Rivalry In Romeo And Juliet

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a play involving two star-crossed lovers whose family feud will not allow them to be together in Verona, Italy. In the play, the Capulets and the Montagues have been engaged in a feud for many generations that has resulted in them despising each other. One day, though, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet meet at a party and fall instantly in love. They soon get married without their parents’ knowledge but because Romeo has been banished from Verona, Juliet fakes her death in order to escape and live happily ever after though. Tragically, Romeo does not receive news of this plan in time and kills himself upon finding out that Juliet passed away. Juliet then awakens to find a dead Romeo and commits suicide as well. In the end, the deaths of the two lovers bring an end to the long-standing rivalry between the families. Friar Lawrence, the town’s spiritual leader, bears the most guilt for the kismets of the characters in Romeo and Juliet because he married the two lovers despite the fact that is has been forbidden and he assisted in the faking of Juliet’s death.

However, as the play progresses, the Friar reveals that he has regrets about the marriage and thinks that their “love” is progressing too quickly. Friar Laurence rightly sees that their love is really infatuation and intense passion that will most likely end, as we see in his lines, "These violent delights have violent ends / And in their triumph die, like fire and powder" (9-10). If the Friar had thought this important decision clearly through, he may have prevented many future