Conflict analysis

• Civil blood makes civil hands unclean

  Adj ‘civil‘ reflects how the two families are of the same respectable class and conflict should be below them
• ‘ancient grudge breaks to new mutiny’

  from prologue Shakespeare shows conflict is a central theme driving plot from long standing fued between families

  shows tragic fate would not be there if not for the ‘mutiny’

  adj ‘ancient‘ shows conflict is long standing

  presents conflict as long standing and detrimental
• ‘do you bite your thumb at us’

  opening scenes shows how embedded conflict is as servants are even involved

  resulting arguing builds dramatic tension
• ’draw if you be men’

  quick transition from comedy to violence danger demonstrates rapid pace that later dictates play and events

  foreshadows effect of conflict

  fight scene embodies physical side of the fued

  suggests conflict fed by patriarchal society - emasculated if not fight
• ‘have thrice disturbed the quiet of our street’

  Prince is used to show the extent of the violence

  shows conflict and violence have become a regular occurrence

  shows disarray caused to wider society by their violence
• ‘rebellious subjects‘

  adj ‘rebellious’ suggests to reader how conflict is in blood of families

  live off of conflict and something commonly seen in verona
• ‘three civil brawls, bred of an airy word’

  shows they are fighting over nothing - adj ‘airy’

  conveys how embedded conflict is and they are fighting because they are sued to it rather than over anything of substance
• ‘I’ll not endure him’

  ‘he shall be endured’

  Tybalt is hot headed and loyal - believes it is his duty to protect family from the montagues

  angers capulet - ‘am I the master here or you?’ - rhetorucal question affirms capulets heirachal status within family and belittles tybalt

  capulet uses patronising language ‘saucy boy’

  reveals to audience external conflict causes internal conflict ithin families

  displays damaging effect of conflict and foreshadows to Capulets conflict with Juliet that results in her death
• ‘hang thee young baggage’ ‘disobedient wretch‘

  Juliet tries to rebel against patriarchal society which disrupts harmonal balance she had with parents when she was a submissive daughter

  Language becomes violent

  Noun ‘baggage’ suggests he can be cast aside

  Shows effect of patriarchal society in causing conflict as the main reason for her disobedience is because Capulet needs an heir

  Presents conflict as integral to households and damaging to relationships as a result of patriarchal society
• In act 2 scene 6 Romeo and Juliet have their marriage ceremony in which the friar foreshadows that their violent delights have violent ends. act 3 scene 1 juxtaposes the perfect love scene with copious amounts of fighting and violence. Encapsulates the play and how love cannot be perfect because of violence and conflict
• ‘A plague a both your houses’

  repetition emphasises importance of line

  feud shown as a ‘plauge’ that has diseased two houses ad harmed many

  shows how conflict has spread out of control as Mercutio is not related to either - is related to prince so has spread to highest level of Verona

  emphasise extent of damage

  ’plauge‘ is an extended metaphor for fate and and a reference to what will happen with friar john - shows how conflict determines fate as well as killing society

  catalys for chain of events that leads to tragic double suicide - Romeo kills Tybalt

  curses both houses and shows how each house will lose a child as a result of conflict

  death pivots play from comedy to tragedy
• ’be but sworn my love and I’ll no longer be a capulet’

  external conflict leads to internal conflict as Juliet is ready to give up heritage to be with Romeo

  soliloquy shows desperation to be part of ether household and be with Romeo

  desperation as a result of conflict that forces her to go to friar and results in death

  shows damaging effect of long lasting conflict on lung could who did not experience origins
• ‘never was there a story of more woe than of Juliet and her Romeo’

  Shakespeare's message to audience that conflict can only ever lead to pan and suffering of innocents
• Play follows a clear structure in which the climax occurs right in the middle of the storyline

  • traditional structure for stories following freytags pyramid
  • by putting scene in middle Shakespeare provides catharsis for build up of tension in first half
  • highlights violent scene that causes plot line to change and violence t become tragedy
  • shows how conflict dictates storyline and events