The violence between Mercutio and Tybalt could have also led to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. It is a very violent society and people will fight for any reason – the play starts with a pointless fight and the audience realises that violence is one of the key themes in Romeo and Juliet. Abram says, “Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?” This was a bad gesture back then, something that was frowned upon. It is like us nowadays sticking our middle finger up at someone. Romeo and Juliet have learnt from their families that violence is the only solution. This may lead to them making the drastic decision to kill themselves. When Romeo finds out that he is to be banished he says, “Ha, banished? Be merciful, say death!” When he says this it shows us that he would rather die than to be banished. Romeo does try to stop the violence but he feels that he must defend the death of his friend, Mercutio. Romeo says, “Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such a greeting”. This shows us that he does not want to fight him because he has to love him as he is related to him.
The friar also had a part to play in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. He thinks of a complicated plan that has a lot of opportunity for mistakes. The friar says, “Take thou this vial, being then in bed, and this distilled liquor drink thou off! When presently though all thy veins shall run a cold drowsy humour, for no pulse shall keep his native progress, but surcease”. This shows that the friar is telling Juliet what the consequences of taking the potion are. This could lead to their deaths because he supplies Juliet with the potion. If he had never supplied her with the potion, Romeo would not have thought she was dead and in conclusion killed himself because he feels he is unable to live without her. Despite thinking that Romeo should be more cautious he secretly marries them. Perhaps if he had not agreed to marry them they would have not got over their love for one another in a similar way to Romeo and Rosaline. Friar says, “come, come with me, and we will make short work: for, by your leaves, you shall not stay above till holy church incorporate two in one”. The friar is giving Romeo some advice, “wisely and slow: they stumble that run fast”. This shows that the friar is giving advice to Romeo, it may not be the right one, but he is giving advice to him as if the friar was in Romeos position. He then leaves Juliet on her own, with the body of Romeo. Friar says, “Stay not to question, for the watch is coming. Come, go, good Juliet: I done no long stay”. This shows that the friar has confidence in Juliet to do the right thing and to be sensible and not to make any drastic decisions. Him saying this could lead to her death because she is upset and he has left her, she is not in her right mood and discovers that her love, Romeo, is dead.
The nurse has a very big part in speeding up the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. She helps to arrange the marriage between them and gets the ladder to let Romeo into Juliet’s bedroom. She interferes and speeds the romance up. She says, “I must find another way, to fetch a ladder, by which a ladder, by which your love must climb”. This shows that she likes to help and to get involved. She then abandons Juliet and tells her to forget about Romeo and to marry Paris. As Juliet can no longer trust her parents her nurse is her only friend at this pint in the play. The nurse says, “I think it’s best you married with the county. O, he’s a lovely gentlemen, Romeo’s a dish clout to him”. She completely turns her back on Juliet which some are led to believe is wrong.
Then lastly it could be none other than Romeo and Juliet themselves. They commit suicide. Romeo says, “Here’s to my love. O true apothecary: thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die”. This shows that Romeo cares for Juliet so much that he cannot live without her. They keep seeing each other even though they know it is forbidden and marry in secret. Juliet says, “The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, and the place death, considering who than art”. This shows that they are scared of their families and have to marry in secret so they don’t find out. This leads to their deaths because it is speeding up the romance and eventually to their deaths.
In conclusion, it is clear that many people are partly responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, although many people contribute more than others to their deaths. I personally think that one person is more responsible than the others and that is the nurse. I have been lead to believe this because she was the one who sped up the romance between the two by arranging the marriage and then getting a ladder for Romeo to climb up to get to Juliet in her bedroom. This is more than the friar who only gave Juliet a potion, not one that can kill a sleeping potion.
We must not forget the role that many of the characters believe fate played in their deaths. At several points in the play characters draw the audiences’ attention to bad luck. For example, Romeo says, “o, I am fortunes fool”. This means that he is fortunes fool, meaning he is unlucky and has bad luck when he kills Tybalt.
By James Iswariah
