We are going to take a break from Year 12 texts and look at the popular Shakespearean text that many school students study prior to Year 12 - Romeo and Juliet. 

Specifically, we are going to look at the overarching theme of 'love.' This theme can be changed to 'forbidden love' or 'eternal love' depending on the question and, of course, what you want to write about. Finally, we are only going to look at examples from Act 2 Scene 2 where Juliet appears on the balcony and Romeo is 'swept away' by his emotions.

Let's break down a body paragraph:

Start with your topic sentence:

The relationship between Shakespeare’s characters, Romeo and Juliet, serve to highlight the overarching, universal notion of love to respective audiences. 

Make sure you elaborate on your topic sentence and frame up your quote:

The notion of conflict is effectively highlighted in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet (1597), it is overshadowed by the powerful love between the characters of Romeo and Juliet. 

First example and analysis:

Romeo’s love for Juliet is highlighted through his soliloquy in Act 2 Scene Two, through the visual imagery of ‘light’ conveyed specifically in, ‘The brightness of cheek would shame those stars.’  Here, Romeo is so entranced by Juliet that he vividly states that her complexion is metaphorically brighter than the sun. This highlights his deep personal connection that Romeo feels for Juliet, therefore immersing the audience in the theme of love. 

Second example and analysis:

Romeo’s continues to confess his love for Juliet, through the final couplet, 'Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand / That I might touch that cheek!’ Shakespeare personifies Romeo as a glove to highlight Romeo’s desperate yearning to even touch ‘that cheek,’ which reiterates his entrenched connection he feels for Juliet. 

Final link back to theme and topic sentence:

Therefore, through Act 2 Acene 2 of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare conveys the universal emotion of love to his respective audiences. 

As a side note, the paragraph here does not relate to a particular question. Make sure when you are given a question, your paragraph effectively answers it. 

*Please note that while this information is a great starting point for these texts, relying solely on the information in this post will not be enough to get a result in the top bands.