How are contrasts presented in Romeo and Juliet?

Contrasts and antithesis are extremely prevalent in Romeo and Juliet; the entire basis of the play is lovers from two different houses, which goes against their societies norms, and ultimately pay the ultimate price for their love. This in itself shows contrasts between: the individual and society; life and death; Capulet and Montague. Moreover, there are many other contrasts within the play to either accentuate the tragedy or create humor or show confusion. These include youth and age, fate and hope, love and hate, and oxymoron’s. Youth and age is an extremely important contrast in Romeo and Juliet, as it shows the futility of the feud and the impact the younger generation has on it. This antithesis is so predominant, it is seen in the third line of the prologue, as the feud is ‘from ancient grudge break to new munity’; this initial juxtaposition between the old and young sets the preface for the contrast between the young and the old. This foreshadows the events of younger character’s,-such as Tybalt, Paris, Romeo, Juliet and Mercutio- dying , as a result of the older generations continuance of the fight (as seen immediately after in act 1 scene 2). Furthermore, it shows the futility of the feud and the fruitlessness of the argument in the present, as it will not solve the past. In addition the difference between the old and the young can be seen in in the ball scene when Lord Capulet says if anyone doesn’t dance ‘she I’ll swear hath corns’ this highlights the difference between the older and younger members of the dance, which cogently highlights the young lovers against the ‘ancient’ feud. Youth is also contrasted with age to show how impetuous the younger generation can be, for example when the Nurse returns from her initial council with Romeo she wants to rest a while and slow the down saying ‘fie my bones ache’ to emphasize her age against Juliet’s eagerness to learn the news and rush into a marriage. The friar, likewise, warns them both of not being too hasty in the marriage scene, but the lovers take little notice, as Juliet urges Romeo to come quickly in her epithalamion, which results in their death. Time is also closely linked with fate in the play, as the lovers ineffectually attempt to be together whilst ‘wheel of fortune’ drives them apart. Moreover, the inevitable pathos that ends the play is in contrasts with the hope of the young lovers. For example, the Friar says the ill omen ‘these violent delights have violent ends’, immediately after Romeo and Juliet are married. This therefore depicts this difference, because even in the hope of a wedding, in which you promise to love someone forever, the underlining violence of the feud is still potent, as even in this phrase ‘violent’ is repeated. In addition to this, throughout the entire play we see anagnorisis, when the characters see that their fate is being controlled for example after before the ball Romeo says ‘I feel some consequence not yet hanging in the stars’ and after Tybalt’s death he says ‘O, I am fortune’s fool’. All of these lines are said in scenes that are either just after or before scenes of love and hope, for example the ball scene and the hope of a relationship and their marriage scene and their hopes for the future. This also adds to the dramatic irony of the play, as the audience knows the characters will die so all the hopeful scenes are watched with the tainted knowledge that they will soon contrast with Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. This juxtaposition fully emphasizes the antithesis between their hopeful love and their inexorable fate and death.