Who Is To Be Blamed For The Death Of Romeo And Juliet

Who Is To Be Blamed For The Death Of Romeo And Juliet?

Introduction

The tragedy of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ , written by William Shakespeare in the late 16th century is about how two young people from conflicting families meet and fall in love. ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is one of Shakespeare’s well known plays. In ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Shakespeare in the prologue stats that they will both die ‘A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life’ this shows that Romeo and Juliet will die in the end. Shakespeare does this to take the tension off if they would die or not onto the message in which William Shakespeare would like to put across about how all the fight against the opposing families are ended by the deaths of their children, Romeo and Juliet.

In ‘Romeo and Juliet’ there are several characters that play a part in Romeo and Juliet’s death, some of the characters were more responsible then others. I think that these characters were more responsible in the deaths of Romeo they are Romeo and Juliet themselves and their Parents.

Firstly, I blame simple fate. This is because the tragedy was not the fault of anyone individual. It happened because of bad luck. It was fate that Romeo and Juliet met and fell in love, and bad luck that friar’s letter, which could have saved them, did not reach Romeo in time.

Romeo and Juliet Themselves

People may argue that, as Romeo and Juliet commit suicide they themselves must take some, it not all of the blame for their own deaths. It would be unfair to argue that the fact that they kill themselves excludes all others from blame; it is certainly true that the mistakes made by the lovers themselves certainly contribute to their downfall. Romeo and Juliet rush into this we know this because after meeting each other 2 hours of meeting each other they are planning to get married the next day. We already know that Romeo falls in love very easily as when he falls in love with Rosaline but once he sees Juliet at the Capulet’s party he forget all about Rosaline and starts to fall in love with Juliet. Although it seems the same as his love for Rosaline, but as we find out Juliet starts to fall in love with Romeo as he does with her. Even when Romeo and Juliet found out that they were each other enemies ‘Is she a Capulet? O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt.’ (Act 1 Scene v, Romeo speaking about Juliet) ‘My only love sprung from my only hate, Too early seen unknown, and known too late,’ (Juliet Act 1 Scene v) they still carried on seeing each other knowing that there would be consequences to come when the truth came out. When Tybalt comes to request a duel with Romeo, Romeo refuses ‘I do protest I never injur’d thee, But love thee better than thou can’st devise:’ by the time Tybalt requests to duel with him Romeo is already married to Juliet so Tybalt is family as Tybalt is Juliet’s cousin. After Romeo was banished, and Juliet was persuaded to marry Paris, Juliet went and to Friar Lawrence who gave her the poison that makes her look dead for 24 hours, in which time he would have told Romeo what was happening and where to meet Juliet. Unfortunately Romeo didn’t receive this notice and when Juliet was buried Romeo had heard the news and had rushed to get a poison to kill him self with in the arms of Juliet. When Romeo kills him self he speaks the words of truth ‘Here’s to my love. O true apothecary: Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.’ (Romeo, Act 5 Scene iii) Romeo shows how much he cares and loves Juliet and would die to be with her, because they will be together in death if not in present. When Juliet awakes from the poison she find Romeo dead by her side by this time she sees the dagger in which Romeo has brought with him and to be with Romeo, Juliet use the dagger to kill herself and says ‘O happy dagger. This is thy sheath, there rust and let me die.’ (Juliet, Act 5,Scene iii) by this she means that because Romeo is dead there is no reason for her to live so she kills herself to be with the one she loves. Romeo and Juliet take a big part in their own deaths as they rush into things and get married the next day after meeting each other, even after finding out that they are enemies Romeo and Juliet still carry on seeing each other in secret and knowing the consequences for this.

The parents

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The parents

In ‘Romeo and Juliet’ the parents of Romeo and Juliet take sum it not most of the blame for the deaths of their son and daughter. If the parents of these young people hadn’t started the feud in the first place, these two young people wouldn’t have to carry on their love for each other in secret. The parents of Juliet are more to blame then the Montague’s although the Montague’s are still to blame for the deaths of their children. But the Capulet’s play a much more important role by threatening to disown Juliet if she does not marry Paris, ‘Hang thee young baggage disobedient wretch, I’ll tell thee what, get thee to church a Thursday. Or never after look me in the face.’ (Capulet to Juliet- Act 3, Scene v) Capulet had threatened that Juliet will be disowned as a daughter if she does not marry Paris although only Juliet and the Nurse know that she is already married so she has to take the drastic measure of faking her own death. When there is a disagreement between the younger people of their families the parents turn up not ready to spilt it up but encourage it on ‘My sword I say, old Montague is come, And flourishes his blade in spite of me’ (Act 1 Scene i.) The Capulet and the Montague’s are the ones that started this feud and has pass it down the family to their younger generation, wherever there is a fight the parent of the two houses will turn up and make the problem even bigger both the Capulet and the Montague’s are as bad as each other as they both challenge to fight each other. ’I would not for the wealth of all this town, Here in my house do him disparagement.’ (Capulet to Tybalt- Act 1, Scene v), although Capulet hates the Montague’s he does not want a fight in his home and demand Tybalt leaves and forgets about the Montague’s crashing their party. The parent’s extent in which they take part in of the death of Romeo and Juliet is more important part as if there was no feud Romeo and Juliet wouldn’t have to have resorted into killing themselves to be together. And it was only when they lost there son and daughter when the feud was broken because of the love of Romeo and Juliet.

But then again there were other characters involved as well who led to the death of Romeo and Juliet.

Mercutio's attitude to the quarrels and fighting just made the situation worse. He saw the quarrels as a game, and this led to his death, Romeo’s banishment and the tragic end to the story. A good example of this attitude is just before his death, in a confrontation with Tybalt.

“And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something; make it a word and a blow”

This was intended to intimidate Tybalt. It succeeded and led to his death.

The Friar Lawrence was an intelligent man, and the reason why he agreed to marry Romeo and Juliet, on the chance it would stop the feud, is beyond me. He managed to make the situation worse every time he intervened, without realising it. He gave Juliet the sleeping drug, which alerted Romeo in Mantua, and his letter failed to reach Romeo in time. This is the main cause for the deaths of Paris and Romeo.

Lastly, I blame the Nurse. She encouraged Juliet in her adolescent ideas of romance; she acted as messenger and adviser to the couple, despite her lack of common sense and intelligence. She helped the lovers meet and get married secretly. It was her duty to inform Juliet’s parents of their relationship. Nurse also went against the laws of the church by advising Juliet to marry Paris, knowing she was already married to Romeo.

In conclusion I blame everyone for the death of Romeo and Juliet as everyone takes the blame,