Romeo and Juliet Key Theme: Honour (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Revision Note

Test yourself

Honour mind map 

The theme of honour in each act of Romeo and Juliet: 

Act

Quote

Summary

1

“Two households, both alike in dignity! – The Chorus  

The Chorus introduces the audience to the importance of family honour and pride between the feuding Capulets and Montagues

2

“Deny thy father and refuse thy name” – Juliet

In the balcony scene, Juliet challenges honour by suggesting that Romeo abandon his family name

3

“O calm, dishonourable, vile submission” –  Mercutio

Mercutio is incensed when Romeo refuses to duel with Tybalt and views his response as unworthy of his honour and status as a Montague

4

“Pardon, I beseech you! / Henceforward I am ever ruled by you” – Juliet

Juliet informs Lord Capulet that she will consent to marry Paris which he believes will restore her family honour

5

“All are punished” – Prince Escalus

The Prince’s words reflect the tragic consequences of the characters’ adherence to family honour which results in violence and death

What are the elements of honour in Romeo and Juliet?

  • The Montague and Capulet feud: The Capulets and Montagues both consider family honour an important part of life, as the regular brawls that disturb the public peace reflect

  • Tybalt’s obsession: Tybalt does not recognise the act of murder as a crime if it is in defence of his family honour:

    • “Now, by the stock and honour of my kin, / To strike him dead I hold it not a sin” 

  • Juliet’s defiance: Lord Capulet arranges the marriage of Juliet to Paris, “this noble earl”, emphasising the importance of family reputation and honour as marriage to Paris would promote the family’s status in Verona:

    • Lord Capulet is infuriated by Juliet’s apparent lack of honour: “And you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets”

  • Romeo’s rejection: Shakespeare highlights the importance of love over family honour as Romeo is willing to give up his name for Juliet in order to be with her:

    • “I never will be Romeo”

The impact of honour on characters

Honour is a central theme in the play and the long-standing feud between the warring households strengthens their family loyalty and justifies much of the violence throughout the play. The emphasis on loyalty and honour to kin also creates a conflict for Romeo and Juliet, who rebel against their families. 

Character

Impact

Servants

The servants are loyal and dedicated to the honour of the families they serve:

  • At the beginning of the play, the Capulets’ servants insult the Montagues’ servants: “A dog of the house of the Montague moves me” 

Juliet

To prove his commitment to her, Juliet demands Romeo prove his “bent of love be honourable”  and that “thy purpose marriage”:

  • Juliet’s loyalty to Romeo is stronger than the loyalty she feels to her family

Romeo

Romeo does not engage in a duel with Tybalt at first because of his loyalty to Juliet, but his loyalty to Mercutio eventually drives him to kill Tybalt: 

  • The deaths of Romeo and Juliet at the end of the play are acts of loyalty to the love they hold for each other

Tybalt

Tybalt’s obsession with family honour and his desire to kill Romeo for attending the Capulet ball highlight the hatred between the Capulets and Montagues. 

Mercutio

Duelling was an established way of restoring honour between two parties in disagreement and Mercutio steps in to fight Tybalt, when Romeo refuses, to protect Romeo’s honour:

  • “pluck your sword”

Lord Capulet

Juliet’s refusal to marry Paris results in Lord Capulet’s threat to disown her as he perceives her act of defiance as a sign of dishonour:

  • “Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch”

Why does Shakespeare use the theme of honour in his play? 

1.  Setting and atmosphere 

  • Shakespeare establishes honour as a central value which governs many characters’ lives

  • Creates tension and violence as honour is tied to family pride and revenge

2. Plot driver 

  • Drives the conflict between the characters as the desire to defend family honour results in the death of Mercutio and Tybalt

  • Influences the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet as their rejection of family honour leads to their demise

3. Audience appeal 

  • Appeals to Shakespeare’s audience as they would have associated Italy with powerful families and the obsession with status: a place where a strong sense of family honour could often lead to feuding and acts of revenge 

4. Dramatic device  

  • Heightens the dramatic tension as honour is a constant source of friction between the Montagues and the Capulets

Exam-style questions on the theme of honour

Try planning a response to the following essay questions as part of your revision of the theme of honour: 

  • How does Shakespeare portray the conflict between honour and love in the play? (You could start with Act 3, Scene 1.) 

  • To what extent does honour dictate the action of the characters in the play? (You could start with Act 1, Scene 1.) 

Last updated:

You've read 0 of your 10 free revision notes

Unlock more, it's free!

Join the 100,000+ Students that ❤️ Save My Exams

the (exam) results speak for themselves:

Did this page help you?

Nick Redgrove

Author: Nick Redgrove

Expertise: English Senior Content Creator

Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.

Kate Lee

Author: Kate Lee

Expertise: English and Languages Lead

Kate has over 12 years of teaching experience as a Head of English and as a private tutor. Having also worked at the exam board AQA and in educational publishing, she's been writing educational resources to support learners in their exams throughout her career. She's passionate about helping students achieve their potential by developing their literacy and exam skills.