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Examples Of Family Traditions In Romeo And Juliet

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Are you willing to abandon your family just because of their traditions? Though family traditions are a prominent part of one’s individuality, they can lead to social issues, as observed in Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet,” where an ancient family feud results in the separation of the two main characters and ends in tragedy. First and foremost, restricting family traditions and norms can strip away the freedoms of those who follow them and prevent them from pursuing what they love. The first instance of how family traditions can prevent individuals from pursuing what they love is in the play “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare. In this play, the two main characters, entangled in a long-lasting feud between their families, fall in love. When they discover each other’s identities, they react with great distress, knowing that loving each other will be difficult, as seen in their reactions: “Is she a Capulet? o dear account. My life is my foe's debt,” and “Prodigious birth of love it is to me, that I must love a loathed …show more content…

This dynamic is vividly displayed in Act 5, Scene 3, of “Romeo and Juliet," where Prince Escalus laments the tragedy caused by the Capulet-Montague feud: “Where be these enemies?-Capulet! Montague. See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love!” Here, we see the tragedy that has arisen from the Capulets and the Montagues holding onto a century-long family feud. The consequence of the families’ long-lasting hatred is the death of their children, since they could not love each other freely. Likewise, in Scene 3, Act 1, Mercutio curses both houses, saying, “Or I shall faint. A plague, “both your houses!” This quote shows how the family feud has led to the unnecessary loss of Romeo’s closest friend, showing the broad social harm caused by outdated family

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