Importance of opening with a quote

Does it make a big difference if you open with a quote or not? English essays, Romeo and juliet.

I would say it's generally best to open with a concise and rounded introduction. Quoting in an introduction is not normally the best thing to do in an exam because the introduction has the same sort of role as a conclusion; it's there to sum up what you are about to say. Quotes offer a much more specific analysis of the text as they should be there to demonstrate a point which you use the quote to go on to explain. Quote acts as evidence for an idea, so is normally best placed within the body of an essay.

While opening with a quote may seem to give your essay a bit of 'pizzaz' at the start, it's won't necessarily serve any point.

Can I ask what level you are studying at?

GCSE level? any tips on writing a strong introduction?

once you've done your plan just skim over what you're going to be covering and try to summarise your main points. it's slightly different at degree level, but from what I remember of GCSE I recall they like you to put in contextual details about the writer, e.g. when Shakespeare wrote the play etc, so I tended to get all of that out of the way first as it served a handy way to know how to begin writing.

It really is just a summary, but introductions are quite useful for reminding yourself of what you're going to be covering. I know it's a horrible cliche but the key to a good introduction (and a good essay generally) is a good plan!! View your plan as the note form of your intro.