Prose and Verse

The majority of the play is written in verse rather than prose. This was the style preferred by Shakespeare when speaking of serious topics such as love, rebellion, suicide and feuding. Verse is more restrictive, and hence encapsulates the limitations placed on the main characters by society. Most of characters in Romeo and Juliet are nobles, who typically speak in verse in Shakespearean plays. However, even characters of a low status are afforded the chance to speak in verse if the situation is serious enough. For example, the apothecary speaks in verse when he sells Romeo the poisonous substance that will ultimately end his life.