Generation Conflict in Romeo and Juliet Literary Analysis Essay

The conflict between two generations, parents and children, is a factor that led to the death of Romeo and Juliet. The Capulets and Montagues have been sworn enemies for as long as people can remember. When Romeo (Montague) and Juliet (Capulet) fall in love with each other, this is a massive issue since their families hate each other. Knowing their parents would never approve, this makes Romeo and Juliet want to be together even more, even when they die. Some of the leading events and factors that contributed to Romeo and Juliet’s deaths were the two families forbidden from seeing each other, Lord Capult arranging a marriage Juliet did not want, and the fact that they are forbidden from seeing each other resulting in them unable to be apart.

The Capulets and Montagues forbade Romeo and Juliet from seeing each other because to the parents, there was no point for them to meet since they are sworn enemies. The two families have a long history of fighting which Romeo and Juliet are aware of. Once the two meet at the party and figured out which families they belonged to, they were shocked to have “fallen in love” with their only enemies. This is shown when Juliet states to the Nurse, “My only love sprung from my only hate!”(1.5.505) Once the two realize they can never be together, or at least without approval, they are both heartbroken. Later in the play, Juliet fakes her death and Romeo finds out believing it is real before the news that it is fake gets to him. He then kills himself believing they can never be apart because their love is so strong. After discovering both Romeo and Juliet’s bodies together, the Prince blames the whole town for their deaths because they would have never died if they felt they could never be together because of the feud. 

Another event contributing to Romeo and Juliet’s deaths is Lord Capulet arranging a marriage for Juliet that she does not want. Juliet is not very fond of Paris, who she is arranged to marry, before she secretly married Romeo. She certainly does not want to marry Paris at all after she fell in love and married Romeo. This is shown when she says to Lord Capulet, “ I will not marry yet. And when I do, I swear it shall be Romeo.”(3.5.550) Juliet even goes to the lengths of faking her own death to make her not marry Paris. While this act ends up killing both her and Romeo in the end, it shows how bad she did not want to marry another man.

Another major problem that led to their deaths is the fact that Romeo and Juliet are forbidden from seeing each other resulting in them unable to be apart. Since Romeo believes Juliet is dead, he instantly wants to find her then kill himself as his final act to show his love. Since their whole relationship was forbidden and secretive, he wants them to at least be together when they die. This is shown when Romeo says, while drinking the poison, “Here’s to my love! O true apothecary!” (5.3.578) Romeo figured if they couldn’t be together in real life, they would be together when they die.

Some of the leading events and factors that contributed to Romeo and Juliet’s deaths are the two families that forbid them from seeing each other, Lord Capulet arranging a marriage Juliet does not want, and the fact that they are forbidden from seeing each other resulting in them unable to be apart. Other events occur throughout the story leading to their deaths, but these three are the main factors. In conclusion, the conflict between two generations, parents and children, was a factor that led to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.