Gotta write a paper? Did your teacher assign you an essay? Stuck for some ideas? All of the following lend themselves to discussion, and any of them could be used as a potential topic. There are many others, of course, but perhaps one of these will help you.

Young love - Were Romeo ever truly in love? If so, is their love a mature love? The "Chorus" describes the two as, "alike bewitched by the charm of looks..." Were they merely infatuated? They seem to believe they fell in love at first sight. Is there such a thing as "love at first sight"? If they are NOT in love early on, does this change? How well do they really know one another?

Suicide - especially, "rash" suicide; In Act III, Scene 2, Juliet almost commits suicide because she thinks Romeo is dead. We know that he is not. In the very next scene, Romeo almost commits suicide because he thinks Juliet is angry at him, and hates him. We know that this is not true. Finally, Romeo does commit suicied when he thinks Juliet is dead, despite the fact that we know she is still alive. This "rash" behavior would seem to indicate that suicide is sometimes a pointless act, and that merely waiting might change the entire situation. Is this true? Is suicide always futile? Most of the audience who originally viewed this play firmly believed that all suicides are damned to hell. Does this increase the poignancy of the final scene? Do people sometimes act carelessly, or unwisely, when they are in a hurry?

Impatience - the play is actually very rapid. The entire action takes only 4 days; Juliet proposes on their second meeting; Friar Laurence urges the two to "slow" down. Yet, he does this as he is about to perform a very hasty marriage. They only met the night before. There is a sense of urgency, and rushing, which seems to follow throughout the play. Friar Laurence urges Juliet to hurry and run from the tomb. When she refuses, he does, which leaves her in great danger, from her own self. Is this "rushing" theme intentional?

The Feud -- duty to family vs. duty to self; This feud forces the young couple to meet in secret, and to marry in secret. Their love is a forbidden one. The feud also causes death, even before the play has begun. The Prince tells us that this is the third "civil brawl" resulting from this feud in recent days, and that all three forced the families to return to their graveyards. Look at "The Body Count," above. Some grudges can last so long that people lose sight of what the grievance actually is. Is there ever such a thing as a "justifiable feud"? Should loyalty to family come before loyalty to law? Loyalty to a love?

Arranged marriage vs. marriage for love - Are there any advantages to "arranged marriages"? Why is it that, in a society in which arranged marriages have almost become a thing of the past, the divorce rate is at its highest level ever?

Deception vs. Lying -- Juliet seems to technically never tell a lie; she does deceive, though. Is one less of a "moral sin" than the other?

Age vs. Youth; Wisdom vs. Innocence -- the adult "confidantes" seem to fail at providing wise, mature counsel to the two young lovers. This, despite their "maturity." One is a priest, and performs an illegal marriage. The other (the Nurse), is actually helping this plot along, participating, and concealing the truth. Capulet is depicted as rash, prone to make"snap decisions," and somewhat temperamental. He also seems to be lecherous. Lady Capulet does not seem to really know her own daughter, and even seems uncomfortable when engaged in intimate conversation with Juliet.

Guilt -- Who is at fault in this play? Is anyone innocent? In the end, the Prince even blames himself. Should he? Does this play have any (major) character who is not at fault? Does this play have a "hero"? Shakespeare called it a tragedy, but is it a real tragedy, in Aristotle's sense of the word? Is there a tragic hero in the play? If so, who is it?

Changing minds - The number of times a character changes his or her mind in this play seems too large to be accidental. Juliet first tells Romeo that she thinks their relationship is "too rash, too ill advised, too sudden." Then, a few lines later, she has changed her mind, and is proposing marriage.Friar Laurence first refuses to perform the marriage, then he changes his mind. The Prince at first promised death to anyone caught fighting, but then he changes his mind. Friar Laurence first advises Romeo to leave by night, but then he changes his mind. Capulet tells Paris to "wait," and then he changes his mind, and approves of the marriage. Many of these changes (and there are more), occur on the spur of the moment. Some, almost without motivation. Is there a "lesson," or a "moral" to be learned from this?