The Hatred Poison

Hatred is like a poison which can kill all joy that exists in a person’s life. In the play Romeo and Juliet by the famous author William Shakespeare, the hatred between the two lovers’ parents was the poison that led to their precious children’s death. Romeo and Juliet kept their marriage a secret from their parents as they knew the intense hatred the two families had for each other. It was also one reason why Tybalt and Mercutio were killed. Therefore, parents of both sides were to blame for the tragic death of Romeo and Juliet.

The play begins with the chorus singing about two households that hold an ancient grudge against each other. This unresolved feud between the families that lasted for ages was the first and foremost reason for the couple’s death. The fact that Romeo and Juliet could not share the joy of their marriage with anyone because of the enmity between their families was the main cause for their lives’ end. Had they been able to tell their family, it would have prevented incidents like their own deaths, Tybalt and Mercutio’s death, Romeo’s banishment, Juliet taking the potion and many more.

Juliet’s parents are ignorant of the fact that Juliet should have a say in her marriage. They do not ask her if she has found anyone of her choice. Instead, they just confront her with their decision to introduce her to Paris. Juliet’s mother asks her if she can agree to Paris’ before Juliet has even met Paris. Her mother is indirectly telling Juliet that she has to agree or she has no other choice. Her parents are not interested to know if Juliet has any feelings for Paris. They only care about getting her married to a nobleman. This shows her parents’ narrow-mindedness which was also a reason for the death of their only daughter.

When the time comes for Juliet to give a reply to her parents’ plan of getting her wedded to Paris, Juliet disagrees saying she will not marry him. In a fit of rage, Juliet’s father threatens to disown her if she does not marry Paris. Her father does not listen to her in spite of Juliet begging her father to listen to her with patience. Her father’s short-tempered personality was an indirect cause of Juliet’s death. If he had listened to her patiently and viewed the problem from her point of view, it would have saved his own daughter’s life.

In conclusion, it was the unsettled dispute between the two families, especially between the parents, that paved way for the untimely deaths of their beloved children. An ancient grudge, a narrow-minded parental control over everything and a short-tempered personality in Capulet was what served as a hindrance to what would otherwise have been a “happily ever after” ending.