romeo and juliet

Family Loyalty in Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy, by William Shakespeare about two star-crossed lovers whose deaths are caused by a long feud between two households. The Capulet and Montague conflict has disrupted the streets of Verona. It has also caused the two lovers to remain secretly in love, which is thought to be forbidden and betrayal. Family loyalty plays an important role throughout the novel and in Romeo and Juliet it explains different types of loyalty whether its between friends or family. Although being loyal has many admirable traits and brings rewards, family loyalty, when taken to excess, can lead to disaster. Tybalt, who is a Capulet, is a prime example of taking family loyalty to great excess. His loyalty and anger towards the Montague’s caused his death, which was only brought by his excessive loyalty to his Capulet family. When Tybalt spotted Romeo and his Montague Friends crashing the Capulet party, it was only the start of showing his anger for the Montagues. “What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues and thee”(ActI, Scene1,). This anger is only because he is a Capulet and they are Montague’s and to Tybalt Montagues are thought as villains. In Act 3 Tybalt intends to start a brawl and calls Romeo a villain. Romeo not willingly wanting to fight, his Montague friend Mercutio wants to. In result, Tybalt ends up killing Romeos friend. Tybalts extreme loyalty to his family caused his death because Romeo ends up killing him for causing the death of his friend.
Mercutio also started the duel with Tybalt, which caused him his life. He had extreme loyalty to Romeo and his Montague name, and he foolishly brought the conflict upon himself by sticking up for Romeo and defending his title. Tybalt insults Romeo but Romeo wisely not wanting to start conflict chose to be kind to Tybalt. Mercutio is disgusted by Romeo’s act of kindness, “O calm, dishonorable, vile submission! Alla stoccata caries it away”(ActIII, Scene1). This quote explains how Mercutio thinks Romeo is being dishonorable to the Montague name and how he thinks Romeo is not being loyal. Not thinking, Mercutio steps up and proclaims a fight with Tybalt. “Will you pluck your sword out of his pitcher by the ears?”(ActIII,Scene 1). This duel ends Mercutio’s own life all because of his extreme loyalty toward his family.
Family loyalty was expected by Lord Capulet and it caused pain, and tragedy among his family. Lord Capulet expected Juliet and his family to do exactly as he sais and to be loyal toward him. The extreme loyalty expected upon Juliet is what caused her death. When Juliet was deeply in love, and married to Romeo she off course refused the proclamation by her father to marry Paris. Lord Capulet was outraged and thought she was being disobedient and not thankful of him. Lord Capulet’s temper rises and reacts by threatening Juliet and saying hurtful things to her. “ An you be mine, ill give you to my friend; an you be not thee, nor what is mine shall never do thee good trust to’t”(ActIII, SceneV). If Juliet did not feel obligated to have extreme loyalty to her family name she would not have killed herself from having to sneak around with Romeo.
In Romeo and Juliet loyalty is expected in the Montague and Capulet households. This extreme loyalty caused major conflict upon one another and even caused death. Pressure from families causes the deaths of many, including the two star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet and Mercutio and Tybalt. If extreme loyalty as well as expected loyalty did not occur, lives would not have been lost. Although having loyalty for friends and family comes with many rewards, family loyalty, when taken to excess, can lead to disaster.