Rivalry In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Shakespeare’s eminent play, Romeo and Juliet, depicts the journey of Romeo and Juliet until their tragic death. The idea of fate is displayed throughout the play through the use of foreshadowing, suggesting that the outcome is predetermined from the prologue. The rivalry between the Capulets and the Montagues influence the characters in the play deeply, creating peril in Verona. Furthermore, Romeo and Juliet’s excessive emotions cause the play to end in their inevitable deaths, which ends the “ancient grudge” between the “two households”. As the play progresses, the audience is presented with multiple possibilities as to how the unfortunate deaths of Romeo and Juliet are influenced.

From the opening prologue, Shakespeare informs the audience

This is demonstrated as the rivalry encourages violence within the streets of Verona, forbidden by the Prince to ensure the citizens of Verona remain safe and in a hope to end the “cankered hate” between the two families. The conflict between the families also deny the love between Romeo and Juliet, resulting in the lovers’ “deny[ing] thy father[s’] and refus[ing] thy name[s]”, therefore requiring their relationship to remain furtive. As Romeo and Juliet are extremely young, and therefore immature, their love is “foolish”, resulting in their untimely deaths.

It is considered that fate is what unites and separates Romeo and Juliet, however, Shakespeare suggests it is also partially due to the excessive emotions displayed by the “lovers” that evokes the denouement of the play. As the relationship between Romeo and Juliet is “too rash, too unadvised and too sudden”, their love is terminated in their calamitous deaths.

Throughout the play, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare illustrates, through the use of foreshadowing, the journey the characters undertake is predetermined from the prologue, stating that fate is