The most basic is the ongoing clash between the Montague and Capulet families. In the chorus, one is told that the feud has been going on for centuries. Therefore, members of both families are predisposed to think badly of one another. Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare, is a play, which shows how prejudice leads to escalating violence. Prejudice leads to violence shown in the play when the feuding families, the Montagues and Capulets fight.
Throughout the play, "Romeo and Juliet" one constant theme is conflict . In the prologue, the term "Ancient grudge", tells the audience that the conflict between capulets and montegues has been going on for generations. I have found that the most interesting conflicts during the story were when Mercutio picked a fight with Tybalt and ended up losing his life and in the very beginning of the play where the servants of the two houses started a fight out of a simple argument. In the servant's brawl, the Capulet servants picked a fight in the streets by "biting their thumbs" at the Montague servants. It then escalates to a full blown battle with even the ladies and lords getting involved .In the end, the Prince intervened and said "If ever you disturb our streets again your lives will pay the forfeit of the peace " (If you fight again you will be killed ) The most serious conflict was definitely the scene where Mercutio picks a fight with Tybalt.
The play introduces the primary characters and their ongoing feud with each other, which eventually leads to the fatal death of the two main characters. In addition, the rhyming couplet at the end begs the audience to be patient and to pay attention to the play, because if they don’t understand, the “toil” of the actors will surely clear up any misunderstandings. In Act One Scene One, hate is the strong emotion that emerges before love; Shakespeare introduces the emotion of hatred before love because it lays the foundation and also established the feud between the two houses, so the audience can see how hard Romeo’s love for Juliet is later on in the play. Shakespeare’s ironic use of the sonnet tells the audience that ‘A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life’; this spoils the ending of the play by subtly saying that both Romeo and Juliet are going to die in the end. During Elizabethan times the stars were thought to control people’s destinies, being ‘star-cross’d’ or against the stars, creates a sense of fate.
This feud brought problems along with it, such as the killing of Tybalt by Romeo. Juliet had said: “What’s in a name?” which explains her ill fate of being a Capulet and Romeo being a Montague. When Romeo tells his servant, “Ay, mine own fortune in my misery.” This sentence tells us he does not care for what Juliet’s name, nor his is. Bad luck plays a major role in the story of two-star-crossed lovers. There is an example of this when Romeo attends the Capulet’s party, and this is where he is first exposed to Juliet and where the misfortune begins.
The never-ending brawl between the Montagues and Capulets in due course envelops the lovers into conflict. Describing the initial fight between the two houses, Romeo states, “Heres much to do with hate, but more with love.” (Sc 1, Act 1, 175) Foreshadowing plays a role in providing hints for events to come as well as to present fate and destiny as a major motivation of the actions of characters. This is the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, a story demonstrating the uncontrollable feelings of love and hate through foreshadowing and fortune. Love and hate appear as a consistent and major theme presented in Romeo and Juliet. As the play begins, Romeo experiences, what he thinks to be, ‘love’ with Rosaline while Juliet is consented to marry Paris.
A ‘tragedy’ in theatre is a play in which ‘good’ turns to ‘bad’, and ends with the downfall of the hero and/or heroine. The question of what caused the tragedy in Romeo and Juliet has been argued by many English scholars. Romeo and Juliet is centred around a strong feud between the Montagues and the Capulets, and this is often held accountable for the tragic death of the two lovers: ‘Capulet, Montague See what a scourge is laid upon your hate That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love.’ (V.3.291-3) Although this may contribute to the disastrous outcome of the play, it cannot be held entirely to blame. Right at the beginning of Romeo and Juliet, the Chorus tells us that we are to see a pair of ‘star-crossed lovers take their life’. (Line 6).
Alliteration, Shakespeare presents patriarchal power in the technique ‘alliteration’ to exaggerate Lord Capulet’s anger over Juliet and to show negativity. “Fettle your fine joints.” Shakespeare uses this technique to repeat the ‘f’ sound to show and harsh language and negativity. Also to show the audience how terrible it is for Juliet to challenge her fathers
What does Shakespeare want us to think about with the theme of hate? How do hate and love complement each other in the play Romeo and Juliet? In the play Romeo and Juliet, Verona is full of hate. Between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s, love is nothing. That is, except for the star crossed lovers, Romeo Montague, and Juliet Capulet.
He is now angry with Tybalt and wants revenge. ‘Fire-eyed fury be my conduct now.’ Romeos change in mood is significant as it leads to the death of Tybalt and Romeo being banished . Shakespeare also uses dramatic irony to make Act 3 Scene 1 such an intense and significant scene. When Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt all the other characters are confused as to why. ‘Good Capulet, which name I tender as dearly as my own.’ The audience know the reason why Romeo won’t fight Tybalt, which is because Romeo and Juliet are now married.
Down with the Montagues!”(Page 11). Both groups are constantly hostile to each other, and continue fighting simply because it is all they have ever known. But conflict occurs when the rules are broken between this ongoing feud when two star-crossed lovers finally meet. Romeo shares a bond with his best friend Benvolio, a nephew to Montague and a cousin and friend to Romeo. Benvolio attempts to stop the fight between the servants at the beginning of the play.