Romeo And Juliet: Conflict Is The Cause Of Human Suffering

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Romeo and Juliet Text Response In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare reveals that conflict is the cause of human suffering. Discuss. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, it is demonstrated that animosity is the source of anguish for people. The major conflict in the play, the conflict between families, results in death and suffering for several characters. Enmity makes characters irrational, causing them to think and behave in ways that cause harm to themselves and others. However, misery is also caused by characters who act narcissistic and egotistical. Shakespeare demonstrates that the dominant conflict in the play, the rivalry between the Capulets and Montagues, causes harm and even death to several characters. In the opening scene of the…show more content…
One of the biggest examples of this is Friar Lawrence; in his desperation to stop the harm caused by the enmity between the Capulets and Montagues, he agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet, despite knowing about Romeo’s superficial habits. He explains his decision to Romeo, saying “this alliance may so prove to turn your households’ rancour to pure love.” However, this decision causes many problems later in the play that ultimately lead to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Juliet finds herself conflicted when she is asked to marry Paris, as she has already been wedded to Romeo. This leads her to extreme actions, including the threat of suicide if the Friar cannot think of a solution: “I long to die If what thou speak’st speak not of remedy”. This frantic haste leads to Juliet’s fake suicide, and results in her actually killing herself. Romeo is no better; upon hearing of Juliet’s death, he says “Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight”, and hastens to kill himself with Juliet. In less extreme circumstances, Romeo would have behaved more sensibly and asked the Friar about Juliet’s death, prevent the death of both lovers. Throughout the book, rivalry causes several characters to act extremely and adherently, causing much preventable
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