Question

N the article "Why Do We Hate?" the following definitions of hate are provided:

Rene Descartes said hate was the urge to withdraw from something that is thought bad.

Aristotle saw hate as the incurable desire to annihilate an object.

In psychology, Sigmund Freud defined hate as an ego state that wishes to destroy the source of its unhappiness.



Which definition most accurately explains the motivation for the feud between the Montagues and Capulets? Use evidence from your reading of Romeo and Juliet this far to support your claim. Use proper spelling and punctuation in your four to six sentence response.

Answer 1

The definition of hate provided by Aristotle, "the incurable desire to annihilate an object," best explains the motivation for the feud between the Montagues and Capulets in Romeo and Juliet. Throughout the play, the families are portrayed as constantly seeking to harm and undermine each other, with little regard for the consequences of their actions. The feud is portrayed as being rooted in deep-seated hatred and a desire for revenge, rather than a rational disagreement. This is evident in the scene where Tybalt kills Mercutio, as Tybalt is described as being consumed by "blind fury" and a "raging desire to destroy" (Act 3, Scene 1). Thus, it can be argued that the feud between the Montagues and Capulets is driven by a deep-seated hatred, which is incurable and motivates them to constantly seek to harm each other.