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Romeo and Juliet - Violence

        Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare, is a play which shows how 

prejudice leads to escalating violence.  Prejudice leads to violence 

shown in the play when the feuding families, the Montagues and 

Capulets fight.  In each case, disruption, fighting, injuries and 

death occur.  Also, the prejudice against the two families never got 

resolved because they were enemies.  The prejudice started in Act one 

Scene one, when the Capulets and Montague servants confronted each 

other.  Then the Capulets servants insult the Montagues.  Which lead 

to a street brawl of the two feuding families.  Furthermore in Act 

three Scene one, the prejudice between the families get worse.  When 

Tybalt wanted revenge with the Montagues, he then confronted Romeo and 

Mercutio and started a duel.  In addition the prejudice between 

families got even worse, when Tybalt kills Mercutio.  Also, in Act 

five Scene three, Tybalt challenges Romeo to fight and Romeo kills 

him.  Which lead to prejudice between the families.

        The street in Verona, a public place, is where the prejudice 

starts between the two families.  In Act one Scene one, Sampson and 

Gregory servants for the Capulets, insulted the Montagues servants 

Balthasar and Abraham by biting his thumb at him. This leads to a 

fight, which involves the Lord�s of both families and the Prince.  No 

death occurred, but the families attitudes against each other were 

worse then before.  Which caused a lot of prejudice against the 

families that lead to violence.

        In like manners, another duel between the two feuding families 

start up again in the street of Verona in Act three Scene one.  When 

Mercutio and Benvolio friends of Romeo, are confronted by Tybalt, who 

is still prejudice against the Montagues.  Tybalt thinks that they 

crashed the Capulets ball and know he wants revenge.  Mercutio and 

Tybalt fight between each others.  Now Romeo arrives trying to stop 

the arguments.  Tybalt draws his sword and challenges Romeo.  Romeo 

refuses to fight and Mercutio stops in to meet Tybalt challenges.  

Romeo again, steps in to stop the fighting, but Tybalt stabs Mercutio 

under Romeo�s arm.  Mercutio from this action dies from his injury and 

this caused disruption between the families which lead to prejudice.  

Instead of a Capulet killing a Montague, in Act five Scene three, a 

Montague kills a Capulet as prejudice leads to violence.  In the 

Capulets Tomb at night, Paris, a young nobleman, kinsman to the Prince 

has come to pay his respect to his "lost" Juliet.  When he hears the 

footstep of his enemies Romeo and Balthasar.  Paris thinks Romeo has 

come to desecrate Juliet�s grave in act of the prejudice against them. 

 While young Romeo was only trying to see his only love dead..  But 

Paris didn�t know so he challenges Romeo to a fight and Romeo kills 

Paris.  This event was caused due to prejudice that lead to violence 

which included injuries, death and disruption.

        From examining Romeo and Juliet, it is evident that the play 

shows how prejudice leads to escalating violence when the opening 

brawl started by the servants, the duel between Mercutio and Tybalt 

and Romeo and Paris.  So it is evident that Romeo and Juliet, is a 

play that shows how prejudice leads to escalating violence between the 

feuding families.

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