In act two, scene two, Romeo meets Juliet and reminds us how dangerous the scene is when Juliet says to Romeo,
“ If they do see thee, they will murder thee. ”
Again referring the death but also implying that if the relationship continues, the risk will still be present and eventually the will be caught.
Romeo and Juliet decide to marry the next day even though most people wait months if not years to make such an important commitment. Friar Lawrence agrees to marry them even though he is not sure that Romeo and Juliet have made the right decision,
“So smile the heaven, upon this holy act,
That after-hours with sorrow chide us not! ”
Romeo than replies
“ Do tho but close are hands with holy words,
Then love devouring death do what he dare-
It is enough that I may call her mine. ”
In the above quotation Romeo is saying that he does not care what happens to him its being with Juliet that is important to him. I feel that Romeo has put Fortune to the test and in away has invited death upon himself.
After the marriage ceremony Tybalt wants a fight with Romeo but Romeo strives to void this because Tybalt is now his cousin. Tybalt has none of this and threatens Romeo and as a results of this Mercutio’s haste gets the better of him and upon drawing his sword the two engage in combat. Consequently Mercutio is killed unfairly by Tybalt and upon his deathbed he utters a curse on both houses,
“ A plague o ‘ both your houses! I am sped ”
This scene is significant because it includes the first two deaths of the play and the audience begins to sense that maybe this is not the sentimental love story they first expected.
Romeo subsequently retaliates accepting Tybalt’s initial challenge and attacking him. Romeo then kills Tybalt and as people start to gather around the two dead bodies Romeo turns to face them and says “ O, I am Fortune’s fool. ”
Romeo refers to Fortune the Goddess of fate as he releases what he has done and that if he would have kept calm he would not have to face the sever consequences awaiting him which may jeopardise his marriage with Juliet.
Lady Capulet arrives at the scene reminding everybody about the death penalty enforced by the king when the two families previous dispute stating that Romeo must die.
“ He is a kinsman to the Montague.
Affection makes him false. He speaks not true.
Some twenty of them fought in this black strife,
And all those twenty could kill all but one life.
I beg for justice, which thou Prince, must give.
Romeo slew Tybalt's; Romeo must not live. ”
I believe that Lady Capulet reminded the people that Romeo must die out of hate for him and the Montague family.
Montague presents the subsequent side to this argument to the Prince, he sates that Romeo only killed Tybalt because he killed Mercutio prior to this.
“ Not Romeo Prince, he was Mercutio's friend;
His fault concludes but what the law should end,
The life of Tybalt.”
What Montague is saying is that if Romeo would not had killed Tybalt, he would have been killed anyway due to the Prince’s law.
The Prince then speaks saying that Romeo is banished from Verona and if he does not leave he will die like Mercutio and Tybalt.
Back at Lord Capulet’s house, Juliet's nurse repeatedly states that Tybalt has died,
“ He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead!
We are undone, lady, we are undone!
Alack the day! He’s gone, he’s killed, he’s dead. ”
Juliet immediately comes to the conclusion that Romeo is dead and she says that she wants to die with him, but obviously the nurse is talking about Tybalt.
In my opinion this continuous repetition puts the thought of death in the audiences mind and Shakespeare reminds them that love plays such a small part in a play of mixed emotions. Juliet’s nurse is confused by the death of Tybalt and cannot believe that Juliet’s husband is a murderer and will consequently be banished from Verona and therefore will not see Juliet.
Lord Capulet, Juliet's father orders Juliet to marry Paris and if she does not obey, he will disown her which Juliet cannot let happen as a young girl in Elizabethan times would not have been safe on her own. Juliet decided to visit Friar Lawrence, he says that he can give Juliet a remedy, which will give the impression that she is bereaved but she will only go into a temporary trance, waking later to be rescued by Romeo. There is a risk involved but Juliet is prepared to take it.
“ And, if thou darest, I'll give thee remedy. ”
This shows that Juliet is at ease about risking her life to be with Romeo even though it may be a struggle as apposed to spending a life of luxury with Paris. Later that evening Juliet takes the drugs, which will appear to ‘kill’ her, in order to prevent her proposed marriage the following day.
Juliet's ‘death’ brings out a totally different side to her father Lord Capulet as apposed to his attitude earlier when he was ordering Juliet to marry Paris. Juliet’s mother Lady Capulet is devastated and says “O me, O me! My child, my only life!
Revive, look up or I will die with thee!
Help help! Call help! ”
I imagine that this is the ‘real’ side to Lady Capulet, she acts like a typical mother would towards their daughters death, of course we know that Juliet is not dead but in a trance.
Friar Lawrence sends a message to Romeo explaining what has happened to Juliet and not to worry, unfortunately the message is not delivered and Romeo receives news for one of his servants that Juliet is dead. Romeo does not know what to do and in a flurry of haste he rushes to buy some fast acting poison.
“ A dram of poison, such soon-speeding gear. ”
The apothecary then tells Romeo that these are the strongest drugs he has got and sells them to him.
“ Of twenty men it would dispatch you straight. ”
Surely it is Romeo’s haste that results in his death as he cannot wait to see if the news he has received is valid or not.
The next death in the play is that of Paris, this is because he feels that Romeo has come to Juliet's family vault to be disrespectful. Paris attacks Romeo and strives to kill him, but Romeo retaliates and prevails killing Paris. As Paris is dying he mutters
“ O I am slain! If thou as be merciful,
Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet. ”
Romeo grants his wish as lays him next to Juliet in the family vault, I suspect that he does this because he regrets what he has done.
Romeo then takes the drugs that will use to end his life and says
“ Here’s to my love! O true Apothecary!
Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die. ”
Romeo dies.
Before taking the drugs Romeo was oblivious to the fact that Juliet is not dead and she will soon wake, but sadly its too late. We are not informed exactly how long after Romeo’s death Juliet wakes but Shakespeare use of language suggests to the audience or reader that it was only a short amount of time when Juliet says,
“ Thy lips are warm. ”
Juliet cannot cope with Romeos death and as a result of this she stabs herself with his dagger. Upon stabbing herself Juliet says,
“ This is thy sheath, there rust, and let me die. ”
The play ends with a speech from the Prince to both the Capulet and Montague households suggesting that the death of Romeo and Juliet is a punishment for their hate for one another. He implies that he has also been punished as he has lost two of his best kinsmen, Mercutio and Paris.
People at the time of William Shakespeare believed strongly is astrology and different Gods including the Goddess of Fortune, this is one of the main reasons fortune or fate plays a demanding role in the play.
Within the prologue, Romeo and Juliet are described as
“ A pair of star crossed lovers. ”
This is the first time fortune in mentioned and it suggests to the audience or reader that it may be fate that brings about the couples death. The text suggests that some higher power, i.e. The Goddess Fortune has already decided what is going to happen to the ‘death marked lovers’ and there is nothing they can do to prevent this.
In act one, scene four, Romeo is going to a party at Lord Capulet’s house when a bad feeling comes over him
“ For my mind misgives
Some consequences, yet hanging in the stars,
By some vile forfeit of untimely death. ”
This means that Romeo believes that something he is yet to do will bring about his early death.
After Romeo ha murdered Tybalt in act three, Romeo says “ Oh I am fortunes fool. ” Romeo feels that the Goddess Fortune is mocking him because everything was going well for him and now he has been banished from Verona and consequently Juliet.
Later in this act Juliet says
“ O Fortune, Fortune. ”
Again referring to the Goddess. I suspect that she is asking Fortune to change her mind and to send Romeo back to her; this shows that the Elizabethans believed strongly in astrology and Juliet believes that Fortune is being unreasonable to Romeo.
People would argue that the way in which Friar Lawrence’s letter does not reach Romeo and instead he receives word that Juliet is dead is fate. I can understand this argument but I personally believe that if Romeo would have not been so hasty to acquire a rapid acting poison he may have been able to obtain an antidote.
When Romeo receives news that Juliet is ‘dead’ he assumes that it is Fortune yet again who is bringing about is awful luck,
“ I defy you stars. ”
Even though Romeo accuses the stars I again believe that it is Romeos haste that has got him in this position.
Once at Juliet's family vault, Romeo drinks his rapid acting poison order to kill himself. A short time later Juliet awakes and kisses Romeo hoping that he still has some poison on his lips and this is when she discovers that Romeo has only been dead a sort while,
“ Thy lips are warm. ”
If Romeo would have purchased a slower acting poison he may have been able to get an antidote and cure himself.
This leaves the audience with the question: Was Romeo and Juliet's death their destiny planned out by the stars or was their haste and love for each other their downfall?
After reading and analysing Romeo and Juliet my opinions of the play have changed considerably. Before I read the play I had a stereotypical view that most people have and this is that Romeo and Juliet as a sentimental love story. Now that I have read and understood the play I realise that there are other themes that run throughout the play such as death and fate and have a significant impact along with several other themes on how the play concludes.
