The play suggests that parental control must not be so restrictive that the growth of the individuality of the youth is stunted or caged. It stresses the need for understanding parents who will care properly for their child growing up but also to respect his/her's individual personality and thoughts.
Fraternal love is featured very early in the play when Benvolio offers to help Romeo, his very close friend, to sort out the problem with Rosaline. He suggests that Romeo "examine other beauties" and that they go to the masked ball party hosted by the Capulets. Benvolio's character within the play is that of loyalty and honesty. Mercutio is also another friend that shares a fraternal bond with Romeo. This is especially true when he takes up the challenge with the violent Tybalt in defence of his friend's honour. After he dies Romeo feels that he must revenge the death of his friend and kills Tybalt. This is a very strong example of the fraternal love that is shared between Romeo and his friends. Other characters that display fraternal love are Friar Lawrence and Juliet's nurse. Both play vital roles in guiding and caring for the youths. The Nurse comes into the story at the same time as Juliet's mother and her feelings towards Juliet and the close bond that they share make her more of a mother then her real one. The Nurse quotes "I would say thou had sucked wisdom from thy teat". The Friar is a very good friend to both the protagonists, treating them with respect and solving their problems to the best of his ability. He is always trying to achieve peace between the 2 feuding families and his ideals are purely honest. However he abandons Juliet in her time of most need - at the end when she discovers Romeo is dead. From the play and from examining the bonds between the protagonists and Friar Lawrence and the Nurse, we can assume that Shakespeare was trying to contrast the two entirely different generations; one that is caring and controlled, the other loyal and risk taking.