Love
Rustaveli introduces this theme early, in the Prologue of the poem. He details three distinctly different types of love. There is heavenly love, physical love and passion. The latter two are accessible to all, the former only given by God. Physical love is the easiest to attain as he views it as essentially base and something that man cannot help but experience; passion is slightly more difficult to attain or to give because the sincerity and the depth of this passion depends upon the sincerity and depth of the people giving and receiving it. Love is seen to be the single greatest blessing a man can receive or give and the most important gift one person can bestow upon another.
The Evil of Arranged Marriage
Rustaveli puts so great an importance upon love that he believes there is something inherently evil about a forced union between two people who essentially do not want to be involved in it. Because he lives in a country where both Christianity and Islam are both visible and practiced, he is able to contrast the different marriages that he sees, and observes that those who marry for love, not because they are forced to, are honoring the divine love that they are receiving and the passion of which they are capable. He views forced marriage as an example of gender inequality and of servitude.
Gender Equality
Surprisingly, given he was writing in the twelfth century, the poet features the theme of gender equality in the poem, which is actually inspired by Georgia's first female monarch, Queen Tamar, who took the throne after the death of her father. The Queen is greatly admired and universally respected for her beauty and her intelligence - the poem shows that it is indeed possible for a woman to have both of these qualities at the same time - and also for the way in which she manages to act as a peacemaker in the region. As a female, she is able to make her own decisions, select her own mate and also to enjoy platonic friendships with both men and women alike. Throughout the poem there is an equality between male and female characters with gender never accounting for a person's superiority over another.
Religion
The poems themes include Christianity which is not surprising given that the poet spent early parts of his life studying in a monastery. Many of the references in the text assume a knowledge of both Old and New Testaments, for example, Paul's journey to Damascus is referenced, as is the Garden of Eden. The text also talks extensively about divine love.
