Containment Of Conflict In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet
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Conflict is a salient theme throughout Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, manifesting its self in the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. Within this theme are a variety of sub-themes including “Concealment is at the heart of every conflict,” which this essay shall explore using examples from the text. The first example to be explored is how Romeo’s concealment of his marriage creates physical conflict. The second is the conflict that Juliet creates between herself and her parents, and within herself, by concealing her marriage to Romeo. The last example shows how revelation, the antithesis of concealment, can end conflict.
Both intentional and incidental concealment have the capacity to engender conflict. This is illustrated in the fight between Romeo and Tybalt that takes place in Act 3. Romeo’s concealment of his marriage from Tybalt is shown when he says, “ [I] love thee better than thou canst devise/ Till thou shalt know the reason of my love” (Act 3 Scene 1, lines 62-63). The ‘reason,’ which Romeo is refering to, is his marriage to Juliet, which has made Tybalt Romeo’s cousin by marriage. Romeo is deliberately concealing…show more content… At the end of the play, Romeo and Juliet’s secret marriage is revealed to everyone including their parents who are sworn enemies. This is supported by the quote “A glooming peace this morning with it brings/ The sun for sorrow will not show his head.” (Act 5 Scene 3 lines 305-306), which uses the technique of personification. The sun is personified and given the human quality of ‘sorrow,” emphasising the sorrow that the deaths of Romeo and Juliet have brought on Verona. The revelation of Romeo and Juliet’s love reconciles the two families, as not only was their children’s love revealed, but also the destructive nature and repercussions of their conflict. The tragic ending of the play shows how a revelation can dissolve enmity that is perpetuated by