Rivalry In Romeo And Juliet Essay

When I was younger, I remember having an argument with one of my friends over another mutual friend. We kept debating over who was smarter, nicer, and who would do anything for her. Our relentless competition distracted us from being true friends with her, and eventually, she stopped being friends with us. Our conflict finally ended as we both realized we did not have to prove who was the better friend if it meant hurting her or each other for a pointless victory. A rivalry between others can easily lead to risks and unexpected consequences, which typically remain unnoticed until something fatal occurs. For these reasons, the feud between the Capulets and Montagues is responsible for the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet because it caused several

A prime example is the fight between Mercutio and Tybalt in Act 3. One might believe that the feud was not the initial reason for the fight and may blame it more on the lack of maturity between Mercutio and Tybalt for provoking each other, or even Romeo’s reckless behavior that drove him to kill Tybalt. But if the rivalry had not existed, Tybalt would not have a grudge against Romeo for being in the opposite clan, thus leading to the fight and Romeo’s exile. During Act 3, Scene 1, when Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt, he replies, “Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done me. Therefore turn and draw” (Shakespeare, 3.1.62-63). When he mentions injuries, he does not mean physical injuries, but when Romeo attended the party despite being a Montague. He took great offense and threatened to fight him for this exact reason. After killing Mercutio, Romeo brought revenge on Tybalt by killing him, which caused him to become exiled from Verona. His banishment not only started the downfall of Romeo and Juliet but also worsened the hate between the two

Although it was evident that they could not be together due to their opposing houses, he still decided to help in hopes of ending the feud once and for all. It is simple to think that even if the feud caused him to assist the two lovers, the tragedy was mainly unexpected. After Friar Lawrence explains what happened in Act 5, Scene 3, he says, “Miscarried by my fault, let my old life be sacrificed some hour before his time unto the rigor of severest law” (Shakespeare, 5.3.266-269). He allowed himself to take accountability because he did not know his plan would go wrong and would eventually cause their deaths. Nevertheless, it was still difficult for Romeo and Juliet to stay as couples due to the feud itself, which formed complications in their relationship. Some risks had to be made, and the plan was already dangerous enough. This signifies that while the Friar may have been a major part of their deaths, the feud also had an important part in the tragedy. In Act 2, Scene 3, Friar Lawrence said to Romeo, “Oh, she knew well thy love did read by rote, that could not spell. But come, young waverer, come, go with me, in one respect I’ll thy assistant be, for this alliance may so happy prove to turn your households’ rancor to pure love” (Shakespeare, 2.3.90-92). He was aware that Romeo was being impulsive once more, just as he was with Rosaline. He even had the choice to not