“Feuds do not always have neat beginnings and ends. A feud can be anything from revenge killing that occur many years after the original crime to a complex brew of conditions, grievances, and affront resulting in violence and retribution.” (King 31). Feuds have been around for centuries all over the world, including places like Italy, England, and America. They have come to shape the way people view other countries and groups of people. Although Italian, English, and American feuds all possess different beginnings, they all share the same humanistic desire for power in their earthly realm. Feuds in Italy are more secretive in nature, and there is always something for someone to gain. An example of an Italian feud is the feud between the Guelfs
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Although this feud is fiction, it is based on a real Italian feud in Verona. Sadly, there are not many firsthand accounts of this feud due to the secretive nature of the Italians. The feuding families in the play, the Capulets and Montagues, have been feuding for years, and two of their children fall madly in love. However, their love is not accepted by their families, so Romeo and Juliet had to find other ways to be together. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare writes, “From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.” (Shakespeare 3). The stubbornness and unaccepting nature of these Italian families left their hands bloody since their inability to accept Romeo and Juliet’s love led them both to committing suicide just to be together at last. The families let their petty feud get between what truly matters, which is their children’s happiness. This play highlights the intensity of Italian feuds because it showcases how easily they let their pride get between their own children’s …show more content…
They all share the similarity of trying to gain power in their realm. For example, the Guelfs and Ghibellines feud started because both groups wanted to gain political stature and power. Similarly, the English were dueling for the throne in the Wars of the Roses, and the Americans were also hunting for power and dominance in their specific region of the Kentucky and West Virginia during the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s feud. Another similarity within Italian, English, and American feuds is there is a familial element to the feud. In Italy’s Romeo and Juliet, it was between two rival families that were “both alike in dignity” (Shakespeare 3). War of the Roses was caused by two rivaling families which had a “…complex series of rivalries and jealousies at court between powerful noble families” (Johnson). The Hatfield’s and McCoy’s were more like the feud in Romeo and Juliet because it involved two families that were alike in their social standings that were both plagued with bloodshed and
Although this feud is fiction, it is based on a real Italian feud in Verona. Sadly, there are not many firsthand accounts of this feud due to the secretive nature of the Italians. The feuding families in the play, the Capulets and Montagues, have been feuding for years, and two of their children fall madly in love. However, their love is not accepted by their families, so Romeo and Juliet had to find other ways to be together. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare writes, “From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.” (Shakespeare 3). The stubbornness and unaccepting nature of these Italian families left their hands bloody since their inability to accept Romeo and Juliet’s love led them both to committing suicide just to be together at last. The families let their petty feud get between what truly matters, which is their children’s happiness. This play highlights the intensity of Italian feuds because it showcases how easily they let their pride get between their own children’s …show more content…
They all share the similarity of trying to gain power in their realm. For example, the Guelfs and Ghibellines feud started because both groups wanted to gain political stature and power. Similarly, the English were dueling for the throne in the Wars of the Roses, and the Americans were also hunting for power and dominance in their specific region of the Kentucky and West Virginia during the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s feud. Another similarity within Italian, English, and American feuds is there is a familial element to the feud. In Italy’s Romeo and Juliet, it was between two rival families that were “both alike in dignity” (Shakespeare 3). War of the Roses was caused by two rivaling families which had a “…complex series of rivalries and jealousies at court between powerful noble families” (Johnson). The Hatfield’s and McCoy’s were more like the feud in Romeo and Juliet because it involved two families that were alike in their social standings that were both plagued with bloodshed and