Conflict in Romeo and Juliet

There are many conflicts present throughout Romeo and Juliet. The one I am choosing to focus on is the conflict between Romeo and Tybalt. Romeo crashes the party at the Capulet establishment and is discovered by Tybalt. Though he cannot attack him then because Capulet forbids it, he later searches Romeo out. Tybalt then comes and challenges Romeo. However, Mercutio steps in in his place and is ultimately stricken down. This leads Romeo to get revenge by killing Tybalt. This conflict is person vs. person, seeing as it is between Romeo and Tybalt, but it also extends to family vs. family because Tybalt's reasoning for attacking Romeo is because of the feud between their two houses. This conflict is important because it shows the lengths Tybalt and his house are willing to go through to attack the Montagues, showing the huge amount of hate between the houses and later showing how powerful the force of the death of Romeo and Juliet to stop the fighting.

This conflcit can be related to because we always have someone who really annoys us. They may not know, or are even doing it on purpose, but they are still really exasperating. Oftentimes in real life this can lead us to violence or insults trying to get away from that one person. However, I think the play shows a good representation of how this is a bad idea, and how resorting to this only makes things worse and sometimes hurts those around you as well.

Overall, stabbing your enemies isn't always the best idea.

-Aaron

Romeo and Juliet and culture

The story of Romeo and Juliet is something engraved deep within culture today. Movies, books, and all forms of entertainment have many references to it. Some are more abstract, such as Don't Fear the Reaper, mentioning the deaths of the characters. Others are more direct, such as Bon Jovi's "I'd die for You"
stating:

"In a world that don't know Romeo & Juliet
Boy meets girl and promises we can't forget
We are cast from Eden's gate with no regrets
Into the fire we cry

I'd die for you
I'd cry for you
I'd do anything
I'd lie for you
You know its true
Baby I'd die for you"

or Dire straits "Romeo and Juliet" about, you guessed it, Romeo and Juliet!

Personally I find it really funny and ironic because so many forms of media portray Romeo and Juliet as a beautiful love story about two people willing to do anything for one another, including dying. I personally thought the story had other themes related to the folly of infatuation. Romeo was quite literally just as deeply in "love" with another girl literally the day before he even realized Juliet existed, and yet they decide marriage is a great idea? However, another part of me is sad, because sometimes I do think that all society values today is attractiveness and that liking how someone looks is just as good as love. Perhaps its always been that way, but I can only interpret as my own mind dictates.

Referecing obscure Bon Jovi songs... where is this blog going? I think the direction was more amusing when I blabbered on about War and Peace.

-Aaron