Hatred In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet
Are you proud of your last name (no “you)? A surname can generate great pride or great shame for those that inherit it. Some are prominently displayed on the back of athletic jerseys, while others show up on most wanted posters. Two of the most famous surnames in history are Montague and Capulet from William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. The play is a story about love, family, morality and tragedy. Romeo is a 15 year old teenager who is a member of the Montague family, while Juliet is nearly 13 years old and the only daughter of the Capulets. The two families despise each other, and have been feuding for many years. One night, Romeo and his cousin Benvolio and friend Mercutio ‘crash’ a party at the Capulets. He meets Juliet, and they instantly fall in love. Later that night Romeo goes to Juliet’s balcony, and they make plans to get married. But, no one can know because their families are life-long enemies. Friar Lawrence
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The hatred that Shakespeare depicted between the Capulets and Montagues, is referred to by the Chorus as an “ancient grudge” (Shakespeare, 3). We are never told what originally prompted the feud. After learning Romeo's last name, Juliet remarks, “My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, That I must love a loathed enemy.” (Shakespeare, 71). Juliet is talking with her nurse after meeting Romeo. She remarks that she fell in love with Romeo right away, and only later discovered that he is a Montague, her family’s mortal enemy. This quote highlights that Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed lovers. Their love is deemed unacceptable by their families and must be kept a secret. The conflict between the love of Romeo and Juliet, on the one hand, and the hate that divides their respective families, on the other, is a predominant use of family as a theme throughout the
The hatred that Shakespeare depicted between the Capulets and Montagues, is referred to by the Chorus as an “ancient grudge” (Shakespeare, 3). We are never told what originally prompted the feud. After learning Romeo's last name, Juliet remarks, “My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, That I must love a loathed enemy.” (Shakespeare, 71). Juliet is talking with her nurse after meeting Romeo. She remarks that she fell in love with Romeo right away, and only later discovered that he is a Montague, her family’s mortal enemy. This quote highlights that Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed lovers. Their love is deemed unacceptable by their families and must be kept a secret. The conflict between the love of Romeo and Juliet, on the one hand, and the hate that divides their respective families, on the other, is a predominant use of family as a theme throughout the