Student Question
What is the generation gap in Romeo and Juliet?
Quick answer:
The generation gap in Romeo and Juliet is evident in the differing attitudes and behaviors between the older and younger characters. The longstanding feud between the Montagues and Capulets is perpetuated by the older generation, while Romeo and Juliet defy this tradition by falling in love. Additionally, Juliet resists her parents' pressure to marry Paris, showcasing her modern views on relationships compared to her parents' traditional expectations.
First, let's examine what a generation gap means. Our contemporary definition of a generation gap refers to the differences in opinions or outlooks between people of different generations or the time period in which one is born and lives. Since we can't apply the modern labels of generations (for example, the terms "Millennials" or "Baby Boomers") to Romeo and Juliet, we must simply re-frame this question within the context of the two broader rivaling factions in this play: the matriarchs and patriarchs of the Capulet and Montague families versus the young people of the Capulet and Montague families.
There are several instances in which a "generation gap" can help explain the conflicts that occur here. The first instance would be that of the longstanding hatred between the Montagues and Capulets. We are never explicitly told WHY these two families despise each other; we simply know this feud has been...
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an age-old "tradition" of sorts, one passed down from parent to offspring with little thought as to whether or not it is necessary or practical to maintain. The adults ofRomeo and Juliet—Lord and Lady Capulet and Lord and Lady Montague—are hellbent on keeping this hostile atmosphere alive. The young people—Romeo and Juliet—are far more relaxed in their attitudes, departing so far from their parents' outlooks that they actually fall in love with one another. Perhaps Juliet articulates this radical attitude best in her iconic speech from Act Two:
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet...
Juliet is essentially arguing that her parents' rivalry with the Montagues is ridiculous and that a human should be judged on the value of his or her character rather than the merit of his or her name—a very modern idea indeed!
We can also see evidence of a generation gap in the pressure the Capulets put on their very young daughter to marry. Juliet Capulet is only 13 years old, and yet her father holds staunchly to the belief that he must marry her off—with or without her consent—as soon as possible. Juliet's resistance to marriage is more evidence of the modernity of her relationship ideals compared to those of her parents; this refusal to obey the house rules was revolutionary considering the emphasis placed on subservience in women at the time.
How do Romeo and Juliet's views differ from their parents' in Romeo and Juliet?
The feud is part of Romeo's and Juliet's parents' generation, not theirs.
Romeo and Juliet’s parents continue the feud, but their children are obviously not interested. Romeo willingly dates a Capulet girl, goes to a Capulet party, and then falls head over heels in love with Lord Capulet’s daughter. When Juliet finds out that Romeo is a Montague, it doesn’t affect her opinion of him; she is just worried about what her family will think.
We know from the opening scene that Lord Capulet and Lord Montague are heavily invested in the feud, but their wives are not necessarily as passionate about it.
CAPULET
What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!
LADY CAPULET
A crutch, a crutch! why call you for a sword?
CAPULET
My sword, I say! Old Montague is come,
And flourishes his blade in spite of me. (Act 1, Scene 1)
Both Lady Capulet and Lady Montague seem to be complaining about the fighting, but Lord Capulet and Lord Montague get into the fight without much trouble. Prince Escalus is annoyed by this. He gives both of them a lecture, separately, which indicates that he thinks that the feud is trickling down from the top.
Romeo has no interest in the feud. When he sees the aftermath of it, he is saddened. He says that he wishes people would not fight. Clearly he is not going to be carrying it on. He is interested in Rosaline, who is a Capulet. His friends want to go to a Capulet party, and he goes. Romeo is not going to be doing any feuding.
When Juliet learns that the boy she met at the party is a Montague, she has a strong reaction.
My only love sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love it is to me,
That I must love a loathed enemy. (Act 1, Scene 5)
This doesn’t stop her though. Later she comments that there is not much to a name. Romeo’s name is not a part of him. She doesn’t seem to want to stop seeing him because of who he is. She doesn’t hate him because of his name. The feud is something of her family and her parents’ generation, and it means nothing to her.
The fight between Tybalt and Mercutio may be the exception to this. However, by all accounts, Tybalt has a temper. He is angry at Romeo for showing up at a Capulet ball. Like the servants in the beginning scene, he wants to make a name for himself by fighting and uses the feud as an excuse. This makes Romeo a prime target. Tybalt dies because he's a hothead.
After their children die, Lord Capulet and Montague bury their feud. They realize that it is not worth losing their loved ones over. It takes their children killing themselves for them to realize how wrong they were.