love with Juliet the moment he sees her,
likewise Juliet falls instantly in love with him.

ROMEO RISKS DEATH TO MEET JULIET ( ACT 2 SCENE 1)

- When everyone has left the party, Romeo sneaks into Capulet garden
and sees Juliet on her balcony. Juliet secretly confesses her love for
Romeo without knowing he is there hiding. Romeo is then moved by
 Juliet’s confession and reveals that their love is mutual. By the end of
the scene Romeo leaves, promising to arrange a secret marriage and lets
Juliet’s nurse have the details in the morning.

ROMEO LEARNS OF THE TRADEDY AND PLANS SUICIDE (ACT 5 SCENE 1)

- Romeo’s servant, Balthasar reaches Mantua before the friar’s messenger

and tells Romeo that Juliet is dead. Romeo is then heartbroken and
makes an irrational decision by purchasing poison and then leaving for
Verona with the plan of dying alongside Juliet’s body.
-

CONCLUSION:

I agree with the hypothesis due to my main theme being forbidden love.
Forbidden love is common in modern society, as in Romeo and Juliet. Romeo
and Juliet have a marriage in secrecy due to their families' ongoing conflict. As
a result of their forbidden love, it leads the two young lovers to their demise.
Juliet’s parents arranged for her to marry Paris, as he is a man of wealth and
status. Similarly, today, young girls are forced to marry older and wealthier
men.

REFLECTION

This analysis and research wasn't enjoyable for me. Romeo and Juliet appeared
to me to be a rather immature love story, so I did not enjoy investigating it.
However, the drama had incredible life lessons that can assist us in our daily
lives.