Romeo And Juliet Relationship Analysis Example

Set in fair Verona, William Shakespeare’s tragic play Romeo and Juliet explores the chaotic relationship of Romeo and Juliet. While the culture of violence is one cause of the story’s tragedy, Shakespeare demonstrates that violence only plays a small part in Romeo and Juliet’s downfalls. Throughout the play, Shakespeare emphasizes to the audience that the character’s impulsiveness, conflict and lack of communication are the key factors driving the play’s tragedy. 

Although violence has a small role in the play’s tragedy, Shakespeare emphasizes through the characters’ poor choices that impulsiveness is ultimately one of the crucial elements contributing to the play’s tragic ending. Romeo and Juliet’s relationship begins when Romeo crashes the Capulet Ball, in hope of seeing Rosaline. Romeo believes he will never move on from Rosaline, until meeting Juliet. As he lays his eyes on her, he is consumed by her beauty. Romeo declares that his ‘life is now [his] foe’s debt’ and that he ‘is a pilgrim’, while Juliet is “his saint.” Romeo’s abrupt transition from Rosaline to Juliet reveals that he gives little thought to his actions. Further on, Romeo and Juliet’s lust for each other multiplies, until they cannot stay away from one another. Friar Lawrence warns the couple that ‘violent delights have violent ends’ and they need to slow down, for ‘they stumble that run fast.’ Shakespeare uses the oxymoron ‘violent delights have violent ends’ to emphasize to the audience that self-control is crucial. Romeo and Juliet arrogantly dust off Friar’s advice and continue growing their lust. As a result of unthought actions, Romeo fights and slays Tybalt, the ‘lovers’ get separated and are flooded with sorrow. Here Shakespeare highlights that impulsiveness causes violence and internal conflict. For support, Friar thinks of a plan to reunite the teenagers. Unfortunately, his plan is rushed and dangerous. The teenagers foolishly put their lives at risk and as a result, immediately kill themselves when they are separated again. Shakespeare makes it clear that impulsiveness leads to the play’s violent brawls, self-conflict and the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. If they were not quick to take these actions, Romeo and Juliet would have never dragged each other down to the grave.

Moreover, while Romeo and Juliet’s death is partially caused by violence, the conflict that is present between the Capulets and Montagues is evidently one of the most powerful forces leading to the play’s tragedy. In the play’s opening scenes, Juliet tells Romeo to 'Deny thy father and refuse thy name.’ Essentially, Juliet wants Romeo to disown his name so that they can be together and grow with one another. This demonstrates that the family feud is creating a barrier in their relationship. Later in the play, Romeo and Tybalt run into one another. Tybalt cries out, ‘I hate peace… as I hate hell [and] all Montagues!’ and begins to fight Romeo in order to honour his family name. However, Tybalt gets stabbed. Romeo is then banished and separated from ‘his saint, Juliet.’ Both the ‘lovers’ battle with internal conflict from their parting and as a result, risk their lives. Unfortunately, Romeo and Juliet kill themselves when they are yet again separated. Shakespeare makes it clear that the family feud is the cause of violence and acts as a barrier that separates Romeo and Juliet until the afterlife. Shakespeare highlights that if there was no feud, then Romeo and Juliet could have been free to express their passion and eventually grow in their relationship. Nevertheless, the families could not put their differences aside and instead, drove Romeo and Juliet apart.

Furthermore, Shakespeare accentuates throughout the play that lack of communication is a fundamental element contributing to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. One way poor communication occurs in the story is through keeping secrets. While fighting with Tybalt, Romeo fails to tell him that Juliet is now his wife. Tybalt, without knowing this, continues to fight until he is killed. Romeo is then banished and Juliet is left to suffer alone. Shakespeare emphasizes through Romeo’s lack of communication that devastating consequences can come and effect everyone. While Romeo and Juliet are separated, Capulet arranges Juliet to marry Count Paris. Juliet, recently married, cannot betray Romeo and is afraid to tell her parents about her secret relationship with their enemy’s son. Capulet, not knowing of Juliet’s secret, goes ahead with his plans. Juliet is heartbroken over this decision and is flooded with sorrow. Juliet goes to the Friar, hoping he can make a plan to reunite them, but Friar isn’t of much help. Friar creates a plan that is rushed, not foolproof and dangerous. Friar’s plan must be delivered safely to Romeo in order to reunite the teenagers . Unfortunately, the message is delayed due to quarantine and was unable to make it to Mantua in time. Due to the miscommunication, the ‘lovers’ believe that they are eternally separated from one another; leading them to commit suicide. Shakespeare demonstrates how crucial communication and without it, disaster arises.

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the catastrophic deaths of Romeo and Juliet are only partially caused by violence. Shakespeare uses a range of language techniques, such as dramatic irony and metaphors, to explore and emphasize the themes of youth, hatred and lust. In doing so, Shakespeare reveals that violence is not the ultimate factor leading to their deaths, but rather impulsiveness, conflict and lack of communication.