What hardships did Romeo and Juliet face?

Answer 1

Romeo had to face the hardship of being banished from Verona and having to set up shop in Mantua. Juliet had to face the hardship of her enraged father insisting that she marry Paris.

However, in so many ways, Romeo and Juliet are not prepared to face hardships. They Dodge the consequences of their actions and feelings by secrecy and duplicity and finally by suicide.

Romeo and Juliet are in love, and want to marry. Do they face the potential anger of their parents and go public with this fact? No, they hide it.

Romeo is charged with murder. He does not face his trial but skulks in Friar Lawrence's cell while he is tried in absentia. And when he learns of the sentence that has been passed, he whines so much that Friar Lawrence has to take him to task.

Juliet's mother comes to her with a plan to murder Romeo. Does Juliet stand up for her husband? Nope. She is not prepared to deal with her mother's anger in order to try to save her husband's life.

Then her father comes along and tells her that she will marry Paris or "hang, beg, starve, die in the streets". Earlier on, Juliet had said, "be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet." Well, now's her chance. She can leave home, no longer be a Capulet, and join Romeo in Mantua. They will surely face hardships together, but they will be together.

Most of all, neither of them is prepared to face the hardship of continuing to live when the other is dead. In their minds it was easier to die.

I know, they were just a couple of crazy teens, but let's not imagine they have a courage they were never prepared to display.