Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Romeo and Juliet Act I: question 3
3. Romeo's and Juliet's parents both show respect to, love for and understanding of their children. The Montagues ask Benvolio to investigate why Romeo is sad, and the Capulets allow Juliet to choose her husband based on love and readiness when they could have forced her to marry Paris immediatley. Do you think learning of their children's love for one another (being from enemy families) is enough to change the close bond they have? Explain. Due Tuesday 2/23/20 by midnight.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
49 comments:
I think that, like with all difficult relationships, only time would be able to show a positive change within the Montagues’ and Capulets’ relationships with their children. I really believe that at first, both Romeo and Juliet would find rejection and scorn from their families over their love for one another. However, I do feel that with time, the Montagues and Capulets would come to learn and realize that their children’s love is very real, and should not be so easily dismissed.
With Juliet, we can see that her parents do actually care for her when they do not force her to marry Paris, who undoubtedly appears to be a good match for her. They will let her choose her husband based on love, and while I think that they would be in shock over her choosing Romeo, in time they would most likely come to accept the relationship.
With Romeo, I personally think that he would face a much bigger challenge in receiving acceptance from his family and friends. He is constantly faced with upholding his family name and peer pressure from his closest friends. The thought that he might marry a Capulet, the family enemy, would greatly shock them all. I think that it would take a great deal of time, and very strong family bonds for his family to accept that he loves Juliet.
I really believe that even with the great hardships and pressure that Romeo and Juliet face, in time the love that their parents have for them will mean that they will support them, no matter what decisions the two make.
I think that both the Capulets and the Montagues have a lot to learn from each other. I also think that by discovering the love that Juliet and Romeo had for each other, they can begin to understand that their family feuds are not necessary. And that in fighting with each other they end in greatly harming their loved ones. So I’m going to have to say that the parents of Romeo and Juliet really do love each other but just don’t realize what they are doing to them by constantly fighting. When they learn of their children’s love and death, I think they will definitely rethink the hostility between their families and work on being friends so that no on else will have to be harmed by this family war.
I beleive that the families would reject the relationship and attempt to force them apart, not knowing the lengths they would go for each other. It would take them time, and a healthy dose of denial, before they realized that, even as young as they were, this was not just a fickle crush. It's understandable how they would react. I would be extremely surprised if the Montague's and the Capulet's reacted in a more postive way. It would make no sense, considering the family's blood feud with each other for centuries. As much as they love their children, they still want them to make decisions in the face of their family over their friends. The Montagues would probably take much more to believe that Romeo was truly in love, considering his past experiences with other flings, i.e. Rosaline. Juliet, though younger and more inexperienced, seems to have a good head on her shoulders and would not rest until her parents understood her strong reasons.
Re: Hollinnies
I agree with your statement concerning the Capulets and Montagues’ reactions to finding out that Romeo and Juliet are falling for each other. They would definitely not accept this fact easily, and I’m sure they would attempt to tear Romeo and Juliet’s relationship apart. I doubt that either set of parents would purposely cause harm to their children, but sadly their ignorance of the situation would lead them to continue in their unnecessary feud.
Re: Lauren's Comment:
Lauren said that Romeo was probably the one that was going to have the most trouble with explaining that he has fallen in love with a Capulet. I agree with this. Back in that time you can see a definite male dominance. The men were required to rule the household and also were held responsible for what his family has done. That will be Romeo's duty once his father passes it on to him. The fact that Romeo wants to marry a Capulet, the family enemy, would cause him alot more problems than Juliet, who in reality, doesn't and wouldn't have very much power either way.
I think most parents still today are having difficulties with their children’s relationships. The Capulets and Montagues show trust in their children when it comes to love, but part of that trust is knowing they will pick the "right" suitor. Just because Romeo and Juliet fall for each other does not mean they are wrong in their choices.
Juliet is a much loved child who is cherished and precious in the eyes of her parents. It is astounding to me that they are letting Juliet marry when she feels she is ready. Her mother, though, seems as though she is pushing Juliet slightly to marry Paris. It would be the “safe” thing to do for Juliet. To marry young, into a respectable household is very easy way of making sure her daughter is secure, whereas marrying Romeo, so suddenly and young would be a foolish thing to do. The already estranged relationship with her mother would be troubled even more if she were to find out about Romeo and Juliet’s young love.
Romeo has a different situation with his parents. His parents obviously care for Romeo’s sanity and emotional state because they send his best friend to find out how they can solve Romeo’s sadness. If they were to find out about his forbidden love, maybe they would see how happy Juliet makes Romeo. This, I believe, would change the Montague’s’ minds for the better.
It is evident that the Montagues and Capulets love their children very much and want what is best for them. However, in the time period of Romeo and Juliet, their marriages were more arranged than based on love. Even though Juliet’s parents want her to find and get married to her true love, I think that they expect that she would pick someone that would fit their parents’ standards and not their enemy. However, even though Romeo might not be one of her parents’ first choices, I don’t think that it will tear the family apart once they see how happy Juliet is with Romeo, if they truly want what is best for her. At the Capulet’s party, Lord Capulet did not throw Romeo out of the party once he realized that he was there. Instead he said, “He shall be endured. What, goodman boy! I say he shall. Go to!” (pg. 41). In this statement he is allowing Romeo to stay at the party. Because of this, it seems that Lord Capulet does not hate Romeo as much as he may hate Romeo’s parents so there is a chance that he would be okay with Romeo and Juliet being together. I do not think that Romeo and Juliet’s bonds with their parents will change when they find out about their love however they will probably not react in the best way when they hear the news for the first time since a love between enemy families is it not what they expected.
I think that both the Capulets and the Montagues would learn how to deal with one another even though they are enemies. When the Capulets allow Juliet to choose her own husband, it shows that they trust their daughter and they will respect the decision that she will make. The Montagues show that they care about Romeo, and that they want their son to be happy. So when it is time for him to choose a wife, they won't care who it is, they just want him to be happy. I think that the families will still be enemies but they will be happy that their children are happy. Once the families see how happy Romeo and Juliet are together, then they will see that they should put aside their differences, so Romeo and Juliet can be together. For example when Tybalt see Romeo and at the Capulet’s party he goes over to Lord Capulet and tells him he is angry that Romeo is there. Lord Capulet just says oh he is fine just leave him alone for once. I don’t want to ruin the party. So at that scene Lord Capulet put aside the fact that Romeo was a Monague and let everyone enjoy the party. I am sure that both families will be furious at first when the find out but I think they would have learn to make some good of it.
I think that both the Capulets and the Montagues would learn how to deal with one another even though they are enemies. When the Capulets allow Juliet to choose her own husband, it shows that they trust their daughter and they will respect the decision that she will make. The Montagues show that they care about Romeo, and that they want their son to be happy. So when it is time for him to choose a wife, they won't care who it is, they just want him to be happy. I think that the families will still be enemies but they will be happy that their children are happy. Once the families see how happy Romeo and Juliet are together, then they will see that they should put aside their differences, so Romeo and Juliet can be together. For example when Tybalt see Romeo and at the Capulet’s party he goes over to Lord Capulet and tells him he is angry that Romeo is there. Lord Capulet just says oh he is fine just leave him alone for once. I don’t want to ruin the party. So at that scene Lord Capulet put aside the fact that Romeo was a Monague and let everyone enjoy the party. I am sure that both families will be furious at first when the find out but I think they would have learn to make some good of it.
Though the Montague’s and the Capulet’s both want what they think is best for their children, they still have a difficult time understanding them and knowing what the right choices for their lives are. Instead of trying to talk to their son themselves, they send Benvolio to speak with Romeo instead, and even then Benvolio does not report back to them with how Romeo is truly feeling. So how well can they know their son? They may see his outward happiness or depression and try to puzzle out why he is this way, but they do not try to learn what he is actually feeling inwardly or the cause of these emotions. Lord and Lady Capulet are going to allow their daughter Juliet to choose her own suitor. They want her to pick whom she marries and they want her to be happy. However, Juliet is only a girl of thirteen and when her mother asks, she seems surprised by the idea of marriage. Also, though they are allowing Juliet to choose her husband, her father meets with Paris, her mother suggests that she looks and talks to him at the party, and even her nurse encourages the match. Her decision of picking a husband is not going to go without the influence and opinion of at least her mother and nurse.
If the Montague’s and Capulet’s learned of their children’s love for one another, it would greatly change the bonds that they have. After reading and learning about how feuding families acted at during this time period, how they fought, and how deep these sorts of hatreds ran, both families would have ultimately disapproved of their children’s love interests. If the Montague’s found out about Romeo’s love for Juliet they would certainly not approve of her. Even if he pledged his undying love to her, his family would be able to argue his past love interests that have always been superficial and fleeting. If he had no pursued Juliet so vehemently, his feelings about her would have soon left and he would quickly move on to his next girl. Lord and Lady Montague would still love their son but they would never approve of his marriage to Juliet and the bond that they have with him would be on edge until he overcame his lust for Juliet.
The Capulet’s would not approve of Juliet’s love for Romeo in any way. Though her father gave her permission to choose whom she married, it is obvious that he still had an opinion and partial choice in her suitors. Lord Capulet had a meeting with Paris; Lord Capulet told Paris that it was up to Juliet to choose whom she was going to marry, but by meeting with Paris it shows that Lord Capulet was still considering suitors for his daughter himself. Lady Capulet also had her opinion’s about Juliet’s husband options. She urged her daughter to choose Paris, even when marriage had not yet crossed Juliet’s mind. If Juliet told her parents that it was Romeo that she wished to marry, they would definitely deny her. The Capulet’s would probably think that she was too young to decide or unable to choose for herself because she was a girl. Based upon what we read about the differences between males and females, Juliet’s wish to marry her family’s only enemy’s son would not be taken seriously. This would most certainly effect the bond that Juliet has with Lord and Lady Capulet in a negative way. Juliet would be less trusting of her father and her relationship with her mother would become more estranged than it already seems to be. Overall, it would effect the Capulet’s and Juliet’s relationship, but Juliet would get over her infatuation with Romeo as she grew older and put more thought into her marriage choices.
Re: Sam
I partially agree with Sam’s comment about the relationships between the parents and the children of both families. It is amazing that Juliet’s parents are allowing her to marry whomever she wants. Although I get the sense her father was the one to make that decision because her mom is not ‘pushing Juliet slightly to marry Paris’. Her mother seems bent on her marrying Paris almost as though she is assuming it will happen. I agree though that the relationship between Juliet and her mother would be severely hurt seeing as they do not really know each other. Romeo’s relationship with his parents is a more healthy relationship. I think his relationship would be hurt slightly but in the end they would still love him just as much.
Re: Lauren
I agree with Lauren’s opinion that the families would oppose Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other, but eventually they will have to come to accept it. In the very first scene this is shown when the two families fight despite the penalties that they know may face them. However, I would also add that this change might not come as easily as it seems it would come. The Capulets and the Montagues are so tied up in their hate for one another that they cannot see the different points of view of Romeo and Juliet. They cannot comprehend the love Romeo and Juliet have for each other. It may in fact take a riveting experience in order to change the ways these two families think of each other. Without the deaths of the two characters at the end of the story, I am not sure that the Capulets and the Montagues would have ever been able to see things from another point of view. Due to the strict mindsets and values of people living in that time, change would probably not come very easily, as seen in the packet pages about boys and girls growing up at that period of time. Also, the Capulets and Montagues are described as being very proper and protective of their children. This fact makes them closed to any new ideas. Overall, I think that Lauren is right that the two families would eventually reconcile but not in time for Romeo and Juliet to openly love each other in peace.
Re: Hollin Nies
Hollin, I agree with you. I believe the Capulets and the Montagues would be extremely furious with the decision of both Romeo and Juliet. I think the parents would even consider it as a disrespect or betrayal in some aspects. These families have such enmity towards each other. I agree with Hollin in the fact that it would it would be extremely surprising if the parents were more supportive or positive about the subject. I also like how Hollin pointed out that Juliet would not stop until she forced her parents to be okay with her decision about her love Romeo. I would always hope my parents would support whoever I want to marry, but I have never thought how their reactions would affect my decision. Romeo and Juliet love each other so much though that they go to extreme levels with their lives.
RE: Hollin Nies
I agree that the families would reject Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. The families have been fighting for hundreds of years. They have had many street fights, some possibly even leading to death. Family was a very important priority during that time. The two conflicting families would never set aside their differences for a young teen love. I also believe that Juliet’s parents would urge her more to marry Paris, for fear of Romeo and Juliet getting married. I agree with your point that Juliet will be determined to get what she wants. She seems to be a very confident and smart girl for the lack of education girls received in her time period.
Re: Christina
I agree with you when you say that Lord Capulet doesn't hate Romeo as much as Romeo's parents. But I'm also pondering something about this scene. Does Lord Capulet not throw Romeo out because he doesn't hate Romeo or because he doesn't want to have people start fighting and make a big scene at the party? I know I wouldn't want to fight with my enemy during a party in which I was hosting. Of course, Lord Capulet doesn't really mind the problem at hand and goes back to his business. With this in mind, I don't think Lord Capulet would have a problem with Romeo marrying Juliet. Lady Capulet might because she wants Juliet to marry well. I don't think the Capulets would have a problem with Juliet marrying Romeo; as long as they stay far away from Romeo's parents.
Re: Eliza
Eliza stated that Romeo and Juliet’s parents do love each other and their children, they just don’t realize the difficult situation that it puts their kids in by constantly fighting. Additionally, the family feud has been going on for such a long time that the families probably could not even tell you what they are fighting about. The wars between the families seem to be very juvenile, as they have been for quite a while. I think that Romeo and Juliet’s love should snap the families out of their never ending conflict and cause them to ask themselves what is more important; their children’s happiness or being the most dominate family between the two. On top of ending the family feuds, the bonds between the children and their parents should not change, but if anything grow stronger if they are able to set aside their differences for the happiness of their children.
Re: Eliza
I'm not sure if the Montagues and the Capulets would just set everything behind them right away. I think that a family rivalry such as theirs would last a large amount of time and would not be thrown on the shelf because of their children's love. In attempts to relate this to a modern day here is an idea/question I came up with: Would the Verizon Wireless Company drop out of the cell phone race if the CEO's daughter got married to AT&T's CEO's son? Eventually there is a possibility of the rivalry coming to a close due to compromises, bad business, or new found friendships but I just cannot see the two families dropping everything they represent and work for because of a marriage between their two children who get married in the course of knowing each other for a day.
~Jeremy Brinling
RE: Hollinnies. I agree with you. Considering that the families have been fighting for centuries, the first thing that they would do once they heard about the relationship would be to tear it apart. I don’t think that they parents plan to hurt their children directly, but because they are not taking their feelings into consideration, Romeo and Juliet will be hurt. The parents don’t also take into consideration the lengths that Romeo and Juliet will go through just to be with each other. I think that the Montague’s would deal with the romance between Romeo and Juliet better than the Capulet’s would, as for that Romeo has multiply other women in his life.
Re: Christina
I agree with you when you say that Lord Capulet doesn't hate Romeo as much as Romeo's parents. But I'm also pondering something about this scene. Does Lord Capulet not throw Romeo out because he doesn't hate Romeo or because he doesn't want to have people start fighting and make a big scene at the party? I know I wouldn't want to fight with my enemy during a party in which I was hosting. Of course, Lord Capulet doesn't really mind the problem at hand and goes back to his business. With this in mind, I don't think Lord Capulet would have a problem with Romeo marrying Juliet. Lady Capulet might because she wants Juliet to marry well. I don't think the Capulets would have a problem with Juliet marrying Romeo; as long as they stay far away from Romeo's parents.
The Montagues and Capulets have a strong hate for each other. In fact, this hate is so strong that nothing, not even the respect, love, and understanding for their children, could stop the bond between the parents and children from being changed. The parents would try their best to make their children think the same way they believed. It is difficult to change something that has been taught and learned over generations. It almost seems to be a tradition for both families to hate each other.
Romeo is the only son of the Montagues and would be the person to carry on the family name. Romeo’s parents would feel embarrassment that their son would want to marry the daughter of their enemy. Juliet’s parents could disown her at this time period. Men were more important than women during this time period. The Montagues would do everything is their power to keep Romeo and Juliet apart. Perhaps his family might think this is an infatuation that would not last. Maybe this was a romance to get over his past experience with Rosaline. One would hope that parents would always love their children, but bonds do change.
Re: Hollinnies
Hollin,
I agree with you where you say that the parents would reject the relationship and try to tare the children apart. Even though both families show love for each of their children, I believe that both of the fathers are too headstrong to become allies through this relationship. I believe that the feud between the families started with a feud between two men, Lord Capulet and Lord Montague. The simple fact that they took a feud between themselves and turned it into a huge, bloody conflict between two families makes me think that both men are extremely stubborn. This being said, neither men would want to admit defeat and would try to break the relationship apart, even at the cost of their own children. However, I disagree with you where you say that Romeo’s parents would take to the relationship much harder. Romeo’s parents came off to me as being a little obsessed with their son’s wellbeing and I believe that because they wouldn’t want their son to be inconvenienced, they would accept the relationship first. The Capulets would fight the relationship at all cost and may not even give in at the end in my opinion. Even though they give Juliet some privileges like choosing who she wants to marry, she is still a women and her opinion in that time wasn’t as respected as a man’s. Overall, I believe, like you do, that at first both families would reject the relationship, but overtime may come to accept it.
RE: Sam
I agree with this comment completely. I do not necessarily feel that the Capulets and the Montagues would have the same reactions. Because of the Montagues' strong relationship with Romeo, I feel that they would not necessarily agree with his decision but i feel that they would support him because he would be happy. The Capulets on the other hand, seem to have a strained relationship with Juliet. While they are willing to let her marry for love, I also sense a state of limitation. It seems that they are saying "You can marry for love, but it must be someone we approve." I do not feel that they would support her decision and Juliet would probably face severe consequences.
Re: Lauren
I strongly agree with most of what Lauren's statement talks about time playing a large part in the situation between the families. With all issues and problems in our lives, time must be taken in order to solve the problems as best as possible. Some problems or relationships take more time than others to solve like picking a college in comparison to choosing what drink to go with your bowl of Capt. Crunch. Problems and relationships in our lives are meant to have time to put into because you do not want to make the wrong decision in the big situations that we have faced and will face in the future.
~Jeremy Brinling
RE: Lauren’s Comment: I agreed with what Lauren had to say 100%. Juliet’s family is more open minded and would be more welcoming of Romeo. Juliet’s father wants her to choose the man she wants when she is ready. Juliet’s best friend, the nurse, likes Romeo and actually helps her marry him.
Romeo family would not be as welcoming. His best friends, Benvolio and Mercutio, make fun of him whenever he gets obsessed with a girl. If they ever found out that he married a Capulet they would never forgive him. I do think over time both families will accept the other family and stop fighting because of Romeo and Juliet.
Re: Christina Barnes:
I think that Christina brings up a good point when she says that Lord Capulet does not have enmity with Romeo, but with Romeo's father, Lord Montague, instead. I think that Lord Capulet will probably be fairly okay with Juliet being in love with Romeo, just so long as he does not have to deal with Lord Montague himself. But I feel that Lord Montague will not react the same way. As of right now we do not know much about Lord Montague, but I get the vibes that he will not like the fact that his son Romeo is hopelessly in love with the daughter of his family enemy.
Re: Sam’s Comment
Sam, I can most definitely say that I agree with you. It is obvious how much the Capulet’s love their daughter enough that they are willing to allow her to make her own decision when it comes to marriage. However, like Sam said, it seems Lady Capulet is almost pushing Juliet to choose Paris. Knowing that Juliet would marry Romeo would probably disappoint Lady Capulet greatly! Romeo’s emotional state of being almost scares his parents. They obliviously care for him greatly because they sent out his friend to find out what is wrong with him and I assume they wanted to know what can be done to make it all better. Finding out that Romeo was madly in love with Juliet would greatly reassure the Montagues that Romeo was okay and he was just in love. Even more so, knowing that their son married a Capulet would most likely change the Montagues opinion about the Capulets because they would see how happy their son would be.
RE: Hollin Nies
I certainly agree with Hollin in saying the families initial reaction would be nothing less then a full blown upset and a positive reaction would be extremely surprising. This family feud had been ongoing long before these two young individuals came to be and so it would take more then a spur of the moment marriage to change the circumstances. As an audience we can only hope to think that the family’s will turn the other cheek and resolve their differences, but realistically speaking it is not practical. I feel the families would press for an annulment, rather then resolving their personal problems in the name of love. In turn, this will undoubtedly affect the close relationships in each family. No one will react well to the news of the marriage and friendships will be tested. This is not surprising to me, seeing that Romeo is constantly in an unbearable state of love, while Juliet is a young, naive girl who knows not of love. I find it quite sad that, though the strong love of Romeo and Juliet should bring the families together, it is only their tragic deaths that force them to reconcile.
It is difficult to determine whether or not seeing the love between Romeo and Juliet would be enough to change the relationship the Montagues and the Capulets have with their children. No reason is given that illustrates the reason for their quarrelling so far in the play. For instance, the Capulets may be economic rivals to the Montagues, or the Montagues may have murdered members of the Capulet family. In these instances, the parents of Romeo and Juliet may be furious to discover this relationship. However, if the families’ animosity towards one another stems from a ridiculous cause –such as in modern sports teams where there is no reason for rivalry— seeing this amorous relationship between their children may engender a deeper understanding between the parents and their children –perhaps even between the two families. Nevertheless, because Shakespeare does not describe what has caused the conflict between the Montagues and Capulets, it cannot be established if Romeo and Juliet’s love would cause deeper understanding or wanton rage in their parents.
Re: Anthony's comment
I agree with Anthony that while both families respect their children’s thoughts and ambitions, the Montagues and Capulets would not be very accepting of Romeo’s and Juliet’s love. I think Anthony made a very good point when he said the families would rather change their children’s minds, instead of ending a feud they had probably been in for centuries. However, I disagree that Juliet’s parents would disown her. I think they would rethink Paris’s offer and let him marry Juliet. As for Romeo, I think his parents would also try to find him a different, "more suitable” match.
RE: Eliza’s blog
I think the Capulets and the Montagues finding out about their children parents love could go either way. It could bring them together or it could create more hatred between the families. Though more likely, I’d have to agree with Eliza that the situation would bring them together. If the two families discovered the young couple’s secret I would have to guess that at first Romeo and Juliet would be surrounded by anger but if their parents love them like they should they would get over it. Romeo and Juliet are basically the babies of their families. Everyone looks out for each of them and care dearly about them too. Even though some of the parents don’t show their love to their children as you would expect, such as Lady Capulet towards Juliet, nothing can break the bond between a mother and her daughter. They could only bear with their children’s sorrow for so long before they would have to make a truce. In the actually storyline, the couples death makes the two families realize what their hatred has done. It has taken away the apples of their eyes forever. I guess we’ll never know if the death of the families’ children was the only thing that would bring peace between the two.
Re: Sam's comment:
Sam makes a good point that parents are still dealing with a conflict today that parents were also dealing with in the past. No parent likes the thought of their little baby growing up and dating to see what they like in a partner. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, both parents feel that their child is capable to make the right choice of who to marry. This is surprising in Juliet’s aspect because she is a female and most females weren't allowed to have a free opinion. It seems as if Juliet's mother is trying to get Juliet to really think about marrying Paris. But it is good that they aren't forcing her. Juliet's father doesn't want her to end up like her mother. That's why he allows her to wait a few more years. The Capulets would look down on Juliet marrying Romeo so young and quickly if she were to tell them about it all.
Romeo's parents are alike the Capulets, but allow him to have more freedom. His mother, Lady Montague, is always worried about how her little boy feels. She is worried at the beginning of Act 1 about why he is acting so depressed. I agree with Sam about if they were to find out about Juliet. They would just see how happy he is and be pleased.
Re: Lauren’s post:
I agree with what Lauren said about time being a key factor in the acceptance of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. Romeo and Juliet’s relationship would be a lot for the Montague and Capulet families to handle, and at first they would be very upset with the decision. However, after time to think about the situation I believe that both families would eventually accept the relationship. I already know that Juliet’s parents, at least her father, wants Juliet to marry out of love. For example, on pg 27, Lord Capulet says to Paris, “Within her scope of choice lies my consent and fair according voice.” By this he means that he will consent to Juliet marrying somebody that she has chosen herself. I think Lady Capulet will have a harder time accepting the relationship, since she tried to persuade Juliet to marry Paris, but I also believe that she will eventually accept Romeo since she knows that Juliet loves him. Like Lauren, I also think that the Montague’s will have a harder time accepting Juliet. However, Romeo’s parents love him deeply and often worry about him. This fact makes me think that they will accept that Romeo is happy with Juliet and lay aside the feud.
Re: Eliza’s comment: I agree with what Eliza had to say about the feud ending when they find out how in-love Romeo and Juliet are. Even when my friends have been fighting, and they say it upset other friends, they would try and resolve their differences. I don’t know what the Capulet house and the Montague house are fighting over, but I would think that they could put their differences aside for their only daughter and only son to be together. I know if I was a parent, I would do that for my children. I don’t see how the Montague’s or the Capulet’s are any different.
Re: Lauren
I agree with what Lauren said. I believe that only time will heal the hatred between the Montagues and Capulets. I don't think that Romeo's and Juliet's parents would have instantly accepted thier love but i think that over time they would warm up to the idea. Both sets of parents love thier children very much. I think that eventually they would be willing to set aside their own problems for the happiness of their children.
Re: Sam
I completely agree with Sam. I think that the Montagues would put aside their differences for their child. The Montagues show so much compassion for their son and would want anything that would make him happy. Both the Montagues and the Capulets love their daughter/son so much that they would do almost anything for them, but in Juliet’s case I think that it would be harder to persuade her mother to stop the fighting between the families. Like Sam said, Juliet already has a bad relationship with her mother and if her mother knew about Romeo she might not take it very well. Her mother would probably not want Juliet to even talk to Romeo and instead talk to Paris. I have the same opinion as Sam when saying that the Montagues could put aside their difference but the Capulets would have a harder time doing so.
Re: Hollin Nies
I agree with your comment to an extent, but at the same time I also disagree. There have been times when relationships between two feuding families have brought two families closer together. The case with the Montague and the Capulet families however may not be the same. If they were to accept the fact, it would come as a surprise. After feuding for centuries, it would take time to bring these two families together, if ever. I believe that there is a chance it could possibly bring the families closer. They should support their children even if it isn’t something they may agree with. Also, I agree with you on the fact that Juliet seems to have her head on her shoulders, more than most girls her age.
I think that the families would take this as they are trying to spy on their family. With that fact the families would most likely try to split up the relationship. Romeo and Juliet probably wont be willing to split so the fighting between the families would continue. The fighting would probably also get worse because now they have a real reason to fight.
I think that the families would take this as they are trying to spy on their family. With that fact the families would most likely try to split up the relationship. Romeo and Juliet probably wont be willing to split so the fighting between the families would continue. The fighting would probably also get worse because now they have a real reason to fight.
RE: Lauren: I completely understand how you would believe that over time the Capulets and Montagues would accept Romeo and Juliet's decision to marry. However, I disagree. William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet to be a tragedy. The dictionary definition of a tragedy is any literary composition, as a novel, dealing with a somber theme carried to a tragic conclusion. This leads me to believe that the Montagues, the Capulets, or both families will disagree with the marriage of Romeo and Juliet, and drastic measures will most likely be taken to end the marriage and fuel the feud.
RE: Lauren
Lauren says that she thinks the Montagues and the Capulets will slowly learn to accept the marriage. I agree with this although i think they would over react off the start and would tear Romeo and Juliet apart.This incident would probably fuel the fires and make them fight more.
Two sparring families, two teenagers madly in love. To say the least, Romeo and Juliet have a lot stacked against them, but their parents’ hatred toward each other is the biggest obstacle in the way of their love. While many would like to think that if the Capulet and Montague families were to find out their childrens love for each other, they would be supportive, and end the feud that has rocked Verona for years, I do not agree with that. During the Shakespearean time period people of enemy families, different ethnicities, and capabilities were not welcomed with open arms. The Montague and Capulet families were of high social standing, therefore would not be receptive toward another who may harm the families’ reputation. As a teenager in the twenty first century, I know that even today there are close knit families who would disown a child for being in love with someone they did not approve of. Juliet’s parents want her to have a say in who she marries, but that is restricted to those who they think are suitable, and Romeo is probably not on the top of that list. In my experience, the older a person is, the more set in their ways they become, so just because Romeo and Juliet love each other, does not mean that the Capulet and Montague households will end their feud. In fact, they may just banish them, and continue to hate each other in peace.
RE: Anthony Bacik
Anthony pointed out that it's almost tradition for the Capulets and Monagues to hate one another. This hatred has grown to the extent that the parents of Romeo and Juliet would overlook their love for the ongoing feud between their family names, no matter the consequences. Anthony also recognizes the difficulty in changing an idea that's passed down through generations. The Capulet and Montegue families are basically sworn enemies, and even though the problem no longer lies in Romeo and Juliet's generation, they're expected to follow the same pattern of belief that has become so familiar to their families. The love that Romeo and Juliet feel towards one another will keep them together until death.
It is true that both the Montagues and Capulets deeply love their children. However, out of that love they would do almost anything for them. They only want what’s best for their children (Or what they think is best for their children). This is where the children and parents have differing opinions as to what is best for them. This kind of vastly differing viewpoints is what strains and puts stress on the close bond that the parents have with their children. What is best for someone in one person’s eyes is not always what is best in another person’s eyes. I have learned that people have different viewpoints and that’s good, however a lot of conflicts emerge from differing viewpoints. This can be seen in the past, the present, and I am sure that it will still be a source for conflict in the future. It is part of human nature to have different opinions.
This differing in opinions is what started the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets in the first place. The Montagues and Capulets have been fighting for so long that I would bet that at this point in the story; they don’t even remember why they are fighting at all. Scholars have pointed out that none of the current members of either family in the play were even around when the feud originated. They have also proposed that the feud could have started out from a number just as they would have in Shakespeare’s time like a political rivalry, some sort of betrayal or falling back on ones promises in something like a marriage. Since they have been fighting for so long they have learned to hate the other family and even people associated with the other family. The children were taught this hatred since the day that they were born. Sure they could have been political rivals but that’s about it. They are both rich members of the upper class and have more in common than not.
The bottom line is that, the parents of both Romeo and Juliet just want what’s best for their children and think that they are doing the best for their children by keeping them apart, but, as the prologue suggests is not the case. The prologue on page 1 says that “From forth the fatal lions of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life”. As you can see from right on the first page; regardless of the close bond that the parents have with their children, they will put the old family feud before their children’s true happiness and this will cause both of their children to break that close bond that they have with their parents and take their lives so that they can be together in Heaven.
re: hollin nies
I completely agree with you hollin. I think Romeo and Juliet's parents will be furious once they find out about their children's marriage. First off, they will be upset that they were never told of this relationship before they were married. Second, they will be mad at their children for being so careless and befriending the child of their longtime enemy. I think the parents will try to break up the couple, and definitely won't be accepting of the relationship. They might tell their children that he or she does not know what real love is and they should be involved in who he or she marries. I think this marriage could result in the fight between the two families growing and, possibly, get worse. If Romeo and juliet's parents had known about the relationship and had some time to accept it, they might be a little more accepting of a marriage.
RE: Eliza
I find your point of view interesting. You stated that based on the relationship between Romeo and Juliet, the Capulets and the Montagues will finally realize that the fighting is pointless and tearing the children apart. I think that this will only happen if the Capulets’ support of Juliet’s decision and the Montagues’ support of Romeo’s decision precede the stubbornness and hostility that the families exhibit toward each other in their minds.
However, I do not expect this scenario to occur. Both families have been fighting now for a very long time, and I think that they will disregard the love that the children feel for each other as “puppy love” and “unimportant”, and the fighting will continue. The families, especially people like Tybalt in the Capulet family, are incredibly stubborn, and I don not believe that the love between the children will cause them to cease the fighting. It’s hard for two entities that have been going against each other for many years to suddenly do a “complete 180”, if you will, on their beliefs. Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is not a drastic enough occurrence for this to occur.
It is very obvious that the Capulets and the Montagues would have a problem with their children getting married. They have been feuding families for a long time and therefore they would not approve of this. I agree with Jenna’s comments about how the connection between the Romeo and his parents, and Juliet and her parents is very weak. The Capulets and the Montagues are not very in tuned with their children’s thoughts or feelings. The only thing that the Capulets seem to care about is who Juliet marries and they have been extremely loose on that topic as well. Also, the Montagues have not even acknowledged Romeo the entire play. Even though they seem to care so little about their children, Lord and Lady Capulet, and Montague would have a serious problem with their children marrying one another. I think that if the Capulets found out about Juliets love for Romeo they would no longer allow for her to select her own husband. And I think the Montagues would question Romeo’s love for whoever he loves next. He seems very inconsistent with his love life and his parents would have to approve of his next wife.
Romeo’s and Juliet’s parents both care for their children. They care about their well-being and how they are feeling. Their parents also seem to both show that they want their children to make their own choices based on what makes them happy. Like stated in the question, The Montagues wonder why Romeo is sad, and the Capulets let Juliet choose her husband instead of making the choice for her. However, feuds between families can be a difficult obstacle for many to overcome.
Learning of Romeo and Juliet’s love may either anger both side more or bring the families together. With Juliet’s family, I feel that her parents may be able to let it go because they want her to choose who makes her happy. However, Tybalt would not let it slide so easily. He has a hard time just letting Romeo stay at the Capulet’s party.
The Montagues have not been revealed as much as the Capulets, therefore, making it hard to even guess how his family would react. Romeo’s friends have been revealed in the story though. In equivalence with the Capulets, there is one friend who would be opposed to the love, Mercutio, and one friend who would think it fine, Benvolio.
The love between Romeo and Juliet would not be enough to change either family’s feelings towards the other. They may just keep the two apart from each other, in order to try to break their relationship. Their love alone would not open the eyes of the Capulets or Montagues to see how their hatred affects the ones they themselves love. Something life changing to both families would really have to occur in order for them to finally see what their feuding is doing.
I agree with Hollin. The Montagues and Capulets would not take the news of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship lightly. The intense rivalry between the two families would not simply be converted to a friendship, after realizing that young Romeo and Juliet were in love (or believe they are in love). I agree with the notion that both families would be skeptical of this “love”, given Romeo’s past history. However, I do not agree that the families would overcome their differences with time. The deeply rooted hatred between the families spans across several generations. The rivalry would not end simply because Romeo and Juliet wish to be bonded by marriage. There are certainly more influential members in the families, more so than Romeo and Juliet. I feel there is a slim chance that the Montagues and Capulets would overcome their feud.
Re: Hollin’s Comment
I agree with Hollin’s view of how the families would react. Neither family would want to accept the fact that one of their own is in love with their enemy. The actions of their children over a long period of time would have to be endured by the families in order to see that these two are really in love. I also agree that it would be almost weird if the families acted in a positive way. They fight at just the sight of each other, but the love of the enemy’s child would bring them happiness? It wouldn’t make much sense. Another comment that Hollin made that I really like it how she brings up that making the Montagues believe Romeo is love would be difficult considering past flings. Romeo claims he is in love with one girl, then within moments can forget the name of his love and be in love with another. It would take time to see if he really loves Juliet or if it is just another one of his flings.
Post a Comment