The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet: Theme Journal
After we read, on most days, you will be given time to reflect on the reading and record in your
Theme Journal. Each journal entry should include the date of the entry, a quote that expresses the
theme from the text, an explanation, and the page number the quote can be found. Each theme
listed below should have at least four different entries for each. By the end, you should have at least
16 entries total.
Themes:
1. Balance and Duality- Balance: Human beings need to maintain balance in order to
achieve happiness. Duality: There is a counterpart to everything: example: light and
dark.
2. Parallels of Life, Love, and Death: Comparisons of at least two of these concepts,
mention of all three, or an expectation of one and the reality of the other. Example:
Expectation of love, reality of death.
3. Fate: Humans have no control over what is to come: Fate controls all emotions and
events. Romeo and Juliet were destined to be consumed by a “doomed love”.
4. Time: Both Romeo and Juliet struggle to maintain an imaginary world void of time in the
face of the harsh realities that surround them. The recurring concepts of time is also
reflected in the when night/day moon/sun is mentioned.