Romeo and Juliet Theme of Family

The conflict between family and the individual is played out in the most extreme fashion possible in the play, as two children from warring families fall in love and have to choose between their families' expectations and their passion for each other. Romeo and Juliet choose passion. They abandon their loyalty to their parents and kinsman and lie to their relatives in order to protect their love. Ultimately, though, Romeo and Juliet can't escape the conflict that divides their families. Bad luck is partially responsible for Romeo and Juliet's deaths, but so is Romeo's obligation to avenge his friend's murder and defend his masculinity and family name. Juliet's father and mother, who try to push her into an unwanted marriage, are also to blame. Though we often think of family as a refuge and a place of security, in Romeo and Juliet, kinship is more often a source of danger and battle.

1. Why do the Capulets hate the Montagues?
2. How does the Capulet/Montague family feud impact Romeo and Juliet's love affair and marriage?
3. Why does Juliet face greater family conflict than Romeo? Is it because she is a woman and he is a man?
4. Explain how the prince's kinship bonds influence his decision to exile (rather than execute) Romeo.

Romeo and Juliet discover their identities as individuals separate from their families through their passion for each other.

Romantic love wins out over familial love in Romeo and Juliet.