The Price Of Hatred In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

The Price of Hatred:

William Shakespeare’s 1595 play Romeo and Juliet follows the plot of two star crossed lovers (1:Prologue:6), Romeo and Juliet, divided by an ancient grudge (1:Prologue:3) that ultimately leads them to take their life (1:Prologue:6). Juliet Capulet, the daughter of one of the feuding households, develops throughout the play from an obedient, ingenuous and sheltered girl to a strong willed, determined, mature and independent woman.

Initially, Juliet is submissive and obedient toward her parents. When Juliet is summoned by her mother she responds politely and with the objective of fulfilling her mother’s requests Madam I am here, what is your will? (1:3:7). When Juliet responds what is you will? (1:3:7) she shows full intent to realise her mother’s demands prior to knowing what they might be. This response foregrounds Juliet’s acquiescent nature and her deference towards her parent’s entreaties.

Juliet’s immaturity is exhibited throughout the play through her impatience.

This is a motif, evident in Act 2 Scene 5 when waiting on the Nurse’s delivery of Romeo’s response to their marriage arrangements. Juliet pesters the Nurse for information during most of the scene and disregards anything the Nurse says about other matters. While being incessantly harassed by Juliet, the Nurse replies with Jesu, what haste! Can you not stay awhile? (2:5:29) highlighting the Nurse’s exasperation with Juliet’s impatience towards her. Juliet implores her Sweet, sweet, sweet Nurse, tell me, what says my love? (2:5:47) and does not desist until she receives a response. This constant harassing until she receives an answer displays Juliet’s immaturity and petulant

nature.

As the play progresses Juliet develops maturity and independence, and learns to handle difficult issues in sensible and balanced manner. When Romeo kills Tybalt, Juliet is initially angry and confused speaking of Romeo in oxymorons O serpent heart, hid with a flow'ring face! (3:2:76). She then comes to the realisation That villain cousin (Tybalt) would have killed my husband (3:2:103) and understands the cause behind Romeo killing Tybalt. Juliet handles this situation rationally and maturely and shows her development from earlier in the play.

Juliet displays her newfound independence by confronting social norms and opposing her father’s traditional values. When Juliet chooses to die rather than be forcibly married to Paris, If all else fail, myself have power to die (3:5:244) she foregrounds her willingness to defy her parents and to challenge social convention in order to satisfy her own desires. Juliet would rather hang, beg, starve, die in the streets (3:5:193) than be forced into a bigamous marriage, showing her strength of character and independence and her opposition to traditional, patriarchal values for her own wellbeing.

Overall, Juliet is a young woman who displays the immaturity of her youth throughout the play. Nevertheless, she does show signs of development and growth. One of the dominant themes in Romeo and Juliet is the powerful and destructive power of hatred. The hatred between the feuding families ultimately leads to the death of many characters including: Mercutio, Tybalt, Paris, Lady Montague, and tragically both Romeo and Juliet. If not for the fierce animosity that existed between the Montague and Capulet families, these characters would not have met their ultimate demise. In modern society, we encounter hatred in many ways throughout our daily lives including political disputes, organisational feuds and personal quarrels. If society recognised how destructive hatred is, many incidents of mass death, injury and social and economic devastation could have been adverted. If our society adopted a harmonious and rational approach to dealing with conflict and had the objective of reducing hatred we could avoid countless tragedies around our world.