Violence and Conflict in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Violence and Conflict in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

It is the violence and conflict that make this play exciting and

thrilling. You would think that Romeo and Juliet's main theme would be

that of love. However, violence and conflict also became one of the

main themes in this play. There were all kinds of examples of

different types of disorder and conflict, brawls and fights between

the two houses, the Montagues and Capulets, the violence of angry

passion and the unnaturalness of love. At every turn the two lovers

were faced with some kind of violence. The violence and conflict seems

to carry the theme of love between Romeo and Juliet to its tragic end.

The images of darkness portray death, violence, sadness and the

secrecy of the two lovers. Romeo and Juliet did not quarrel with each

other; the love between them was deep and passionate. It was more

powerful than hatred and death.

Romeo and Juliet did not have any disagreements between them. But they

were caught in the middle of a violent feud between their two

families. The war between the Capulets and the Montagues was an (The

prologue- Line 3) 'ancient grudge' that had lasted many generations.

The Capulets and Montagues were unable to be civil towards one

another, this is the main reason why the feud lasted for many

generations. Shakespeare never expresses, in the play, the reason why

the two families felt hatred towards each other. Even though the two

houses were losing loved ones in the dispute, they still continued to

have disagreements and fights with each other.

From all the characters in the play, there is only one that expresses

his deep hatred openly t...

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...c love story. If the Montagues and

the Capulets had just put all their differences aside then Romeo and

Juliet would not have contained any violence and conflict; what a

boring trouble-free love story Romeo and Juliet would have been

without all the violence. Violence and conflict is one of the main

themes in Romeo and Juliet which, keeps the audience entertained. All

of the brawls that the two families faced showed the deep hatred

towards one another. However, it is ironic that the two houses were

only able to put their differences aside when they lose the two things

that were most precious to them, Romeo and Juliet. This also showed

how stubborn the Montagues and the Capulets were. Shakespeare included

the violence and conflict into the play to show that Romeo and Juliet

was not just a love story with a happy ending.