Examples Of Tribalism In Romeo And Juliet

William Shakespeare's tragedy of Romeo and Juliet focuses on the ongoing rivalry between the Montagues and the Capulets and how it creates conflict. Even from the very beginning of the play, the very first thing that we learn about the two characters is that they belong to these two rival families. The feud between these two very families is what prevents Romeo and Juliet from telling their families about their romantic relationship. This introduces us to one of the play's main themes: the issue of tribalism. While the loyalty that people feel to their "tribes'' can have positive effects, such as bringing people together, it also has the power to divide people. Throughout Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare develops the theme of tribalism

Despite the fact that the group of Montagues hadn't yet caused any disruptions in the festivities, Tybalt is immediately enraged at the sound of Romeo's voice, solely because of his last name. His first thought upon hearing Romeo at the party was to attack and fight him. Tybalt says, "'This, by his voice, should be a Montague. Fetch me my rapier, boy.'" 1.5, 53-54. See also Here, Tybalt shows how hatred is almost an instinct for him. The quote serves to show how deeply toxicity and hatred are ingrained into these kids' minds, to the point where Tybalt doesn't hesitate to immediately throw himself headfirst into danger, simply due to loyalty to his family. This shows the dangers of tribalism. The sentence develops the theme and begins the push of the idea of tribalism throughout the play. The theme of tribalism is further developed by Juliet in her famous balcony soliloquy. We see her stand on the balcony and speak to herself about her inner turmoil concerning her relationship with Romeo. She desperately asks the night why Romeo had to be a Montague as it was the only thing preventing them from getting

Her loyalty to her family is enough to compete with her love for Romeo. This quote shows how tragic Juliet's situation is and how much pressure and expectation is upon her to hate the Montagues along with the rest of her family, further developing the theme of tribalism and intense loyalty. The dangers of tribalism are again shown after Benvolio recounts the duel between Romeo, Tybalt, and Mercutio to the Prince when Lady Capulet accuses him of lying. In this scene. Immediately following the events leading to Tybalt's death, Lady Capulet accuses Benvolio, a kinsman of the Montagues, of lying about her niece's death to protect Romeo and his family. She cries, "He is a kinsman to the Montague, affection makes him false." 3.2, 170-171. In this scene, Lady Montague is so invested in her beliefs of tribalism that she immediately goes to accuse Benvolio of lying about something as tragic as his friend's death in order to preserve Romeo's name. She is so loyal to her family that she is unable to fathom the idea of anyone in her family doing anything wrong or instigating violence, making her blind to her nephew's