Romeo and Juliet - Love and Hate

Show how Shakespeare presents dramatically the themes of love and hate in the play “Romeo and Juliet”

The literary genius, William Shakespeare, was born in 1564 and throughout his life wrote a collection of plays, poems and sonnets. In the 16th century, the type of theatre was very different to that of today. Actors were only male, so any female parts had to be played by a boy whose voice had not broken. This also meant that intimate love scenes were not included as they were uncomfortable for the actors and would not be very realistic.

The theatre itself was round with a small circular stage in the centre. Props were few and words had to make up the scenery, lighting and atmosphere. Plays had to be performed in the afternoons when it was most light and were usually more of a social ‘get-together’ than a formal event. Middle and lower class citizens attended these shows and were unsettled and often uncultured. This meant that the very beginning lines of the play co...