To what extent does love overcome conflict in

The argument, involves everyone, even the servants of the two households, insult each other, even though they are not part of the families; "A dog of the house of Montague moves me".

The Baz Luhrmann version of Romeo and Juliet portrays this conflict by starting the story with explosions, gun fire and fighting. This kind of hatred shows tensions and establishes the power, depth and extent of hatred between both families. But this itself is only an outward sign of inward conflicts which run throughout individual characters in the play.

Romeo himself is battling with inner turmoil, because of his love for Rosaline. In act 1, scene 1 Romeo states; "O brawling love! O loving hate! / O anything of nothing first create! / O heavy lightness, serious vanity! / Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! / Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health!" Shakespeare chooses language that reflects youthful, idealized notions of romance. Romeo describes his state of mind through a series of oxymorons, setting contradictory words together and blending the joys of love with the emotional desolation of unrequited love: "O brawling love, O loving hate." That he can express such extreme emotions for a woman he barely knows demonstrates both his immaturity and his potential for deeper love.

Romeo's feelings for Rosaline are quickly repressed when he first sees Juliet. When he sees her, he speaks about her, using the metaphor: "She doth teach the torches to burn bright". This tells us that Juliet's beauty is much brighter than that of the torches - so she is very beautiful. She is so much brighter that she teaches the torches how to shine - a poetic exaggeration, since torches can't really be taught. It is important for Romeo to say this, as the audience cannot see Juliet's beauty directly - in Shakespeare's theatre a boy, perhaps seen at some distance, plays Juliet. But the metaphor also tells us that it is night, as Romeo can see the torches he compares her to. The audience must imagine this, as the play is performed by daylight, and no lighted torch would be safe in the theatre. At a private performance, at night in a rich person's house, there might be real torches on the walls, of course. There are other interesting comparisons. In Act 1 Scene 2 Benvolio has said that he will show Romeo women who will make his "swan" (Rosaline) look like a "crow" (supposedly a common and ugly bird). Now Romeo, in a very similar comparison, says that Juliet (whose name he does not yet know) is like a "snowy dove" among "crows" (the other women). She stands out in a dark room as a bright jewel (which would catch the torchlight) in the ear of a dark-skinned person. The contrast of light and darkness in these comparisons suggests that Juliet is fair-skinned and perhaps fair-haired while most of the other women are dark. Although other people are on stage as Romeo says these things, he really speaks his thoughts or thinks aloud - so these speeches are soliloquies.

The lovers begin their relationship by having to face a conflict of loyalties; do they stay true to their hearts and what they feel? Or do they stay loyal to their families? Even when they find out each others identities, they still let their love reign. This choice, for following their love, is a sign of overcoming the conflict. They never let go of their love, right until the point of their deaths. In act 2, scene 2, the physical distance between the lovers, on the balcony and below it, could be interpreted as symbolising the rift between the two families, and it is, in effect, a metaphor to symbolise the hatred. This scene is when they first come together, and break down the barriers of the family ties; "Can I love this loathed enemy". By breaking down these barriers, and doing something, that dishonours both families, this can be seen as overcoming the conflict, because although the families hate each other, Romeo and Juliet do not allow this to stand in the way of their love.

Friar Laurence is presented as a holy man who is trusted and respected by the other characters. The Friar's role as the friend and advisor to Romeo and Juliet highlights the conflict between parents and their children within the play. The centrality of the Friar's role suggests a notable failure of parental love. Romeo and Juliet can't tell their parents of their love because of the quarrel between the two families. In their isolation, Romeo and Juliet turn to the Friar who can offer neutral advice. At first, the Friar can't believe how quickly Romeo has abandoned Rosaline and fallen in love with Juliet, so he reminds Romeo of the suddenness of his decisions. Shakespeare uses this formal language of rhyme and proverbs to stress the need for caution to Romeo. However, he agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet in the hope that their marriage will heal the rift between the Montagues and the Capulets; "To turn your households' rancour to pure love". His decision to marry the lovers is well-meaning but indicates that he has been naive in his assessment of the feud and hasn't reflected on the implications of Romeo and Juliet's clandestine marriage. The conflict between youth and old age also manifests itself in the Friar's relationship with Romeo and Juliet. When Friar Laurence tries to soothe Romeo's grief at the news of his banishment with rational argument, Romeo quickly responds that if the Friar were young and in love, he wouldn't accept such advice any better. The Friar's conflicts with himself, as to whether marry the lovers or not, for the good of both families, is overcome when he does marry them. So love once again triumphs over inner conflict, because he does what he thinks is best, and he unites their love in the form of marriage.

As the play unfolds, Romeo lets his love for his family take precedence over the love for Juliet. He ultimately lets his desire for vengeance triumph. Juliet, however, places her commitment firmly on the side of her husband. This happens because of a brawl between Tybalt and Mercutio. Mercutio belongs to neither family, yet still gets involved in the fighting, and dies. Mercutio is slain by Tybalt and Romeo seeks revenge and slays Tybalt. When Mercutio dies he shouts 'A plague o' both your houses', which is cursing both families. Here conflict has overcome love as Mercutio curses Romeo, a friend who he dearly loves. Romeo however seeks revenge for the death of Mercutio and slays Tybalt, his newly married brother in law so conflict is overcoming his love for Juliet, because he is no longer seeking to keep the peace between the families.

There are also conflicts within the families, for example, between Juliet and her father. In Juliet's society, the father, as head of the household, has absolute power. Disobeying him means not only a breach within her family, but a breach of the social fabric that guides family structure in the culture. Juliet's father wants her to marry the county Paris, but she refuses. When Capulet discovers this his mood drastically changes, from his previous mood of being concerned for her. Shakespeare uses language to signify Capulet's disapproval through abusive name calling directed at Juliet; "Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch" This illustrates Capulet's anger because Juliet is not doing what he wishes her to do i.e. marry Paris. He threatens her to go through the marriage or he will disown her. Juliet's love for Romeo overcomes the threats and insults being thrown upon her by her father, as she remains adamant that she will not marry Paris. Some people may argue that conflict overcomes love, as her father is so harsh, and does not respect her decision.

The Prince is also suffering from inner turmoil. He knows the fighting between the families has to stop but when Tybalt is slain by Romeo, he can't bring himself to have Romeo executed. He is torn between his desire for peace, and what is best for his civilians, and his basic unwillingness to take severe action. He shows his desire for wanting to keep the peace by his harsh words and threats; "if you ever disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace". Here conflict overcomes love, as the lovers are separated, due to the murder of Tybalt. Romeo was unable to suppress his rage after the death of Mercutio, which was incidentally his fault, for he came between them. Romeo is banished, and never allowed to return to Verona, which to him, is worse than dying, for he will not be able to see his beloved Juliet.

The final way, in which love overcomes conflict, in "Romeo and Juliet", is in the speech of the Prince. In each of Shakespeare's plays he has a character restore order at the end of a play, and in this particular play, the Prince fulfils this role. The families are reconciled by their children's deaths and agree to end their violent feud. The play ends with the Prince's brief elegy for the lovers: "For never was a story of more woe / than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

In "Romeo and Juliet", love overcomes conflict in nearly all aspects of the play. The lovers taking their lives, should not be seen as entirely a tragedy, for the only true way Romeo and Juliet could have been happy, was in death. Their time in love, was one full of conflict and pain; They had so many people to obey, to please, that it drove them and others that loved them, to think of a scheme, which would try and free them, but it failed. Maybe in death they were finally happy, and maybe this is what Shakespeare was trying to convey, by the tragic ending, that it wasn't tragic. Of course death is always painful for those who love us, but this led the families to be reconciled and they embrace each other no longer as enemies, but even as friends. Nothing that makes a friendship, and finds complete peace and true love, could be described as conflict. Therefore, love overcomes conflict in "Romeo and Juliet".