Romeo is a character in the play who acts very hastily. At one moment, he was pining for the love of Rosaline, and soon after he falls in love with Juliet. Also, even though he has only known Juliet for less than a day, he is prepared to marry her, which again illustrates his impulsiveness. Juliet is also ready to give her vows and get married. She knows Romeo is a Montague – and a Montague is an enemy to the Capulets. Even so, she is so rapt in her love for Romeo that she takes a great risk and marries him. It is her that first mentions that they get married. “If that thy bent of love be honourable, thy purpose of marriage, send me word tomorrow, by one that I’ll procure to come to thee, where and what time thou wilt perform the rite”. (Act 2, scene 2, lines 143-146). She rushed into marriage without getting to know Romeo. In addition to this, she knows Romeo is an enemy, but is helpless to her feelings of love and is ready to exchange her vows with Romeo. The audience can understand that these young lovers are doomed as they are told in the prologue, line 7 and 8: “Whose misadventured piteous overthrows, do with their death…”
Romeo and Juliet’s lives will end tragically as the foreshadowing effect has already informed the audience at the start.
The Nurse is a character who plays a great role in contributing to the tragedy. The reason for this is because she was the character that helped both lovers to meet and get married. She acted as a messenger for Romeo and Juliet and assisted them in their plans and actions despite knowing about the proposal from Paris to Juliet. However, she is slightly two-faced because she failed Juliet by not supporting her decision to remain married to Romeo. The Nurse tells Juliet to marry Paris after Romeo’s banishment which is bigamy and a sin at the time which the play is set in. In Act 3, scene 5, line 217 she says: “I think it best you marry the county”. She changes her mind and tells Juliet to forget about Romeo and marry Paris. After this, Juliet has no hope and has suicidal thoughts.
Friar Laurence is a man of good intentions. He will always look on the bright side of things. The following quote implies that Friar Laurence hopes that by marrying Romeo and Juliet, the violence between the house of Montague and Capulet will come to an end. “In one respect I’ll thy assistant be; for this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your household rancour to pure love.” (Act 2, scene 3, lines 90-92).
He is a character who aids both Romeo and Juliet throughout the whole play. Choices he made determined the outcome of the whole play and had he made different choices, the play may not have ended the way it did.
Had the Friar not wedded Romeo and Juliet, the tragedy would not have occurred. Also, because of his giving of the potion to Juliet, Romeo wouldn’t have killed himself, and seeing him dead, Juliet wouldn’t have committed suicide either.
Mercutio is to blame for persuading Romeo to go to the ball of the Capulets. This is where Romeo sees Juliet and immediately falls in love with her. Because of that, all the drama takes place and problems arise as a Montague is “prohibited” for a Capulet.
In Act 3, scene 1, Mercutio fights Tybalt on behalf of Romeo. Romeo attempts to break up the fight, but Tybalt stabs Mercutio. As he is dying, he says: “A plague o’ both your houses!” He repeats this phrase a couple of times before he dies. Thereafter Romeo is led to killing Tybalt, which leads to his exile. Romeo says in the same scene, line 136: “O, I am fortune’s fool.”
Mercutio was correct in his predictions. The love between Romeo and Juliet ends up as a tragedy for both families.
Mercutio’s character is essential in driving the action forward in the play. He foreshadows the devastating events, and gives the audience important information throughout the play. Mercutio’s death is the turning point in the play. For that reason, Mercutio plays an essential role in contributing to the tragedy.
There are also other characters that aid in the tragic outcomes in the play. Friar John was not able to deliver the letter to Romeo, and therefore jeopardising the plan made by Friar Laurence. However, it was according to fate that he wasn’t able to deliver the letter to Romeo which contained vital information regarding the plan of Friar Laurence. Another character is Tybalt who, if he hadn’t killed Mercutio, wouldn’t have resulted in Romeo’s banishment because Romeo killed Tybalt in vengeance for his friend (Mercutio’s) death. Tybalt is a character who is very fiery and is active in fights between the two families. His slaying of Mercutio leads Romeo to be eventually exiled and leaves Juliet feeling hopeless and suicidal.
The Prince is partly to blame because he could’ve taken responsibility to end the feud and bring peace amongst the two families. The ‘ancient grudge’ has lasted far too long and he shouldn’t have given the families another chance when saying: “If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace”. (Act 1, scene 1, lines 96 and 97). Furthermore, it was unjust of him to banish Romeo from Verona for killing Tybalt, when in reality; the fight was Tybalt’s fault.
A chain of events build up and lead to the tragic ending of Romeo and Juliet. However, fate is also a key element which comes into the plot. This is because things happen according to fate and destiny and it can’t be avoided. On the other hand, it is the choice and free-will of certain individuals that cause the negative outcomes to take place. It was according to fate that the servant finds Romeo and tells him to read out the invitation. Romeo goes to the Capulets’ ball and experiences love at first sight with Juliet. Fate made the letter from Friar Laurence to Romeo fail to be delivered and therefore causing a mix-up of plans. And like so, Juliet wakes too late from her ‘fake death’ to find that her lover – Romeo, is dead. And seeing her beloved lying dead, she feels that there is no point of living if her lover is gone. So therefore, in hope of there being a reunion with her Romeo, she takes her own life.
I don’t think that it was only one certain character who was responsible. For each occurrence, there is a different character which could be blamed. A chain of events slowly build up the tragedy and finally result in both Romeo and Juliet to take their own lives for each other. From the beginning, fate had decided that the ‘star cross’d lovers’ are doomed, which meant that there will be a great tragedy. Therefore, “there never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”
