by Stella Mcintyre

Created on: February 20, 2009

"Star cross'd lovers" they definitely are but they were helped into the arms of fate by so many people who frankly should have known better. Let's face it if your parents and the church let you down, what are an impulsive youth and a pragmatic young girl to do?

Romeo and Juliet's rollercoaster ride towards their "untimely deaths" takes a matter of days. In fact from the Capulet party on Sunday evening to the discovery of their bodies in the Capulet monument takes all of four days.

And so the "what ifs" begin. What if Romeo had never seen the guest list for the Capulet ball? What if Benvolio hadn't suggested that they gatecrash the party? What if Lord Capulet hadn't raised the idea of marriage to his daughter? What if Tybalt hadn't recognized Romeo? The list is endless.

A good place to start is with the original feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. This "ancient" squabble has no origins in the play. The problem has been going on for so long that no-one can even remember its cause. We could say that Lord Montague and Lord Capulet are ultimately responsible for the deaths of their children due to their apathy. There is no doubt that they seem to relish the frequent fracas that plague the streets of Verona. They have their own reasons for not putting a stop to the problem. We get the impression, at least of Lord Capulet, that the fighting helps him cling onto his own youth. In their defense street fighting with swords and daggers was commonplace in Italy at the time. Even Caravaggio was arrested for killing a rival in a street brawl.

Both sets of parents are partially to blame. They appear distanced from their children and unable to communicate. Lady Capulet insists the nurse be present when she raises the idea of marriage with Juliet. Lady Montague asks Benvolio to counsel Romeo. Lord Capulet is intransigent in his rage at Juliet's refusal to accept Paris as a husband. In fact, Lord Capulet seems quick to anger when dealing with younger relatives. His mishandling of Tybalt at the ball, in part, leads to the tragic street fight the next day.

So the parents are to blame? Well no, they're not specifically. Although we would find their parenting skills sadly lacking and would be unhappy that Juliet's only avenue for advice is an ill-educated old woman, we can not overlay our expectations on families from previous times. Nobility, in many European countries, left the care and instruction of their offspring to paid menials. In this respect, the Montagues and Capulets

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