Romeo and Juliet - Who's to Blame?

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AJ Perry

“Romeo and Juliet are victims of unrelenting fate against which they cannot rebel effectively. All they can do is submit with courage and dignity.”

Who is to blame for the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet?

The quotation takes the point of view that fate is to blame for the death of Romeo and Juliet. It states that the outcome could not have been changed and whatever Romeo and Juliet had done, the end result would have been the same. The prologue of the play also takes this view

“The fearful passage of their death-marked love”

Prologue.

The phrase “death-marked love” informs us that their love is marked with death from the very beginning and nothing they do will change this fact, because it is their fate. In Elizabethan times most people would have believed that fate is the main cause of the tragedy.  But some people might suggest that it is more accurate to say that it was their destiny, which is caused by human responsibility, rather than their fate, which is fixed and cannot be changed, that is to blame. Fate means that the end was already decided for them, right from the beginning of time but destiny means that they decide their own life as they go along, through the choices they make and the through what the people around them do.

  There are many reasons why Romeo and Juliet came to such a tragic end. Ultimately the end result was as it was because of everything that happened tying together. For instance, if Tybalt had not killed Mercutio then Romeo would not have killed Tybalt and would not have been banished. It was a sequence of unfortunate events.

  There are many things it could have been; hatred, destiny or even love. When we think of love we think of something that is wonderful, something that solves our problems and dissolves our hatred. We can see from the play that love changes personalities. Romeo and Juliet become desperate to hurry through everything, they can’t wait to see each other, they want to get married, and they want to sleep together, all at once. Love has taken over and they can’t get enough of each other. When we take a look at Romeo and Juliet after they fall in love we can see that their personalities have changed, but in very different ways. Romeo becomes sensitive and he tries to spread his love and happiness to others around him.

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“I do protest I never injured thee,

but love thee better than thou canst devise.” 3.1.61-62

  This is a very unexpected response from Romeo, seeing as he is a Montague and it is assumed that all Montagues hate all Capulets. This is why it seems that Romeo is acting like this because of being in love.

Juliet has also had a change of personality; she becomes commanding and resilient.

“Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds,

…And bring in cloudy night immediately.”

Juliet, 3.2.1&4

This quote shows her determination and strong will power compared ...

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