Romeo and Juliet Essay

Romeo and Juliet Essay

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet aren’t the luckiest characters. Despite being “star-crossed lovers” (Prologue.6), they are on opposite sides of their world. Separated by a family feud, they are the last people the families think will be together. But their love for each other has no bounds, even with the hate from their families driving them apart. In Romeo and Juliet, rivalry causes Romeo and Juliet to be separated, but yet is the force and end of their love.

            Romeo and Juliet are born into two different households, who have hated each other for many years. The Capulet’s and Montagues are similar, as said in the prologue. “Two households, both alike in dignity”(Prologue.1) and yet they are blazing with fury at each other almost every time they meet. Their reason is not clear-cut too, and is only mentioned twice in the play, the prologue and the Prince’s first speech. The Prince says,” Three civil brawls bred of an airy word.” (1.1.91). This means their feud started over an insult, which turned into an everlasting grudge. The character Tybalt shows this grudge more strongly than any other character. I pictured him as a match; you just need a little spark to set him alight. Tybalt, who is a kinsman to the Capulets, who might not have been involved in the feud since the beginning, is the angriest of them all. Tybalt says,” What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word/ As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee!” (1.1.71-72) The fact that Tybalt hates peace so strongly is extreme, he is a violent character and it seems to me he could never love the Montagues, even after the feud is over. A character like that involved in Romeo and Juliet’s love, a character who hates Montagues and loves death, is someone who will be out to kill Romeo.

            Romeo and Juliet throughout the play make unreasonable decisions that lead to the end of their love. Romeo would rather die than be separated, and he was thinking impulsively.  Love at that young age usually does not last long, young people are less calm and focused in their lives, and often don’t act reasonably to the benefit of others.  Romeo and Juliet being unreasonable can be seen in Act 2 Scene 2, also known as the “Balcony Scene.” Romeo says,” And, but thou love me, let them find me here/My life were better ended by their hate” (2.2.81-82).  I interpreted that as Romeo saying he doesn’t want this love to be a secret if it means they cannot be together. He doesn’t want Juliet to have to hide him. Again, the rivalry between the families is clear in Juliet’s mind, when she begins doubting their love when Romeo first arrives. Juliet starts out with wisdom, and she might have had firsthand experience of feeling or seeing Tybalt’s hate. Juliet becomes unreasonable as the play goes on, and becomes at some points even more desperate than Romeo. This is shown when Juliet is at Friar Lawrence’s cell, and says she would rather die than marry Paris.

            The play quickly turns dark in Act 3, when Romeo’s banishment and Tybalt’s death angers everyone, and is the downfall of the story. When Lord and Lady Capulet see that Tybalt is dead, they are furious and hate Romeo. If not for the Prince, Romeo might have been slaughtered. Now Romeo and Juliet’s love is on the brink of an abyss, and they are doomed. When Juliet hears this news, she has mixed feelings. She at first hates Romeo, saying “A damned Saint, an honorable villain” (3.2.85). She clearly sees how Romeo’s actions have hurt everyone. I thought the words Juliet used to describe Romeo were interesting; she did not call him all evil things, but instead said how he was a good thing, but “damned.” I think this shows Juliet does not fully hate him. The Capulet’s feud with the Montagues has flared up again, and the fact that Romeo is not dead is making the feud even deeper. However, Juliet soon changes her mind, now saying, “Romeo is banished. To speak that word/is father, mother, Tybolt, Romeo, Juliet/All slain, all dead” (3.2.133-135). I thought this line was crazy, the idea that in Juliet’s mind Romeo banished is the equivalent of five people dead! Romeo has similar reactions when he is in Friar Lawrence’s cell when he hears the news. “Tis torture and not mercy. Heaven is here/ where Juliet lives, and every cat and dog/ and little mouse, every unworthy thing/ Live here in heaven and may look on her/ But Romeo cannot” (3.3.31-35). Romeo is again reminded of the feud and rivalry that exists between the families, that everything but a Montague can look on Juliet.

In conclusion, Romeo and Juliet’s love had a high chance that it would not end well. With their family feud, and the impulsiveness of youth, their love was proven to be not successful. Yet, the moments when they were together were the happiest moments in the play. The rivalry between their families made their love strong. In movies and such when people say, “it’s a Romeo and Juliet love story,” I think it’s not always true. Romeo and Juliet’s love was not going to last, as mentioned in the prologue. But because of its end, Romeo and Juliet’s love is known as one of the strongest in history.