Within the play of Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare presents the idea of hatred as the main drive for the events that occur. The play is set in Verona which is where two posh families live the Montagues and the Capulets who hate each other and it’s been like this for many years. Through accidents the children of the families, Romeo and Juliet tragically lose their life’s but in replacement they end the hatred between the families. This shows us as the audience how strong the hatred is between the two families as it takes the life’s of their own children for them to stop this hatred. Also allows us to see that Shakespeare explores how violence and hatred are created from jealousy, aggression, greed and power. In Act 1 scene 1 it begins with hatred in the act of violence being a fight against the Montague’s and the Capulet’s. Shakespeare has done this to show the audience hatred and violence is going to be a key aspect in the play. A quote that represents violence …show more content…
Hatred follows as Mercutio sees Romeo as a coward. The audience realises that the play has now turned from a comedy into a tragedy after the death of Mercutio. Mercutio declares ‘a plague o’ both your houses!’, he then realises that his death was caused by hatred. Mercutio’s death also relates later to the devastating events and it is after death that Romeo realises the consequences of his love affair. The effect of this on the audience is that there is a sudden realisation that love can have unexpected consequences such as death. In Act 3 Scene 1 all the younger characters in the play are about hatred and violence along with all other characters but a quotation that shows this is when Mercutio says “Thy head is as full of quarrels as an egg is full of meat” The simile creates an image of the young teenager’s mind showing that they can think of nothing more than violence and