The prologue is a sonnet and a sonnet is more to do with love, it has fourteen lines and 10 beats per line. The prologue is a sonnet because it is like a love poem about conflict. I think that the prologue gives us a brief insight to what the play is all about, although it is in a form of a sonnet, it tells us a few events that will occur in the play by applying vocabulary that describes conflict.
There are many scenes in the play that involves conflict for example in act one scene one the conflict takes place in a very busy market square. Two Capulet servants are in the market place when they see two Montague servants walking towards their direction. One of the Capulet servants decides to insult the Montague servant by biting is thumb, which is a very insulting gesture. The servants start to fight with their swords. Benvolio – a Montague comes along to stop the fight but Tybalt a member of the Capulet family does not want the fight to end yet and forces Benvolio into a fight with himself. This shows that the conflict between the two families is a big issue that even the servants fight each other, yet they are not blood related to the families in any way.
Many other conflicts emerge in the play where physical action takes place however contrasting ideas that conflict with each other are also included in the play. In Act one scene 5 another conflict ensues when young Romeo enters disguised to the Capulet’s party uninvited. Tybalt -nephew of Capulat notices Romeo’s presence and tells him self: ‘this, by his voice, should be a Montague’. This tell us that because he is the only one to notice Romeo and identify that he is a Montague shows that Tybalt does not like Montague’s and he is well aware of Romeo.
Tybalt immediately informs his Uncle Capulet about Romeo’s presence at the party but Capulet does not wish to destroy the warm atmosphere of the party and decides that Romeo should stay because he is not causing any trouble. We can clearly tell that Tybalt despises Romeo because of the way in which he behaves when talking about him, he uses negative words, for example he describes Romeo as a ‘Villain’ and says to his uncle, ‘this is a Montague, our foe’. Tybalt also uses the words ‘spite’ and ‘scorn’ to describe what Romeo’s intention is for coming to the party, although we learn that Romeo goes to attend the party just for enjoyment.
Capulet speaks firmly to Tybalt and tells him to stop frowning and just let Romeo do as he wishes, here we can tell what expression Tybalt has on his face as his Uncle commands him to stop frowning. Tybalt responds and says: ‘I’ll not endure him’ meaning that he will not accept him but Capulet just tells Tybalt to behave him self in a good manner and not a gloomy and spiteful manner.
In act one scene four Romeo and Mercutio are talking about love. Romeo talks about the pain of love and complains that he is love sick. Romeo feels that love is a burden on him because he likes the idea of being in love with Roseline but she in return rejects him. Mercutio tries to tell Romeo to forget about the pain of love, Romeo says: “Under loves heavy burden do I sink”. This tells us that Romeo feels weighed down by the pain of love; this actually described his emotional state.
Merqutio has a diffent idea about love and says: “and to sink in it should you burden love; too great for a tender thing”. Mercutio perverts Romeos words by associating sex in to the meaning. He says that to perform the sexual act (to sink in it) Romeo must be a weight on the woman (love) lying under him. Mercutio tries to tell Romeo to liven up and to give vent to his sexual desire in order to get rid of the pain of love. The conflict is between the two ideas about love. Romeo thinks that love leads to emotional stress and pain, however Mercutio thinks love should be turned into a sexual desire and should not be taken very seriously.
In act three scenes one, a big conflict emerges when Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio meet Tybalt and two other Capulet’s. We can tell that something is about to happen because there are a large number of them and by the way Mercutio behaves when they first see the Capulets approaching them, he says: “by my heel, I care not". He says this as he replies back to Benvolio who informs Mercutio of the Capulets’ presence. Tybalt and Mercutio edge each other on to have a fight by insulting each other; they get into a fight and use their swords meaning that the fight is very serious. Tybalt stabs Mercutio who falls to the ground, as he dies he curses both houses- the Montague’s and the Capulet’s.
Romeo enrages over Mercutio’s death and goes after Tybalt. Here we the fierce side of Romeo for the first time. He really wants revenge for Mercutio’s death. Romeo and Tybalt fight each other, he is so enraged about Mercutio’s death that he says to Tybalt as they are fighting: “Either thou or I, or both, must go with him!” Romeo sounds so serious that he is ready to die because of Mercutio’s death. Tybalt says to Romeo whilst they are fighting: “thy wretched boy that didst consort him here, shalt with him hence! Here Tybalt tells Romeo that he will fall in the same fate as Mercutio, Romeo responds: “this shall determine that” .This meaning that one of them will die at the end of the fight. Tybalt is slain by Romeo who immediately scatters away as the citizens enter. In this fighting scene we can se that the conflict between Tybalt and Romeo really indicates how badly the two sides hate each other.
There are so many conflicts with in the play, one of which is in Act five scene Three. Romeo visits the tomb of Juliet after he hears of her death, although we know that Juliet is not really dead but in a temporary death, Romeo does not know this. He approaches the tomb but little does he know that Paris is hidden watching his every move. He thinks that Romeo has come to see Juliet’s body and decides to approach him, he utters to him self: “this is that banish’d haughty Montague that murdered my love’s cousin- with which grief it is supposed the fair creature died- and here is come to do some villainous shame to the dead bodies”. Paris does not know that Juliet and Romeo had a relationship and wonders why he comes to visit Juliet when he had killed Juliet’s cousin- Tybalt. Paris calls Romeo a ‘vile Montague’ as he calls out his name. Paris thinks that Romeo wants to harm the dead bodies, he says: “can vengeance be pursued further than death”, he asks Romeo can you take vengeance on a dead body. Romeo then speaks gently to Paris; he wishes not to quarrel because he is devastated about Juliet’s death. Paris does not understand why Romeo is upset and does not care about what Romeo says, Paris draws out his sword and leaves Romeo no other choice but to fight. Romeo kills Paris and lays him in the tomb. Romeo and Paris hardly meet yet they still fight, this shows that even though they do not know each other they still fight and as a result Paris ends up dieing.
There are also many examples of love with in the play which may involve some conflict, for example in act one scene one Romeo talks about being in love with Rosaline and the fact that he loves her but she in return does not want anything to do with him. Romeo is being like a traditional lover because he loves Rosaline who doesn’t love him back. During those times men who were married would have a wife but also a lover, this meant that they loved another woman apart from their wives. Usually this kind of love leads to them feeling love sick because they do not get to have relationship with another woman who they love apart from their wives, this is because during those times religion played a big role in society and peoples lives, so that had to find ways to bend the rules.
Romeo is confronted by his love for Rosaline, although he knows she does not love him. He is troubled about this as he says in the play, ‘Out of her favour, where I am in love’; this tells us that Rosaline doesn’t love him. Romeo can’t control the love that he experiences and so is stuck with the idea that love is supposed to be a nice thing but in reality it’s a muddle of different experiences.
