Why did romeo and juliets parents hate each other from the beggining of the play?

Linda

It's an ancient grudge. See the first lines of the Prologue - 'Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.' It's most likely a feud that's been going on for many, many years. Perhaps even before the characters that we now see in the play were born - a 'Hatfield and McCoy', if you will. The opening scene shows us a new argument that's just opened up old wounds. Feb 27 02, 2:05 PM

Jack Flash

Shakespeare doesn't tell us the origin of the feud but as has already been pointed out it obviously was very long-standing. If you want to research this further you might track down a copy of Arthur Brooke's poem The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet published in 1562, a translation from the French of Boaistuau of one of the tales writtien by the Italian Matteo Bandello who is the source of plots for many English plays. Feb 28 02, 5:31 AM