Hate In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

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“Love and hate have a magical transforming power” (George William Russell). Love and hate are two incredibly powerful forces which influence the actions of individuals all around the globe. These forces are universal languages which can be understood by all people. However, which force is stronger? Or are both forces equally strong? How do both forces play a role in the play “Romeo and Juliet”? Throughout the play “Romeo and Juliet”, William Shakespeare uses conflict and actions in order to demonstrate which force is more important in the play - love or hate.”

Throughout the play, hate has always seemed to be the primary force which heavily influences the actions of the characters in Romeo and Juliet. The power of the force of hate then can …show more content…

While, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, hate seems to be the underlying cause of all conflict and plot development, it is truly the force of love which drives all conflict in characters in the play because it is due to loyalty and love that these actions take place in the first place. One prime example of this is how Sampson teases the house of Montagues due to his loyalty towards the house of Capulets. In Act 1, Scene 1, Sampson makes fun of the Montagues because he wishes to stay loyal to the Capulet family and protect their name. This small scene matters because it represents how even small characters such as Sampson make hateful actions due to their loyalty to the people they serve. This loyalty then drives the plot of the entire play even though it is disguised as hate. Another example, of how the underlying force of all conflict is love occurs in Act 1, Scene 5 when Tybalt states “tis is a villian, Romeo” when talking to Lord Capulet (1.5.72). This line seems to be a small piece of information in the beginning of the play however it represents so much more. This line highlights how much loyalty and love Tybalt has for his uncle and his family because Tybalt is willing to do anything and murder anyone for his family. This scene then explains why Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel later on. Thus, in the play “Romeo and Juliet”, while hate seems to be the strongest driving force, it is truly love which influences the actions of the characters in the play “Romeo and