Conflict in Romeo and Juliet

There are many internal conflicts in "Romeo and Juliet", but the main external one is about the two rival households. The dislike for the other has grown so large that even the sevants of the households argue amoungst eachother. This is shown when at the begining, the servants start a fight in the streets. This type of conflict is person vs. person, because it is two equal groups of people going head to head rather than say person vs. society. The thing is, though, that the families have been fighting for so long, they don't even know why they do fight. They aren't that different, but old grudges just haven't been let go. There really should be some reason for all the fighting. This  conflict helps lead up to the theme that differences in families shouldn't hold love back, but will eventually lead to your downfall.

Everyone is raised a little biased to someone or a group of people. It is nice to think that we can be completely fair and judge everyone on their character, but lets face it; we are human. My mom never liked lawyers after not being properly defended in court, so I grew up with a bad impression of them. Lawyers are often in a profession commonly accosiated with being dishonest and being fairly well to-do. Just because it is impossible to not be raised with some instilled disliking of something, doesn't mean we shouldn't try to get past it and see someone for who they are. I try to look for the goodness in people and not judge based on labels and classifacation. It is imporatnt for all people to base their opinion of someone on what they experiance, not what they are told.

Connections to Romeo and Juliet

Last year in band we played the highlights from "The Westside Story" and got to watch the movie in class. Reading Romeo and Juliet is kind of déjà vu. Pretty much the basic plotline is that they are two gangs in New York. The Jets (White) and the Sharks (Puerto Rican). Two young people of both gangs meet at a dance and fall in love. Tony of the Jets, and Maria of the Sharks. They don't let the gang's differences come between them. Tony tries to stop a looming gang rumble out of his love for Maria. The Jet leader (and Tony's best friend) is shot by Bernardo (the leader of the Sharks and Maria's brother). Out of rage and vengence, Tony kills Bernardo. They plan to run away together, but Maria's friend is so mad that she tells Tony that Maria died. Tony is so devastated that he lets the man that wants to kill him find him. But as he does find him, Tony sees Maria right as he is shot. "The Westside Story" clearly shows the same timeless theme of pre-made grudges coming between true love and how it will lead to the lovers destruction.

Alena