The Feud That killed Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare wrote the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet in 1595 to tell the tale of two star-crossed lovers in Verona, Italy. The main cause of Romeo and Juliet’s death was the feud between the Capulets and Montagues. Without the feud major turning points in the play would have not happened, like them having to keep their marriage hidden, Romeo’s banishment, an Friar Lawrence having to come up with a plan so Romeo and Juliet could run away together; would have never occurred therefore preventing their death.
Had Romeo and Juliet’s families gotten along with each other Romeo and Juliet would have not needed to keep their marriage a secret. Keeping their marriage a secret was actually hurting them because they could not be together. Juliet wanted to kill herself if she could not be happily married to Romeo, “Do thou but call my resolution wise, and with this knife I’ll help it presently.” Romeo and Juliet (4.1.54-55). Juliet was asking Friar Lawrence if it was wise to kill herself the night before her wedding to Paris. This quote proves that if she could not be with her Romeo she would want to end her life. This is important because it would be hard to for her to see Romeo once she was married to Paris. They were putting their life at risk whenever they would see each other because the two families would not interact and if their children were caught with each other they would suffer great consequences, one is the possibly their family might disown them. This could be seen when Juliet did not want to marry Paris her father threatened to disown her, “Hang thee, young baggage! disobedient wretch! I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday or never after look me in the face” Romeo and Juliet (3.5.166-168). He gave her the choice to choose between marriage with Paris or to be disowned had she not chosen to marry Paris. The consequence for being caught with her family’s life long enemy could have been just as severe especially once Lord Capulet found out that she was already married to Romeo. If Romeo and Juliet did not need to keep their marriage hidden from public view it would have never put Juliet’s association with the church at risk for being married to two people. At the time the play was took place it was illegal to be married to two people at once. If she was married to both Romeo and Paris at the same time and someone found out, the consequences she would receive from the church would be terrible. If the feud never existed than they could have publicly displayed their marriage meaning they would have not needed to risk harsh consequences or outcomes for being together.
Romeo’s banishment would have not occurred if the feud between the Capulets and Montagues was not present at the time of the play. If the Capulets and the Montagues were neutral with each other than Tybalt would have not wanted to fight Romeo because he would have no reason to fight him. The reason that Tybalt wanted to fight Romeo because he was at the Capulet's party and Romeo was an enemy to the Capulet's family. “Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe, a villain that is hither come in spite to scorn at our solemnity this night . . . It fits when such a villain is a guest I’ll not endure him” Romeo and Juliet (1.5.69-71, 84-85). This is what Tybalt says to Capulet after he sees Romeo at the party and is offended that a Montague would show his face at the Capulet’s house hold, the quote also suggests that he is not afraid to fight Romeo if the time comes. Tybalt would have not needed to challenge Romeo because he would have most likely been invited to the party for Juliet because their families would be neutral with each other. If there was no need to have a fight between Romeo and Tybalt which resulted in Tybalt's death there also would have been no need to banish Romeo for his act of murder. Once again had the deep feud between the two families not existed there would have been no need for the Prince to banish Romeo. This means that it prevents any future events in the story that will eventually kill both Romeo and Juliet.
When Romeo and Juliet learn that they are enemies they know that they must keep the relationship a secret, after many events Juliet eventually asks Friar Lawrence for help of to get out of marrying Paris, “Unless thou tell me how I may prevent it” Romeo and Juliet (4.1.52). In this quote Juliet is asking Friar Lawrence how to prevent her wedding with Paris. When Friar Lawrence was creating his plan he was only trying to save Romeo and Juliet from the feud because he knew that that was going to be the only way they could be together before death. Friar Lawrence knew that they would have never been happy with the weight of the feud on top of them. He came up with a plan so it appeared that Juliet was dead but instead she was in a deep sleep, Romeo went in her tomb without knowing she would wake soon and killed himself because he thought she was actually dead. Juliet then woke up seeing her beloved Romeo dead so she killed herself to be with in in the other life. He would have not needed to create this plan that ended in failure if the feud was not in existent because this was Romeo and Juliet’s last option to escape the weight of the feud.
In the drama Romeo and Juliet the feud between the Capulets and Montagues is what truly caused their death. Romeo and Juliet would have never need to hide their marriage therefore it would prevent them from harsh consequences. Romeo would have never had the need to fight Tybalt preventing him being banished from Verona. The final reason that the feud caused Romeo and Juliet’s death is the fact that Friar Lawrence had to come up with a plan to try to save Romeo and Juliet from the feud between their families. For these reasons the feud is what put weight on both Romeo and Juliet’s shoulders that eventually lead the two star-crossed lovers to killing themselves.