I think that Capulet and Romeo could have got along quite well if Romeo hadn’t killed Tybalt, as Capulet says:
“Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-governed youth.”
Here he says that Romeo is a good young man and prevents Tybalt confronting him at the party. This tells us that Romeo also had a good side to his character.
Romeo is very emotional, impetuous and passionate. He is sometimes in the heights of ecstasy, but is sometimes cast down into the depths of despair. He is at the mercy of his emotions and his actions contribute to the tragedy.
The Feud
This definitely has its part to play in the tragedy because if there wasn’t a feud in the first place then Romeo could have married Juliet without any problems. This innocent love fosters its own destruction because of the ground in which it is planted. The love struggles to grow out of a long standing hatred which permeates from servant to head of household, it is “an ancient grudge”, “a cankered hate”, “an ancient quarrel”.
Romeo and Juliet’s love is snatched out of hate. Their first meeting is prefaced by Tybalt’s virulent speech:
“but this intrusion shall
Now seeming sweet, convert to bitterest gall”
Repeatedly we are reminded of their predicament:
“My only love sprung from my only hate…”
“My life were better ended by their hate”
The feud contributes to the tragedy firstly because it has to be covert and this secrecy fostered and nourished the mischance and mistiming. Secondly the death of Tybalt is a crucial turning point; this leads to Romeo’s banishment and indirectly leads Capulet to arrange the wedding between Juliet and Paris, which in turn sets off a train of events leading to disaster.
Bad Luck (fate, chance)
I think that ill luck also contributes to this tragedy. The play begins with a description of Romeo and Juliet as fated to die:
“A greater power than we can contradict
Hath thwarted our intents”
Every move towards each other is matched by a cruel counter-thrust.
In the beginning, I think it was bad luck that there was a feud in the first place. Also, it was a coincidence that Capulet should send out the invitations to the feast using a messenger who cannot read. Another coincidence was that the messenger should meet Romeo and then ask him to read the list for him.
Similarly to this, it was also coincidence that at a crowded party, where there are so many attractive young women, Romeo catches sight of Juliet.
It is also due to fate that the plague happened, which then caused the fatal delay of Friar John. Also, the untimely arrival of Friar Lawrence at the tomb was due to bad luck. If Friar Lawrence had stayed at the tomb with Juliet, her death could have been avoided, but he didn’t.
Also, when Mercutio and Tybalt were fighting it was chance that Romeo passed by.
Fate is mentioned in some way or other many times throughout the play:
“… my mind misgives
Some consequences, yet hanging in the stars”
“If he be married my grave is like to be my wedding bed”
“… I have an ill divining soul.
Methinks I see thee now thou art so low,
As one dead in the bottom of a tomb”
“I dreamt my lady came and found me dead…”
“…Then I defy you stars”
“One writ with me in sour misfortunes book”
“… and shake the yoke of inauspicious stars
From this world-wearied flesh.”
“I have no joy with this contract to-night…”
Romeo may rail against the malevolence of fate “then love devouring death do what he dare”, but he can’t escape its consequences.
Fate operates at mis-timing.
I think that all three aspects contribute to the tragedy, but I think it is mainly due to fate that it happens. I also think that Romeo and Juliet took decisions that led to their deaths, but this is only part of the story. I think they behaved as they did because of the situation they found themselves in and because of the way people had treated them. Many people can be blamed for the tragedy. Even the Prince could be accused: if he had been stronger and tried harder to prevent the feud between the families continuing, then the fight between Mercutio and Tybalt would not have happened. Then Romeo would not have killed Tybalt and so would not have been punished (banished); Friar Lawrence’s complicated plans would not have been necessary and the tragedy could have been avoided. But I still think that fate was the main culprit that caused this tragedy.
Supplementary Question:
What does the play reveal about Elizabethan attitudes towards Italy?
People had thought that virtue had once made Italy mistress over the entire world. The opposite then happened and the countries that were glad to serve it previously had now made it a slave. This happened because sin, lust and vanity had appeared. The Elizabethans had a lurid picture of the Italians. Italians were very stylish, but they were also thought of as corrupt and decadent (in a state of moral or cultural deterioration), quarrelsome, revengeful and devious. The play backs this up, it shows that the previously mentioned things were true.
It was customary for young lords to go to Italy as part of their education, in order to improve their court manners and to visit the home of the ancient Romans. But there was growing doubt to whether this was a suitable way for a young man to spend his time.
It was thought that the art of atheism, the art of epicurizing, the art of whorring and the art of sodomitry came from Italy.
Italian books were sometimes translated into English. Shakespeare got several ideas from Italian sources. The English view of the Italians may have owed something to these romances, which were full of intrigue, disguise, murder and passion, (the usual ingredients of popular literature). The play contains all of these things. Many people thought Italian literature was corrupt and that it would subvert true religion and morals and undermine the English way of life.
The Italians were thought of as hot-tempered Latins, always looking for a fight. They had developed the art of duelling – in the play (Romeo and Juliet); Mercutio makes fun of fashionable fighting and duelling styles. They were a by-word for feuding, for taking sides and for bearing grudges.
This is all perfectly shown by the Montagues and Capulets in the play.
By Kamaldeep S. Lally 4D
