Title: What is the relationship between Romeo and Juliet? - eNotes.com
Headings: What is the relationship between Romeo and Juliet?
Romeo and Juliet
What is the relationship between Romeo and Juliet?
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Content: My only love sprung from my only hate!" Despite the fact that they have been raised to view the other family as a "loathed enemy," Romeo and Juliet quickly fall in love. Throwing aside their families' expectations, Romeo and Juliet make their own independent plans. They marry in secret just before Romeo is banished for killing Juliet's cousin. This complicates their relationship, but Juliet eventually makes plans to join Romeo, leaving behind her comfortable lifestyle and the support of her family. Lord Capulet expects Juliet to marry Paris, and when she refuses, Juliet's father calls her a "disobedient wretch" and tells her that if she doesn't, she can "hang, beg, starve, die in the streets." Juliet's loyalty has shifted from the Capulet family to Romeo, and she is willing to risk this fate in order to be with him. Thus, she undertakes a risky plan to fake her own death in order to be with Romeo. Although the two are young, they are bold in their actions, determined to find a way to be together despite the expectations of their parents. In the end, their love demonstrates the need for their parents to bury the long-standing grudge that exists between the two families.