Romeo and Juliet and Butterfly Lovers are two classical tragic love stories, and both are masterpieces, which enjoy worldwide reputation。 They are told generation by generation and never fade away。 The protagonists in the stories strive hardly for love against feudalism at the sacrifice of their lives。 The two stories are like two trees, they look alike, but not the same。
“Love is an eternal theme of literature, which is accompanied by the human being, the Chinese and foreign are almost of no exception。”(Zhang Shangxin 2)
3。 Conflicts in Dramas
Romeo and Juliet is the product of the English Renaissance while Butterfly Lovers embodies the life in the feudal China。 However, these two works share the same theme: the conflict between love and feudalism。 Although the main characters are faithful to love, there exist simply too many obstacles on their ways to true love and marriage。 In order to protect their love, they stand against their respective feudal families。 They failed and died for love in the end。 But upon further investigation, the theme in the two share similar characteristics。
3。1The conflict in Romeo and Juliet
The conflict in Romeo and Juliet exists between traditional ideas and the protagonist
Romeo and Juliet are from the two families which are deadly enemies。 But they fall in deep love with each other at their first sight at the ball。 And passion makes them powerful。 They exchange their faithful vow of love under the moonlight。 Such love affairs between the families in feud certainly lead to great conflict。 In order to protect their love, Romeo and Juliet take all kinds of actions to revolt against the feudalism。
With the help of Priest Laurence, they get married very quickly without telling their parents。 At the same time, the old Lord Capulet has been planning for his daughter Juliet’s future。 He has chosen a nobleman, Paris to be her husband。 He supposes that Juliet would feel honored and glad to accept him as a husband。 But instead of cheering Juliet, this news serves but to increase her misery。 She perplexe her mother by her plain distress。 She refuses to marry Paris。 And her excuses make her parents exasperated。 It seems to her father that she is putting obstacles in the way of her own good fortune。 So he orders her sternly to be ready by Thursday。 In her extremity, Juliet decides to seek help of the kind priest。 To her, there is nothing she would not face, even death。 She won’t give up Romeo to marry Paris。