Romeo and Juliet is the very famous story of the two "star-crossed lovers" (Prologue to Act I, line 6) who are doomed to fail in their attempts to overcome the feud which has dominated the Montague and Capulet families for as long as anyone can remember. They clearly underestimate the stubbornness of their parents and the hatred in their hearts which even extends to the servants who bear as much animosity towards the opposing household as they would towards a true enemy.
Romeo and Juliet's inability to grasp the true depth of feeling involved in this "grudge" (Prologue, line 3) gives an indication of just how young they both are. Neither Juliet nor Romeo appreciates the complexity of the problem and they even believe that denying their ancestry may be enough. Juliet ponders that "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" (II.ii.44) suggesting that a family name should not have any bearing on her relationship with Romeo and she has come to the conclusion that it is "but thy name that is my enemy" (38). Romeo is also willing to renounce everything for her because as he says, his "name is hateful to myself" (55). Romeo is not yet old enough to understand that he would be expected to uphold the resentment and loathing in honor of his family name.
The ages of Romeo and Juliet are significant in understanding how they come to such a tragic end because it is their youth and inexperience and their inability to see beyond their immediate circumstances that causes them, Romeo in particular, to act so irrationally. Romeo is so overwhelmed by his circumstances and so immature in his actions that he is apparently just a teenager of perhaps sixteen years old, definitely younger than eighteen because by eighteen a young man of his standing would be expected to be able to lead men into battle and so he would not act so impulsively.
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