Examples Of Rivalry In Romeo And Juliet

In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the feud between the Montague and Capulet houses can equivalate to a modern day sports rivalry, in the sense that nobody truly knows when either feud began, members of both sides of the rivalries refuse association with one another, and both feuds can lead to violence. For example, when setting the scene for the play, William Shakespeare describes the Montagues and Capulets by calling them “Two households, both alike in dignity/ From ancient grudge break to new mutiny.” (Romeo and Juliet prologue.1-3). By calling the relationship between the two families an ancient grudge, the play explains that the rivalry lacks a true beginning, and that continues to take place for generations and generations. This equates to the one hundred thirty year rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, in the sense that there has been strife between both teams for longer than any single person has been alive, and that current incidents keep both rivalries stronger than ever.

Although considered an extremist when it comes to the feud, Tybalt’s thoughts toward Montagues are still widespread and accepted by most Capulets and become a way of life for the two houses, viewing each other as villains. As commonly witnessed between Giants and Dodgers fans today, Montagues and Capulets develop a common detestation against the opposing house, with some people having stronger loyalty to the feud than