剧本《罗密欧与朱丽叶》写的是朱丽叶和罗密欧的爱情故事，这故事用剧中亲王的说法，惨绝人寰，空前悲壮。罗密欧和朱丽叶是名，分别姓蒙泰戈和凯普雷特。蒙泰戈和凯普雷特两家是维罗纳的豪门巨户，彼此有世代的积怨与宿仇。这就成为朱丽叶和罗密欧的爱情悲剧发生的根源；最后连过去最顽固好斗的凯普雷特也承认：我们可怜的孩子们，竟成了我们仇恨的牺牲品！不仅罗密欧与朱丽叶双双自杀，罗密欧的好友牟库迪奥、朱丽叶的表哥迪伯尔特、对朱丽叶单相思的多情少年巴里斯(a young nobleman,kinsman to the prince)也都先后死于非命。牟库迪奥巴里斯是亲王的两个亲人。还是用剧中亲王的话说：看，你们的仇恨受到何等惩罚！上天找到了手段：用爱情、也连同爱情，扼杀你们的幸福与快乐。因为忽视了你们的争斗，我也失去两个亲人。大家都受到惩罚。 本剧开头与结尾的两段诗文前后照应，突显了上述主题。请对照读这两段诗的译文与原文：
序幕（集体朗诵者上）我们的戏演的是两家豪门贵族，他们的故事发生在维罗纳京城；世代的积怨导致双方新的争斗，市民的鲜血染红了市民的双手。命运让两家仇敌生出一对恋人，爱情的悲剧在襁褓中早已注定；两败俱伤的惨局以及他俩的死，结束了双方父母们的世代恩仇。死亡成了他俩爱情悲剧的标志，父母不断的愤怒仍然无济于事；这一切只能断送儿女们的美梦，这是我们舞台两小时演的内容；如果观众带着耳朵耐心地倾听，我们将努力改正演出中的差错。
Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life; Whole misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents’ strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage’; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
剧本以亲王沉痛哀怨的总结告终：
亲王 今晨带来了凄凉的和平，太阳因忧伤不愿露出脸盘；回去后再谈论这些伤心事；有的人可以宽恕，有的人要受到惩处；因为朱丽叶与罗密欧的故事，惨绝人寰，空前悲壮！
PRINCE A gloomy peace this morning with it brings; The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head: Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things; some shall be pardon’d and some punished: For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
两家的宿怨与世仇断送了他们的幸福、包括儿女的爱情，而儿女为自主的爱情与婚姻奋斗殉节的悲壮行动，根据剧本说的，教育了两家老爷，特别是顽固的凯普勒特。请读（先译文、后原文）：
亲王 凯普勒特与蒙泰戈！看，你们的仇恨受到何等惩罚！上天找到了手段：用爱情、也连同爱情，扼杀你们的快乐。我也失去两个亲人，因为忽视了你们的争斗，大家都受到惩罚。
PRINCE Capulet! Montage! See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate, that heaven finds means to kill your joys with love. And I for winking at your discords too have lost a brace of kinsmen: All are punish’d.
凯普勒特 蒙泰戈兄，把您的手给我；这是给我女儿的聘礼，因为我不能要求更多。
CAPULET O brother Montague, give me thy hand: This is my daughter’s jointure, for no more can I demand.
蒙泰戈 但我能给您更多：我要用纯金，为她竖一座雕像。忠贞不渝的朱丽叶呀！你无比贵重的人像，将与名城维罗纳同在！
MONTAGUE But I can give thee more: For I will raise her statue in pure gold;That while Verona by that name is known, there shall no figure at such rate be set as that of true and faithful Juliet. （代词thou与thy都用于亲人之间。这里分别译成您与您的。而复数的you与your分别表示你们与你们的。译者注）
凯普勒特 同样富贵的罗密欧雕像，也将屹立在自己夫人旁。我们可怜的孩子们，竟成了我们仇恨的牺牲品！
CAPULET As rich shall Romeo’s by his lady’s lie; Poor sacrifices of our enmity!