Romeo and Juliet: The Fight between the Montague and Capulet in 'Romeo and Juliet'

In the beginning of the story, the Montagues and Capulets break out fighting in the middle of the street and they are told to stop their fighting or the punishment will be death. Soon after the fight, Capulet

The Hostility Between the 'Montagues' and the 'Capulets' in Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare William Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet has a major theme of conflict. The main conflict in the play is the feud between the two wealthy families: the ‘Montagues’ and the ‘Capulets’. Shakespeare does not state the reason for the hostility between the two families. Shakespeare may have done this to indicate how long the feud has been going for. Shakespeare creates conflicts between characters in the play.

In the beginning of the story, the Montagues and Capulets break out fighting in the middle of the street and they are told to stop their fighting or else they will be banished. Juliet is a Capulet, and her father is hosting a party. Romeo longing for his love Rosaline decides to crash the party. When Romeo meets Juliet, he instantly falls in love. But almost instantaneously Tybalt recognizes Romeo’s voice. “This, by his voice, should be a Montague. Fetch me my rapier, boy. What! Dares the slave. Come hither, covered with an antic face, To fleer and scorn our solemnity? Now, by the stock and honor of my kin. To strike him dead I hold it not a sin.” (1.5.53-58) From this moment on, Tybalt is out for Romeo.

As time passed this old grudge broke to utter hatred which led to chaotic civil fights. This dispute had been ongoing for so long that it is forgotten why it had begun. Each member of each household just had to pass on the streets and one way or another chaos would start. Shouting, crashing from civil pillar to post, cursing and bawling, with or without knowing it they filled the good, innocent and helpless citizens of Verona with trepidation and fury to have their cities peace and tranquillity so senselessly disturbed by two uncontrollable and reckless households over a fight they did not know how started. Romeo and Juliet are described as 'star-crossed lovers'.

The play starts with Sampson and Gregory, two of Capulet’s servants, beginning a quarrel with two servants of Montague. This shows that from the working-class to the upper-class in the two families, they still hold a grudge against the opposite family. Tybalt arrives at the scene, speaking of his loathing of the Montagues, “I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee”. A furious riot develops with Lords Capulet and Montague joining in and officers clubbing both sides of the fight, only for it to be stopped by the neutral Prince Escales. The riot further emphasises the vast level of hate between the two families.

Throughout Romeo and Juliet the theme of conflict is conveyed in many forms, mostly through physical violence; reflected in the era of the Renaissance where there was political turmoil and many European nations were at war. Shakespeare presents the theme in other forms as well; family versus family, sacred versus profane, parent versus child and language versus inner conflict. Conflict is a key in the structure of the play; it is highlighted in the beginning, middle and end. As an audience we are constantly being reminded of conflict which is reflected within the era the play was written in. The Renaissance was the 'rebirth ' of classical learning and was also the time when Science challenged many traditional Christian beliefs which resulted in Catholics fighting Protestants; the Gunpowder plot and the Spanish Armada. Shakespeare chose to dramatise conflict as it was the context in which he was writing plays. It is therefore arguable that this period was characterised by irreconcilable opposites in politics, religion and art. Nothing in the world can exist without its opposite- just as love cannot exist without hate, violence cannot exist without peace.

In the prologue, we are introduced to two families who are ‘both alike in dignity’ in ‘fair Verona.’ Shakespeare uses a prologue to give a brief

Word has gotten out on the streets of Verona, that my uncle has made a decree that any Montague or Capulet who picks a fight with the other side or participates in one, will be executed. Now, this doesn't seem that extreme to me because there has been so much death on the streets in Verona lately due to the past three Montague-Capulet skirmishes. I, however, chose to stay out of those for I recently met with my uncle who warned me against participating and because he knew he would inflict this new law very soon and didn't want to see me caught in its crosshairs. He knew I would be loyal to my dear friend Romeo Montague and may end up fighting his other nephew, who is loyal to the Capulet’s and goes

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is undeniably one of the most eminent tales of tragedy ever written. Act 4, Scene 3 has ingeniously demonstrated how the plot and themes, and characterization

Shakespeare presents the complex family feud between the Montagues and the Capulets as the underlying ‘antagonist’ of the story, another major reason as to why the lovers didn’t prevail. This grudge is complex as the character’s actions in siding, supporting or in trying to pacify the feud makes the feud more complex. Some of Shakespeare’s greatest use of insults lend themselves to develop the dramatic technique of characterisation among the endorsers of the feud and while doing so, builds up the foreboding mood and suspenseful atmosphere of the feud. An exchange of insults between servants Sampson and Abraham such as do you bite your thumb at us, sir? would’ve united Elizabethan audiences together despite their distinctions among class. In the first act, Tybalt only

The ancient feud of unknown origin between the Capulet’s and Montague’s is a very prominent idea within the play. Its seems that the servants of both

The audience sees this in Act I, Scene I when Gregory and Sampson pick a fight with the Montague servants, Abram and Balthasar, which eventually turns into a nasty brawl with Benvolio, Tybalt, and the citizens of Verona. The absolute insanity of the feud is shown when both old men join the fray and Capulet asks for his sword. Lady Capulet says, “A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword?” This means that even though Lord Capulet is old, his everlasting hatred for the Montagues is still burning

The Prince of Verona hears about the deaths of Romeo and Juliet and has a small speech-like ceremony for the two families. What he says introduces the theme because of the feuding between the Montagues and Capulets. With the Montague’s son

A British tragedy set in 1300 Verona, Italy takes the reader on a journey through the difficulties faced by two young lovers from feuding families. Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, describes the lives of the two heirs to the Montague and Capulet households, two noble families who harbor a deep hatred for each other. Despite the ancient family feud, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet fall in love and marry the next day. However, their lives are thrown into chaos as they deal with incidents including Romeo’s exile and Juliet’s sudden arranged marriage to another man. Struggling to conceal their feelings, the characters face several obstacles; often making rash, unwise decisions whose results they must endure, their lack of deliberate thought in these decisions eventually leads to their deaths. As the play progresses, Shakespeare establishes the motif of haste as characters speed through events in their lives, contributing to the major theme that impulsive actions lead to unpredictable outcomes.

Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; whose misadventure piteous overthrows. Do with their death bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children's end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.