Betrayal: it's a huge recurring issue in the play. In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, its clear that betrayal is an important theme in the book. In the book, Romeo and Juliet love each other, even though they aren't supposed to. Now even though Romeo and Juliet do love each other, there's nothing to prove that they wouldn't somehow betray each other, because throughout the play they both betray the people they love, and they even sometimes betray the same people.
Throughout the play, Romeo betrays the people he loves. First, Romeo is a Montague, and Juliet is a Capulet. The Montagues and the Capulets are two families who absolutely hate each other. " Two households, both alike in dignity" (prologue.1). Romeo betrays his family by being with Juliet. In the book Romeo says " Is she a Capulet? O dear account, my life is my foe's debt" (1.5.131-132). This shows that Romeo realizes that Juliet is a Capulet, but continues to pursue a relationship with her even though this goes against his family. As well as betraying his family, he also betrays his very close best friend Mercutio. Juliet's cousin Tybalt is the one who kills Mercutio. And despite this fact, Romeo still decides to be with her. Even though he knew Mercutio for a very long time, and he just met Juliet. But he doesn't seem to have a problem with doing both his family and Mercutio wrong.
Juliet also betrays the people she's supposed to love and care about. Her family are Capulets, and it's not as if she wasn't aware that Romeo was a Montague because the Nurse told her. "His name is Romeo, and a Montague; the only son of your great enemy" (1.5.150-151). And in response to this Juliet says " My only love sprung from my only hate!" (1.5.152). Here it's clear that Juliet knows that she is supposed to hate Romeo, but she obviously does not. Juliet also betrays her cousin Tybalt. After Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo kills Tybalt. When Juliet gets this news she says " My husband lives, that Tybalt would have slain, and Tybalt's dead, that would have slain my husband" (3.2.115-116). Here she's basically saying that it's ok that Tybalt's dead, because it's better him dead than Romeo. It's hard to believe that Juliet could betray her cousin over Romeo.
Romeo and Juliet occasionally betray the same people. They both betray the Nurse, by making her be a messenger between them, instead of them talking to each other. Rome once said to the Nurse "And there she shall at Friar Lawrence's cell, Be shrived and married [ offering her money]" (2.4.185-186). Romeo knows that the Nurse could get in trouble by even talking to him, let alone passing along messages to Juliet. Juliet also sends the Nurse off to tell Romeo things like " O, find him! Give this ring to my true knight, And bid him to come to take his last farewell [Giving the Nurse a ring]" (3.3.155-157). As well as the Nurse, they both betray Friar Lawrence. They ask Friar to marry them, knowing that he isn't supposed to ( it's practically illegal because there are certain precautions they didn't take), and that Friar could be in serious trouble if their families ever found out. Romeo and Juliet both ask things of people knowing that their request are really dangerous.
Overall, Romeo and Juliet both betray a lot of people many times. Even their own families. It would only make sense that if they can betray their families- the very people that raised them- they could betray each other. After all, they don't sem to have a problem with betraying other people they love, so who's to say they wouldn't betray each other next?
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