Romeo & Juliet (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Names are unimportant in defining who we are.

Family names are the most important part of identity.

Juliet is proud of her Capulet name.

Names can be easily changed to avoid conflict.

He believes that love is more important than family honour.

He is against the marriage but agrees because Romeo insists.

He wants to gain influence with both families for his own benefit.

He thinks the marriage will end the feud between the families.

by having Juliet take a more passive role in the relationship

by presenting both Romeo and Juliet as equally impulsive and emotional

by showing Romeo as a dominant and aggressive figure throughout the play

by depicting women as entirely obedient to male authority regardless of their personal feelings

Light imagery is only associated with positive emotions, while dark imagery is linked to negative emotions.

Dark imagery is used exclusively to foreshadow death and tragedy, with no connection to love.

Light imagery represents the family feud, and dark imagery symbolises the secret love between the couple.

Light and dark imagery is used to show that Romeo and Juliet’s love exists in a world overshadowed by hate.

Mercutio represents the ideal of romantic love and fidelity throughout the play.

Mercutio mocks romantic love and the idea of honour, suggesting both are misguided.

Mercutio supports the feud and believes strongly in family honour above all else.

Mercutio remains neutral on the themes of love and honour, focusing only on peace.

Romeo’s decision to kill Tybalt is a calculated act of revenge, well thought out in advance.

Romeo refuses to avenge Mercutio’s death, showing his desire to end the feud.

Romeo’s revenge on Tybalt is an impulsive act fuelled by emotional grief and rage.

Romeo only kills Tybalt to protect himself from being attacked by the Capulets.

Tybalt’s obsession with family honour leads him to constantly provoke violence.

 Tybalt shows that honour is only important to the older generation.

Tybalt refuses to engage in violence, showing that honour is secondary to peace.

Tybalt’s loyalty to Romeo demonstrates his belief in honour above all else.

Love and hate are presented as completely separate forces, with no overlap between them.

The tension between love and hate is downplayed, as it has little impact on the characters' decisions.

Love and hate are closely intertwined, with Romeo and Juliet’s love threatened by their families’ hatred.

Love dominates the majority of the play, with hate only playing a minor role in the background.

The Prologue explicitly blames the characters for their own downfall, negating the influence of fate.

The Prologue is unrelated to the themes of fate and free will, focusing solely on the family feud.

The Prologue describes Romeo and Juliet as "star-cross’d lovers", foreshadowing their inevitable fate.

The Prologue emphasises that fate is the only force at work, leaving no room for individual choices.

Mercutio’s death precipitates the reconciliation between the Montagues and Capulets.

Mercutio’s death marks the moment when Romeo’s actions lead to the tragic chain of events.

Mercutio’s death leads to Romeo fleeing Verona and ending his relationship with Juliet.

Mercutio’s death resolves the conflict between Romeo and Tybalt, effectively ending the inter-family feud.

Romeo consistently resists fate by making rational and deliberate choices, separating himself from the concept of destiny.

Romeo initially believes in fate but increasingly blames external forces, like his family, for his and Juliet’s misfortunes.

Romeo begins by accepting his fate, but as the play progresses, he tries to defy destiny by taking control of his life.

Romeo completely denies the existence of fate and believes all his actions are a result of his personal choices.

The characters' rigid adherence to family honour prevents reconciliation which leads to the tragedy.

The characters completely disregard honour, which leads to peace between the families by the end of the play.

The theme of honour is only relevant to the older generation and has little impact on Romeo and Juliet’s decisions.

The concept of honour is used primarily to justify the romantic actions of the younger characters.

Romeo is entirely responsible because his impulsive decisions directly lead to the deaths of himself and Juliet.

Romeo shares responsibility with other characters, but external forces like fate also play a significant role.

Romeo bears no responsibility, as his actions are driven solely by the feud between the Montagues and Capulets.

Romeo is responsible only for Tybalt’s death, while other characters' decisions lead to his and Juliet’s demise.

Shakespeare strongly critiques patriarchal structures, as Juliet’s defiance of her father leads to her isolation and death.

Shakespeare offers only a mild critique, as Juliet ultimately submits to her family’s will by not agreeing to marry Paris.

Shakespeare does not critique patriarchy, as Juliet is presented as a dutiful daughter who accepts her family’s authority.

Shakespeare uses Juliet’s character to uphold the values of patriarchy, showing the dangers of defying male authority.