Hamza Anwar Page
Who or what is to blame for the deaths of Romeo
and Juliet and why did Shakespeare set two innocent against a backdrop of violence?
Romeo and Juliet is about two innocent “star-crossed lovers” meeting at a ball. They both get married the next day without their parents’ knowledge and Romeo, after the marriage is involved in a fight, where he kills Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt. The Prince banishes Romeo from Verona and at the end of the play, both Romeo and Juliet commit suicide due to their family feud.
In this essay, I shall be discussing at whom or what is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet and why did Shakespeare set these two innocents amidst such turmoil and hatred. In order to do this I will also be considering these two issues; which characters in the play might be responsible for this and how fate has a part in this.
The parents of Juliet have a tremendous effect on their lives. They began by arranging a marriage for their naïve and innocent daughter. Lord Capulet’s reaction to Juliet’s refusal to wed Paris was ferocious “Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch!” Capulet wants to murder his own daughter his “fingers itch.” He finally tells her that unless she approves her wedding with Paris he would disown her ”I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee, nor what is mine shall never do thee good.” I believe that Lord Capulet wishes to marry Juliet to Paris for the money. Comparing the Montagues to the Capulets, they do not have an explicit role in the deaths of these two people but they are involved because of the ongoing feud. In act three scene one, Lady Capulet “begs for justice” and asks for Romeo to be killed, this makes the Prince think about Romeo’s punishment. He decides to banish Romeo, which I think is worse than death because he will have to live with the fact that he is without Juliet. I also think that the Capulets are more to blame than the Montagues as we hear less about the Montagues than the Capulets. In the play, we should question why these two families hate each other and what is the ongoing feud about?
Now, I will look at the Nurse and Friar Lawrence. The Friar behaves irresponsible as a priest. The Friar is introduced half way through the play, and his role is a vital one. In his first scene we see him with the poison, and this scene links up with his last two scenes and the consequences of that same poison. His entrance breaks the pace of the previous balcony scene, where Juliet spoke a soliloquy. This soliloquy has been considered an indiscreet expression of her feelings towards Romeo. This also gives the audience time to absorb what has occurred between Romeo and Juliet. Friar Lawrence’s plans are too farfetched. We know this when he arranges the marriage ceremony in the hopes that it might “turn your households… rancour to pure love.” He is right but not in the sense that he anticipated it. He should have refused to marry them or sought the advice of an older and more experienced member of the church. Friar Lawrence largely contributed to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet by marrying them despite their ages, giving Juliet the drug and by not thinking things through clearly. Instead he always tried to find a quick solution. He should have had a second thought, for the feud between the two families has been ancient and brutal. Should he rule this marriage without the acknowledgement of their parents? Later on, this marriage does cause a brawl, which takes the lives of Mercutio, Tybalt, and Lady Montague. Had Friar Laurence not made Romeo a relative to the Capulets by marrying him to Juliet; Mercutio would not have been slain by Tybalt; Romeo would not have killed Tybalt for revenge; and Lady Montague would not have died from the grief of Romeo’s banishment. However, he has a kind nature, and honestly tries to help Romeo and Juliet in whatever way he can. And, to give him his owing, he offered to sacrifice his life. This confession, added to the tragic deaths of the young lovers, closed down the age-old feud between the Capulets and the Montagues.
