Romeo and Juliet

From the outset of the play Shakespeare uses the prologue to describe Romeo and Juliet's parents' 'ancient grudge'. Their destiny is foreshadowed and the audience feel pity that this feud becomes the catalyst for the death of the young lovers. "A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parents' strife". Romeo and Juliet's relationships with their parents are very formal and distant which could be a result of the time that the book is set in.

Act 1 Scene 1 begins with a street where Benvolio stays behind to talk with Romeo's parents. Lady Montague shows a motherly concern for her son asking "O, where is Romeo? saw you him to-day? Right glad I am he was not at this fray" . This shows she is protective of her son and cares for his wellbeing and it is clear his mother is aware of his melancholy nature. Montague is also worried about his son and doesn't believe that Romeo should be left alone. He tells Benvolio that Romeo is often out in the woods: "Many a morning hath he there been seen, / With tears augmenting the fresh morning dew, Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs" and he is concerned as Romeo wanders, weeping and sighing and describes how when the sun comes up he locks himself up in his room and closes the shutters. From this we can further see his father is concerned about his son but has not managed to wake him from his depression.