Hostility and Reconciliation Through Shakespeare's Eyes: A Contemporary Reading of the Montague and Capulets' Story

The common belief that Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet is about love is quite mistaken. This can be confidently stated because there is virtually no conflict in the relationship between the young characters – and as we know, conflict is the driving force of any literary plot. On the contrary, the relationship between Romeo and Juliet is tender and admirable, and the only thing hindering their love is the enmity between their families, which sharply contrasts with the ideal, cloudless feeling that has swept over the young couple. Thus, this tragedy is primarily about the senselessness and tragic consequences of feuding. The relevance of this plot in modern life has been repeatedly demonstrated, most notably in Baz Luhrmann's film adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo. Given the current political upheavals, the tragic outcome of the Montagues and Capulets' story takes on even greater significance.

Let us examine the plot presented by the playwright, so to speak, under a microscope. Prince Escalus is increasingly dissatisfied with the feud between the two clans, as their constant armed skirmishes disturb the peace and well-being of Verona's citizens. He periodically punishes both sides with fines and reprimands, but nothing changes, as both families are wealthy, and the fines mean little to them. In fact, the Prince is unable to resolve the problem because, despite his love for the law, he understands the importance of maintaining support from both clans equally. Therefore, he punishes both sides in the same way, as a true politician, even sacrificing his own feelings. For example, when Romeo kills Tybalt, avenging the death of Mercutio (the Prince’s nephew), Escalus does not pardon Romeo, but neither does he execute him; instead, he exiles Romae, so as not to offend either side. It’s a case of “a win for both sides,” so to speak.

Interestingly, the play begins with a quarrel between the foolish servants of the Montagues and Capulets. One might wonder what commoners have to do with the bitter feud of their aristocratic masters. The servants thoughtlessly accept the status quo. They have little to fill their small lives with, and thus they borrow meanings from the powerful figures whom they secretly envy. Also, the servants of the Montagues and Capulets seek to gain the approval of their masters as well as feel better about themselves by humiliating or defeating their counterparts. They seem more passionate about the quarrel than the actual enemies are. They do not even listen to the noble Benvolio (Montague’s nephew), who tries to calm the fight down. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare repeatedly observes and exposes the vices of the insignificant common people (such as the indifference of the musicians to Juliet's death and the unscrupulousness of Juliet’s Nurse). These servants, whose souls are deformed by dependency, are only concerned with the win, while the free citizens of Verona express dissatisfaction with the constant disturbances: "Down with the Montagues and the Capulets!"

The Montagues and Capulets themselves feud more out of tradition. No one, including the senior members of these noble families, can recall the original cause of the conflict. Many lines from members of both families suggest fatigue from the ongoing feud and the audience realise: there is potential for reconciliation. For example, Capulet in Act One says:

But Montague is bound as well as I,

In penalty alike, and ’tis not hard, I think,

For men so old as we to keep the peace.

Interestingly, it is the old Capulet, a representative of medieval chivalry, who most frequently refuses to attack the rival clan, and this is despite his stubbornness and age-induced irritability. He firmly rebukes Tybalt, forbidding him from attacking Romeo, who had trespassed the Capulet’s ball. The old man justifies this ban by the laws of hospitality and Romeo’s good reputation and nobility.

Capulet:

Content thee, gentle coz. Let him alone.

He bears him like a portly gentleman,

And, to say truth, Verona brags of him

To be a virtuous and well-governed youth.

I would not for the wealth of all this town

Here in my house do him disparagement.

Therefore be patient. Take no note of him.

It is my will, the which if thou respect,

Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,

An ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.

From the Montagues’ side, we observe a similar picture. Romeo is completely uninterested in the feud. His thoughts and dreams are all about love. His cousin Benvolio is constantly trying to stop the fights between the families and calm down the combatants. As for the head of the Montague clan, he is depicted as a loving father and husband, and he too does not seem intent on engaging in or provoking any conflicts.

Thus, the author clearly conveys to the audience that nobody is really interested in continuing with the feud. Or, almost nobody. The only character who not only eagerly seizes the slightest opportunity to fight but also actively creates such opportunities is Tybalt, Lady Capulet’s nephew. He is tirelessly concerned with the honour of the Capulets, with whom he has no blood relation whatsoever! Why does he care about the feud so much?

The great dramatist does not reveal the reasons for Tybalt’s aggression, just as he does not reveal the motivations of provocateurs in many of his other tragedies. It could be anything: jealousy, a hidden grudge, a thirst for power, or an inferiority complex. We are left to guess. At the beginning of the tragedy, Tybalt declares:

What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word

As I hate hell...

This is one of his first lines, a kind of opening aria. Shakespeare focuses not on the motives of the provocative character but on his central role in the tragic denouement of the plot.

Tybalt – we repeat – is not a Capulet by birth, but simply a Capulet's wife's relative. He involves himself in the families' affairs, repeatedly provoking fights, and with each provocation, the possibility of reconciliation recedes further. Finally, Tybalt dies after killing Mercutio – the Prince of Verona's nephew, not a Montague. In other words, he pushes the conflict beyond the bounds of the family feud, taking the situation out of control. Meanwhile, Romeo, who has secretly married Juliet by this point, is less inclined than ever to feud with his young wife’s family. He endures Tybalt's personal insults but cannot forgive the killing of his friend. Romeo eventually enters into the fight and, by stabbing Tybalt, the killer and provocateur, he becomes the one who is punished with exile (i.e., sanctions). Thus, the person who least desired to fight and feud ends up as the accused. The irony is stark.

Next, as a result of a series of misunderstandings and lack of communication, the youngest members of both families take their own lives, believing their situation to be hopeless. All of this is a consequence of the fight between Romeo and Tybalt. In effect, the suicides of the only children of the Montagues and Capulets mean extinction for both clans. And the only cause of their lost future is the senseless enmity and the inability to stand up to the provocateur.

The Montagues and Capulets reconcile because any feud will eventually burn itself out. Peace reigns in Verona, which the former enemies seal by erecting golden statues of Romeo and Juliet. The statues, of course, symbolise the lasting nature of the agreement. But here’s the question: how long would this peace have lasted if Tybalt, who hated peace in principle, had survived? This is a rhetorical question. Tybalt's death is placed in Act Three of a five-act play to serve as the compositional centre of the tragedy. Peace and reconciliation are only possible once the provocateur is removed from the equation. This is the only reliable path proposed by the unparalleled expert on human souls, Shakespeare.

Thus, through the conflict of the Montagues and Capulets, the great dramatist, at the end of the 16th century, demonstrated how human feuds unfold and who benefits from conflicts between groups of people who have much in common and far more reasons to unite than to wage war. Yes, Romeo and Juliet was written in the 16th century, but humanity has not learned its lesson yet. We continue to allow people like Tybalt to not only provoke feuds and wars but also to control them, extracting benefits that are not immediately obvious to the uninitiated, yet are very real. So, what is the solution to the problem, you may ask? – Very simple. Drive the Tybalts away with a dirty broom.