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A scholar once said, "We are but men, drawn to act in the name of revenge we deem to be ‘justice’. But when we call our vengeance ‘justice’, it only breeds more revenge ... forging the first link in the chains of hatred." The conflicting morality of love and hate has driven people to feeling indifferent from one another. The play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, establishes the theme of hate and the lesson that only love can drive out hate. Franco Zeffirelli’s movie adaptation of the play, produced in 1968, effectively promotes Shakespeare’s original intention of hate. Zeffirelli’s movie adaptation was able to achieve such an effect by keeping to the original storyline.

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet depicts a story about two lovers from opposing families who wish to be with each other, without being caught in the brawls between their families. Whether it is scorning one person or an entire group, the theme of hate is presented between members of both households due to Shakespeare’s use of actions and dialogue. The first event that shows hate was when Gregory and Sampson made a rude gesture to the Montagues, sparking a conflict. “I will bite my thumb at/ them, which is disgrace if they bear it” (I.i.43-44). The desire of starting a quarrel just because an enemy is near shows how the Montagues felt provoked by the Capulet’s presence. Tybalt arrives moments later and declares his hate for the Montagues, stating, “As I hate hell, all Montagues, all thee,/ Have at thee coward!” (I.i.72-73). Tybalt is one of the characters in the play that shows a lot of scorn towards Montagues, as seen during Capulet’s party where he had the urge to fight Romeo because he was “a villain.” Romeo is called this because he is a member of ...

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...rse appears to have no negative feelings about Romeo during their first meeting before Romeo and Juliet’s marriage. This makes the audience believe that the bond between Romeo and Juliet has the power to change a person’s point of view and opinion of one another.

Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other was the key to ending the bitter conflict between the Capulets and the Montagues, but at the cost of their lives. Shakespeare presented this lesson by usage of dialogue and actions in order to show the hate between the families, and how Romeo and Juliet’s love goes on to change it. Zeffirelli also manages to present this theme through his choice of lines, actors for the play, scenes, costumes, and acting for the movie. Overall, Zeffirelli did a magnificent job showing how in the dark depths of hate, one can find hope and the ability to change others with love.