Examples Of Rivalry In Romeo And Juliet

Family is not something a person chooses, therefore, in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet a person's family name puts him in an unavoidable rivalry full of hate towards his rival family. The two rival families, Montague and Capulet, have a deadly hate for each other. An ancient rivalry dictates their lives, and decides anything from who attends their parties, to whom they date. Juliet’s cry “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name (II. ii. 36-37)” proves this. She asks Romeo to change his name, because she can't be with in a relationship with a Montague. Another example of the social hate between the two families, is when Sampson, a Capulet servant, starts a fight with Montague’s men , he says “A dog of the