What do I know?: "Romeo and Juliet" an analysis

I saw this play Sunday afternoon with my daughter. We loved the small theater and sat in the front row on the left side. The actors were great and very close as were some of their props. It was exciting and sad all at once. Below is my analysis of the play itself as I saw it.

The major conflict of this play is between the love of Romeo and Juliet and the feud between the Montague and Capulet families. Love versus hate, if you will.
This conflict develops as Romeo and Juliet realize that they are in love. Each soon discovers that they belong to the family of their enemies. As the conflict unfolds the feud heats up as each family loses a precious member over some mixed words.

Romeo and Juliet represent new love. A way of looking towards the future instead of holding grudges from the past.

Their families, The Montague’s and The Capulet’s represent hate or lost love. These families are held in place by their own foolish pride. Not moving forward but becoming stale with bitterness year after year.

The climax between this lost love and new love happens when Romeo and Juliet take their own lives in act 3 scene 7 and are found dead by both feuding families. The families listen in shock and guilt as Friar Lawrence and Balthasar tell about the events that led to their deaths. The prince expresses his wisdom to both families explaining that their most recent loss of Mercutio and Tybalt should have taught them something. He explains that they learned nothing from their recent loss and now pay an even higher price.

The resolution of the conflict also occurs in act 3 scene 7 while everyone is still gathered and taking in the horrible scene around them Capulet asks for Montague’s hand as a gesture of joining and the end to their fight. They both agree to erect monuments in memory of Romeo and Juliet, agreeing that the sacrifices were too great for such petty hostility.

The subject of this play is love. Within this subject lies the idea that love over all else should triumph. Love is true and good in nature. Hate is negative and strengthens with each negative thought or action. This hate will be the vine that strangles the flower of love. Our differences of nature should not blind our eyes to the love around us. These differences should be realized and embraced.

The structure of this play would follow the climactic structure. The time frame, number of characters and scope of events are specific and narrow. The play has a point of attack, complications, climax and final resolution. All of which are included in a play with a climactic structure.

I believe the form of this play would be tragic. The constraints on Romeo and Juliet’s love pitted against their desire to be together forced them to make decisions that ultimately lead to their deaths. The deaths of Romeo and Juliet, in turn, lead to the families learning a moral lesson.

I felt that this play was a lesson in love and hate. To watch a pair of families otherwise good at heart tear each other down, is both disheartening and eye opening. Even though the events in this play were extraordinary and dramatized I think we can all relate to an unresolved conflict that as the holidays approach builds in negative nature awaiting its own inevitable climax.