The Prologue of Romeo and Juliet reveals the entire story in a single page. The prologue raises the questions (1) To whom do the events occur? and (2) What are the details of the story? However, the plot itself is described within that first page. The two families are very rich and powerful but Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet, are sworn enemies because of an ancient feud between their families. In beautiful Verona, Italy .”.. where we lay our scene.
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny.” This quote symbolizes Romeo and Juliet’s love. These star-crossed lovers prove their love by respecting each other in spite of their families rivalry. Instead they love each other which, in the end, was much worse than hating each other thus fulfilling the mutiny to which the Prologue refers. “Where civil blood make civil hands unclean…
.” means that all the townspeople and family members had a part in Romeo and Juliet’s death. If the families were not so hateful towards each other, they would have lived a great and successful life together. “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;” The son of one enemy and the daughter of another take their life in a desperate attempt to show their never ending love for each other. No matter how the parents tried to keep the families separate in society, it would never stop their endless love. Their sad deaths end the parents hatred for each other by uniting the families in grief in the mutual loss of their children, as nothing before had been capable of doing. The two families would try to live together in peace but this would never really change their underlying feelings towards each other, and blame of each other for their children’s death.
The sad story of the lovers’ eternal love for each other, their short lives, and their premature death, did nothing to stop the pitiful hatred that existed between their families. Another two innocent lives would not change the feelings that the two families had for each other. Nothing ever could change the feelings the two families had for each other. And nothing ever could end but the two lives of these great lovers, Romeo and Juliet. The answers to the questions raised by the prologue are in the story.
The Capulets and the Montague’s today would probably would hate each other just as much, but they would not be able to use the same kind of weapons, or violence, that they used in the play. Today they would be arrested if they used violence against each other. Although, just because something is illegal does not mean that they would not still do it. Most probably, the two families would use the court system as their weapons, with long-standing lawsuits replacing deadly force. Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other would still be the as strong. Also women are looked upon differently today and are treated better than they were in ancient times.
Not very long ago parents got to choose who their daughter was to marry and the woman would have to live with this person no matter how much she disliked him. this does not mean that all the marriages chosen by a woman’s parents were bad. It could work out for the best (it was a fifty – fifty chance in my eyes).
today women can choose who they want to marry and what they want to do with their life, and can fulfill those dreams as easily as any man can today.
Not all relationships work out today and we all make mistakes. There is divorce, and freedom behind any but the most committed relationship. Love at first sight is something you do not hear of everyday. It is something most people believe to be a myth. You can not just make a decision and say you love a person before you ever talk to them. You have to have things in common.
there are many things that make up a relationship. To just look at someone and say you love them with all your heart before you even talk to them is just unheard of today. you might hear this saying and maybe you believe it to be true but… ITS NOT! In short, although the story may have some basis in today’s society, I feel it is extremely unlikely that it would happen in such a way. Families continue to argue and hold grudges against other families.
Children continue to disobey their parents wishes. Today, however, children are not so bound to family tradition that they feel the need to commit suicide because of forbidden love. They, usually, are simply more sophisticated than to choose that as the only option available to them.