Violence drives the plot of Romeo and Juliet with as much, or perhaps more, force as love. The violence explodes in verbal threats, such as Sampson's in the opening scene, Tybalt's rage when a Montague dares to crash a Capulet party, and the physical fights that occur throughout the play. It also takes the form of self-harm, as the two lovers commit suicide. 

The play consistently demonstrates the harm caused by violent responses to problems. In addition, almost every instance of violence is accompanied by lewd references to sex; the more violent the situation, the more base the conversation. The exception to this rule comes when Capulet loses his temper on Juliet after she refuses to marry Paris. Capulet is angered almost to the point of violence, but Shakespeare preserves the righteousness of fatherly love despite Capulet's severity with his daughter – his hand may “itch” to hit her but he doesn’t!

Shakespeare uses characterization to make it clear that violent emotions are as dangerous as violent deeds. In Act 2, Scene 4, Mercutio and Benvolio speak about Tybalt, who has challenged Romeo to a duel. As much as Romeo's friends show true loyalty and love for him, Benvolio and Mercutio can barely contain their excitement over the prospect of a fight, knowing it could lead to Romeo's death. They make fun of Romeo; referring to Romeo's depression over Rosaline, Mercutio says of his friend, "He's already dead!" In the same conversation, Mercutio and Benvolio divulge background information about the character of Tybalt, and the audience finds out that he has a significant reputation for swordsmanship and fighting. Later, through an argument between Mercutio and Benvolio, the audience learns how easily their anger can trigger violence due to the high value placed upon male and family honour.

Prejudice, assumptions and a lack of communication play a strong role in causing violence. Throughout the play members of the Capulet and Montague households assume the worst of their counterparts in the other family. Tybalt assumes that Romeo came disguised to the party to mock his family. Mercutio assumes that Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt because of weakness. Paris assumes that Romeo has come to the Capulet crypt to desecrate the bodies. In each case preconceived ideas motivate the character to respond aggressively. This emphasises that the stereotypical expectations and behaviour of men at the time could prove fatal.

Much of the tension in the drama stems from clashes between the dispositions of young characters versus the expectations of older ones. Even though the older characters are tempered versions of the younger characters, they show evidence of possessing the same passions they consistently urge the young to overcome. Lord Capulet and Tybalt's rage at the masquerade ball are similar, yet Lord Capulet calls Tybalt a "saucy boy," seeming to forget that he reached for a sword himself when he saw Montague earlier that day and is equally quick to lose his temper.

Juliet and the older nurse's relationship mirrors the one between Romeo and the older friar. Juliet and the nurse are alike in nature, both romantic and enthusiastic about love. However, the nurse is more practical, likely through experience, something she cannot give to Juliet. When she advises Juliet to marry Paris after Romeo is banished, they clash. 

The friar and Romeo are alike in nature, both poetic and lofty. The friar berates Romeo in Act 2, Scene 3, telling him that confusion creates more confusion: "riddling confession finds but riddling shift." Yet the friar never considers speaking the truth as a resolution to any of Romeo and Juliet's problems. It is as if he expects Romeo to be wiser than himself.

In its first address to the audience, the Chorus states that Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed”—that is to say that fate (a power often vested in the movements of the stars) controls them. This sense of fate permeates the play, and not just for the audience. The characters also are quite aware of it: Romeo and Juliet constantly see omens. When Romeo believes that Juliet is dead, he cries out, “Then I defy you, stars,” completing the idea that the love between Romeo and Juliet is in opposition to the decrees of destiny. Of course, Romeo’s defiance itself plays into the hands of fate, and his determination to spend eternity with Juliet results in their deaths. The mechanism of fate works in all of the events surrounding the lovers: the feud between their families (it is worth noting that this hatred is never explained; rather, we must accept it as an undeniable aspect of the world of the play); the horrible series of accidents that ruin Friar Lawrence’s seemingly well-intentioned plans at the end of the play; and the tragic timing of Romeo’s suicide and Juliet’s awakening. These events are not mere coincidences, but rather manifestations of fate that help bring about the unavoidable outcome of the young lovers’ deaths. The concept of fate described above is the most commonly accepted interpretation. 

There are other possible readings of fate in the play: as a force determined by the powerful social institutions that influence Romeo and Juliet’s choices, as well as fate as a force that emerges from Romeo and Juliet’s very personalities – their flaws as tragic heroes.

The father was the head of the household in this patriarchal society and controlled his immediate and extended family depending upon his wealth and status. The law of primogeniture meant that all wealth and property was passed onto the nearest living male relative: women could not inherit a husband’s estate in its entirety.Women had no rights or  authority in law: they could not own property or money but could influence their husbands. Children were regarded as property and could be given in marriage to a suitable partner. This was often a political or financial transaction to secure and retain wealth. In high society, children were often raised by a ‘wet nurse’ and did not have a strong bond with their parents – children were seen as assets to be traded and used.

In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, he demonstrates and critiques the strong gender norms that were present at the time in which the play is set in Verona, Italy. He portrays the role of men and women as they were at this time. Men are shown as having a sense of honour, masculinity and are the head of their households whereas women are seen as having to obey men and had a lack of independence due to men being superior. Shakespeare’s play suggests that gender norms were so strict at this time that you had to represent what society dictates upon genders properly or you’d be under severe judgement.

Throughout Romeo and Juliet there are many times in which men are depicted representing masculinity during Shakespeare’s time, such as Sampson directly saying to Gregory after both jokingly exchange lines on being tough “Tis true, and therefore women being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall. Therefore, I will push Montague’s men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall.” This quote shows Sampson explaining how women are of lower class than men and showcases his masculinity in a brutal matter by saying he will conquer Montague’s men and rape his maids. In society and for both servants of Capulet, Sampson and Gregory, violence and sexually violation are seen as qualities of being a “man” at this time.

Besides men being forced to act certain ways, women are also required and demanded to portray a certain character being lesser than men. An example of women being demanded to follow orders by men is Capulet expressing to Paris that she is inexperienced and needs to gain more knowledge in the world and is too young to be getting married. It shows that men have power over women, because Juliet wasn’t even participating in discussions of her marriage, which is primarily about her. Being that she is the daughter of a wealthy family, it’s for her family to decide when it’s the right time for her to be married without her input.

In Shakespeare’s play he challenged the stereotypical male gender norm by utilizing Romeo as a character that isn’t afraid to differ from other males by at times expressing emotions and acting “feminine” rather than acting overly masculine like others. An example in which men are being told to act man-like is when the Friar says “Art thou a man? Thy form cries out thou art; the unreasonable fury of a beast. Unseemly woman in a seeming man! And ill-beseeming beast in seeming both!” His response to Romeo’s emotional breakdown implies that he’s unimpressed by Romeo for committing an act considered to be “womanish”, because it shows a sign of weakness to one’s self esteem, which is how a man in the society of Verona shouldn’t be acting. Men were harshly judged for acting unmanly and without a sense of pride or confidence.

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