Theme Of Violence In Romeo And Juliet

Violence is a disease that plagues not only one's real life but the lives in the stories people read as well. In Romeo and Juliet, violence is happening throughout the play between families, friends, and even strangers. The violence in Romeo and Juliet is very similar to violence today. Violence is a scourge that continually disturbs our day-to-day lives and is found in many places. Whether it is in the streets of Chicago or Compton, gang violence is one of the most widespread forms of violence in the United States. Gang violence is very similar to a feud between families. In the play Romeo and Juliet, the Montagues and Capulets are two families with a deep seeded hatred for each other that is as old as time, “Who set this ancient quarrel

Many people are firm believers in the old saying, “An eye for an eye”. This ideology has led to the injury or death of many because so few are willing to resolve issues peacefully. Throughout the play Romeo and Juliet many notable characters have followed the same ideology killing or injuring many who were undeserving. For example, Romeo was exiled from Verona because he needed to get revenge for Tybalt killing Mercutio, “Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him.” (Shakespeare 3.1.122). Instead of letting the law take care of Tybalt for killing Mercutio, Romeo decided that must be the one to get revenge and thus suffered the consequences of his actions. The same is still true in today's world where people will often cause great complications in not only their own lives but also the lives of others by getting unneeded revenge on the person(s) who caused such

Everyone is far too eager or far too quick to resort to violence in situations that do not call for such extreme measures. For example, a young teen was shot trying to pick up his siblings from a friend's house after showing up at the wrong address, “Ralph Yarl, 16, was shot and wounded by a homeowner after accidentally going to the wrong house to pick up his younger siblings in Kansas City, Mo.” (Sullivan and Diaz). An innocent young student was nearly killed because a man was too quick to resort to violence when it was unneeded. In Romeo and Juliet, the characters of the story are also quick to resort to violence. Tybalt is a character renowned for his extremely violent tendencies. He is always looking for a fight at every turn despite the consequences. One notable example of this violent behavior occurs during the Capulet’s annual feast when Tybalt spots Romeo. Upon seeing his family's rival, he says to a nearby servant, “This, by his voice, should be a Montague. Fetch me my rapier, boy.” (1.5.53-55). Tybalt was ready to disrupt his family's feast and tarnish their reputation just because he needed to resolve his problems with violence instead of trying to talk or find a peaceful resolution. Today many people also share these same violent tendencies. Many people have been killed undeservingly because people are not willing to find a peaceful resolution and continually resort to violent