Romeo & Juliet Key Theme: Honour (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Written by: Nick Redgrove
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
Honour timeline
The theme of honour in each act of Romeo and Juliet:
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:
|
Juliet | To prove his commitment to her, Juliet demands Romeo prove his “bent of love be honourable” and that “thy purpose marriage”:
|
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:
|
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:
|
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:
|
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.)
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