Examples Of Suffering In Romeo And Juliet

There are a variety of moments in Shakespeare’s sixteenth-century tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, illustrating the suffering that was experienced by Juliet alone and not shared with Romeo. One of the most important recurring examples of both Romeo and Juliet suffering is their families’ rivalry, as the main conflict is the “ancient grudge” present between the Montagues and the Capulets. Romeo and Juliet must keep their love a secret in fear of creating any more rift between the houses. Juliet describes this by saying, “O Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou Romeo?// Deny thy father and refuse thy name.// Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,// And I’ll no longer be a Capulet” (II.ii. 36-9). Although Romeo and Juliet both suffer tremendously throughout the play, Juliet experiences more grief suffering than Romeo. Examples of shared suffering include the rivalry of families, the death of Mercutio and Tybalt, and the conclusion of the play. However, in all of these situations, Juliet feels a greater impact and rush of grief and sadness. Firstly, Juliet’s suffering is greater in the rival family situation because her family wants her to marry Paris, even if it may be against her will. It is a given that Romeo’s family will not accept his marriage to Juliet, but he never experiences any emotional torment from his family and they do not force him into any decisions. He even has the option to

This is mainly because Juliet’s parents are overly involved in her love life, and they would even forcibly marry her off to Paris, who Juliet has no connection with. She also experiences the grief of losing a family member and the grief of being led into believing her husband is dead. The tremendous suffering and blossoming love create a recurring contrast in Shakespeare’s play which adds to the intricacy of the story and the motif of