In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Lord and Lady Capulet have opposing opinions about what love should mean to their daughter Juliet, neither of which Juliet wants to follow. Paris, a worthy husband to Juliet by her community’s standards, does not share the connection with Juliet that Lord Capulet hopes she will find; however, Lady Capulet feels that Juliet can complement his image. When Juliet meets Romeo Montague at a party that night, the two fall in love only to realize that their love is forbidden because of a deeply rooted family rivalry. Juliet must now struggle with loving a man that she cannot love. As Lord and Lady Capulet discuss their conflicting views of love, Juliet only wants to marry a man that neither of her parents approve of.
One external conflict in Romeo and Juliet is the contrast between Lord Capulet’s and Lady Capulet’s views on love. Lord Capulet values true love and encourages the youth around him to know all their options before marrying. When Paris comes to Lord Capulet asking for consent to marry his daughter Juliet, he tells him, “But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart;/ My will to her consent is but a part./ And she, agreed, within her scope of choice/ Lies my consent and fair according voice”
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Upon learning this, she says, “My only love sprung from my only hate!/ Too early seen unknown, and known too late!/ Prodigious birth of love it is to me/ That I must love a loathed enemy” (I.v.152-155). This quote sets up the conflict for the rest of the play. She realizes that the person that she loves most is also the person who she is most forbidden to marry. The Montagues and the Capulets would never allow Romeo and Juliet to marry because of their feud, so Juliet must decide what lengths she is willing to go to for true