Romeo And Juliet - The feud between the Montague and Capulet families and the youthful passion between the two lovers. But who is really to blame?

Authors Avatar

Romeo And Juliet

The feud between the Montague and Capulet families and the youthful passion between the two lovers. But who is really to blame?

Firstly I will look at their youthful passion. Romeo and Juliet were 14 and 13 respectively. In many peoples opinion this was considered too young to get married. Even Capulet felt that Juliet was not ready. In response to Paris asking for Juliet’s hand in marriage Capulet quotes,

“My child is yet a stranger in the world, She hath no seen the change of fourteen years, Let two more summers wither in their pride, Ere we many think her ripe to be a bride.”

He is saying that Juliet has not experienced really love and that she needs two more years until she is ready for marriage. In the quote he uses a metaphor. The metaphor uses a fruit. Shakespeare’s use of metaphor has a powerful affect on the audience. He uses it to say that Juliet needs to ‘ripen’ like a fruit until she is ready. Capulet uses this as a sexual reference in order to emphasise her young age. Shakespeare is effective in reminding the audience of Juliet’s innocence. This is a very clever way of writing used by Shakespeare.

Neither Romeo nor Juliet had really experienced true love before. However they were prepared to rush into marriage even though they knew what problems it could cause. This quote shows how they are prepared to rush into the marriage,

JULIET: “What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?” ROMEO: “Th’ exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine.” JULIET: I gave thee mine before thou didst request it; Would it were to given again.”

This quote tells me that they are ready to get married although they have only just met. It is love at first sight and the idea of getting married at such a young age raises doubt in the readers mind.

However later on in the passage we can see that Juliet is acting in a more mature manner in contrast to her earlier speech. This quote describes her feelings on their agreement,

“I have no joy of this contract tonight, It is too unadvised, too sudden: too like lightening.”

It tells me that Juliet feels that they are rushing into the marriage. She wants to get to know him better. This shows how the attitude and behaviour of teenagers change so rapidly.

Romeo was a very gentle and loving man. Unlike the majority he was not interested in fighting but in love. Here are some of Romeo’s thoughts, “Alas that love, whose view is muffled still, should without eyes she pathways to his will. Where shall we dine? O me, what fray was here? Yet tell me not for I have heard it all”

However Romeo acted very hastily throughout the play. In Act One scene One Romeo is grieving over Rosaline not returning his love,

“Out of her favour where I am in love.”

This tells me that he loves Rosaline and in the same scene he is expressing his love for her to Benvolio,

“A word ill urged to one that is so ill. In sadness cousin I do love a women.”

However in Act One Scene Five Romeo sees Juliet for the first time and he instantly forgets about Rosaline.

Here Romeo is describing the beauty of Juliet,

“O she doth teach the torches to burn bright. It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in Ethiop’s ear. Beauty too rich for use for earth to dear.

This is an example of love and first sight. He is saying that Juliet helps the torches to burn bright. Here Shakespeare is using a metaphor again. The metaphor is showing what effect her extreme beauty has on people. Also during this quote Romeo is talking in rhyme.

When someone is speaking in rhyme it draws the attention of the audience. It is easy to listen too and is audiosly attentive to the audience. During this play it is mainly the posh people who talk in rhyme. This style of writing is called iambic pentameter. This is another example of Shakespeare’s different writing methods. When people are talking in rhyme it is often associated in love and this can be applied here. It shows that although Romeo has just met Juliet he is already talking of his love for her. Here is another quote form Romeo describing Juliet, “For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.”

From this quote I am left wondering how his feelings have changed so quickly. Only earlier that same day he had been saying how he loved Rosaline so much but now it is obvious that he has forgotten all about her.

Juliet also acts hastily during the play. In Act One Scene Three Juliet and her mother are talking about marriage. Juliet says that she has never thought about getting married and does not want to rush into anything. In answer to Lady Capulets question Juliet quotes,

“It is an honour that I dream not of.”

However in Act Two, Scene Two Juliet contradicts herself by agreeing to marry Romeo,

Join now!

“I gave thee mine before thou didst request it; And yet I would it were to give again.”

At the beginning she seems very sensible and grown up. However it is evident here that she is actually quite young and vulnerable.

Nevertheless this may have something too with her mother, Lady Caplet. She often neglected Juliet when she was younger leaving the nurse to bring her up and care for her. Therefore their relationship was never very close and this probably made Juliet feel insecure.

Another example of hastiness by Romeo and Juliet is evident in Act ...

This is a preview of the whole essay