Generation Gap in Romeo and Juliet

In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, a key theme is the generation gap between the characters. This theme causes many confusions, misunderstanding, and mistakes throughout the play. The characters fit into two categories; the older generation and the younger generation. The younger characters repeatedly rebel against and disobey orders given by their parents or older family members. Their rebellion is due to the division between them and the belief that their elders would not understand or listen to what they have to say.
This rebellion can be seen multiple times throughout the tragedy. An example of this can be seen through Capulet and Tybalt. When young Tybalt desires to fight Romeo for crashing Capulet’s party, but Capulet does not allow him to and wants peace as he planned the party as a courtship party for Juliet and Paris. This causes Tybalt to swear his revenge on Romeo, which later causes his own death along with that of Mercutio. If Tybalt had understood Capulet’s decision or if Capulet had explained his reasoning more to him when he told Tybalt, “Content thee gentle Coz, let him alone…,” Tybalt and Mercutio would not have died. Another misunderstanding was that between Capulet and Juliet, which also would not have occurred had Tybalt not had the original misunderstanding. The misunderstanding was of Capulet’s desire to make her happy again after what is thought to be her misery over Tybalt’s death by arranging her marriage to Paris. Capulet had only wanted to please her after Tybalt’s death as shown when it was said, “Things have fall’n out, sir, so unluckily, that we have had no time to move our daughter. Look you, she loved her kinsman Tybalt dearly, and so did I.” Juliet’s then refusal is seen as only disobedience to her father. Capulet’s refusal to listen to his daughter when she asks of him, “ hear me with patience but to speak a word,” and her