“Instead of love bringing joy, as one would expect, it brought tragedy to two families who lived in hatred of each other.” In the book “Romeo and Juliet” the Montague and Capulet Houses live as one of Verona’s two feuding families. Juliet the daughter of the Capulets falls in a deep love with the Montagues son, bringing more quarrel into Verona. The play is filled with dramatic irony, which is used to convey a meaning opposite to what is said or done. Irony is used in Romeo and Juliet to emphasize the theme of fate and the power of destiny. One example of dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet is the way in which the characters refer to fate and destiny throughout the play. From the very beginning, the audience is presented with the idea that the lovers are destined to be together, despite the obstacles in their way. The text states “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life.”(Act 1, Prologue, 5-8) However, “Star-crossed lovers” refers to any lovers whose affection for each other is doomed to end in tragedy. The audience knows that their love is doomed from the start, but the characters continue to believe that they can defy fate and be together. …show more content…
When they first meet and fall in love, they do not know each other's last names, and it is not until later that they discover the truth about their families feud. For example, the text states, “My only love sprung from my only hate, Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love is it to me That I must love a loathed enemy.” (Act 1, Romeo and Juliet, 152-155) Juliet indicates that her only love comes from something she’s supposed to hate. This creates tension for the audience, who knows that the lovers are destined for tragedy, even as the characters themselves are