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  • Essay / Parental Analysis in Romeo and Juliet - 1513

    Anna Freud, the founder of child psychoanalysis, once said: "It is only when parental feelings are ineffective or too ambivalent or when emotions of the mother are temporarily engaged elsewhere that the children feel lost. » (“Anna Freud”). In this case, the children, Romeo and Juliet, become lost and confused, leading to their ultimate deaths. If they can't live without each other, they also can't live with each other, since they end up dying together because of all the conflicts piling on top of each other. Since Romeo and Juliet don't really have parental influence in their lives, they don't know how to resolve their star-crossed romantic conflict. Due to miscommunication, conflicting views between parents and teenagers, and lack of involvement in their children's lives, Shakespeare shows through Romeo and Juliet that adults are ineffective in saving the lives of their children. Due to a communication problem, Romeo and Juliet's parents are not informed of their situation. adolescent conflicts, thus rendering them useless. An example of poor communication between adults and teenagers is when Romeo locks himself in his room, depressed. Lord Montague is deeply concerned by Romeo's isolating ways, saying that he is "to himself, so secretive". Lord and Lady Montague want to “learn whence his sorrows spring” so that they can help him in his troubles (Ii155-163). Because Romeo distances himself from his parents, not telling them that he is heartbroken by Rosaline, his parents do not know why he is upset. If he had told his parents about his recent heartbreak, the Montagues could have helped him resolve it. However, this doesn't happen and the parents end up being useless. Although it is not the Montagues' fault that Romeo was not an effective parent who had a great impact on their children's lives, the final fate of Romeo and Juliet could have been avoided. Just like Anna Freud's quote: "Only when parental feelings are ineffective or too ambivalent or when the mother's emotions are temporarily engaged elsewhere do children feel lost", the Montagues and Capulets are ineffective at help their children solve their problems. leading Romeo and Juliet to lose each other in love as well as to their untimely death ("Anna Freud"). Works Cited “Anna Freud”. Brainyquote.com. Xplore Inc, 2014. Web. March 3, 2014. “Family Life in Shakespeare’s Days.” »Shakespeare alive!. Bantam, 1988. p. 85-102. “Love and Marriage”. Life in Elizabethan England. Elizabethan.org, March 25, 2008. Web. March 3, 2014. Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Evanston: McDougal Littell Inc, 1997. Print.