'Romeo and Juliet' is a play about violence and sex rather than a great romance

From the very first scene in the very first act, it is clear the play will most probably include lots of violence and sex. Gregory and Sampson, the characters that start off the play are very crude and violent: 'Therefore I will push Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall.' In simple terms this means he intends to kill or injure the Montague men and rape the Montague women: clearly a lot of hate, crudeness, violence etc. but no love. Surely if Shakespeare wanted to make it blatantly obvious that the play was completely love orientated he would have started it with something much less sexual and violent? The first act in which Shakespeare could be said to be establishing himself, he chose to use violence and sex, which signals to me the rest of the play may have love in it from reputation, but more orientated around violence and sex. Gregory and Sampson also talk about 'maidens' and how they 'will cut of their heads'. This is another violent image shortly after the last, this one talking about stealing virginity as a maiden is a virgin and 'cutting of their head' would be taking their virginity. So basically to follow a sexually violent image... is another sexually violent image. So if u didn't already expect the play to involve lots of violence and sex, then you definitely should now.
Shakespeare has cleverly made certain characters more crude and violent and others. He has done this because it accentuates the other characters, making the seem much better instead of just a little. This is a trick that Shakespeare seems to have used throughout the whole play and as the main theme also. The fact there is a large amount of hate, anger, violence and sex, when love actually does occur it appears stronger, sticking out amongst the bad, much like a rose on a compost heap for example.
In many cases lewd characters are used just for humour, for example the maid. Juliet's nurse, the woman who breast-fed Juliet when she was a baby and has cared for Juliet her entire life. A vulgar, long-winded, and sentimental character, the Nurse provides comic relief with her frequently inappropriate remarks and speeches. But, until a disagreement near the play's end, the Nurse is Juliet's faithful confidante and loyal intermediary in Juliet's affair with Romeo. She provides a contrast with Juliet, given that her view of love is earthy and sexual, whereas Juliet is idealistic and intense. The Nurse believes in love and wants Juliet to have a nice-looking husband, but the idea that Juliet would want to sacrifice herself for love is incomprehensible to her. The audience knows that she is an innocent character and therefore does not find her crudeness offensive, but instead funny. Whereas in the case of the males like Gregory and Sampson, the audience (if following the play intently), will understand that these characters should be seen as a threat. Therefore Gregory and Sampson may not be found as funny as the maid due to the fact the audience may actually believe what they are saying.

Friar Lawrence in this play is Romeos father, and is portrayed by Shakespeare as a very wise and noble man, who wants peace between Montague's and Capulets once and for all. This is part of the reason why he chose to marry Romeo and Juliet, thinking it may end the fighting. He often talks about love, but talks about it in a delicate way, describing it well, which is a good influence to have on Romeo, which is clearly shown. An example of Friar Lawrence talking about love: These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume. The sweetest honey
Is loathsome in his own deliciousness
And in the taste confounds the appetite.
Therefore love moderately. Long love doth so.
Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.