Both Tybalt and Mercutio contributed to ROMEO AND JULIET’s untimely end. Tybalt is the trigger that sent ROMEO AND JULIET on their downward path. He was always causing trouble and never appeared in the play without being in a fight. One can find him constantly harassing Romeo and trying to start a battle. Tybalt’s firey temper and hot-headedness at the Capulets’ ball, seemed determined to give the disguised Romeo a rough time. This only served to fuel the feud between the two houses.
Mercutio on the other hand is a prankster. He likes to irritate and tease. When Tybalt appears mouthing insults at Romeo this leads to a duel with Mercutio. Romeo has secretly married Juliet and will not fight Tybalt. Mercutio cannot stand by and let Romeo take the insults fired at his friend. So he defends Romeo’s honour and fights Tybalt on Romeo’s behalf. In trying to part the two Romeo accidentally allows Tybalt to aim a fatal jab at his friend. The death of Mercutio, leads Romeo to seek and kill Tybalt in revenge. Which in turn leads to Romeo’s banishment, the speeded up marriage of Juliet to Paris (to take her mind, or so her parents think, the death of her cousin, Tybalt) which ultimately leads to the deaths of ROMEO AND JULIET.
Surely ROMEO AND JULIET also played a part in their own deaths. With their headstrong personalities and love which they seem so sure of. However the reality was that they were condemned before they had begun due to the parents hatred for one another. Romeo was the first to encourage the relationship at Capulet’s party. Romeo knew the two families did not get on, so he also should have known that the relationship was ill-fated. Yet still he continued to promote the liaison between himself and Juliet. Surely he could have controlled his youthful haste and passion and stayed in the bushes in front of the balcony on the night of the party.
Juliet also sanctioned the relationship and was too stubborn to listen to her parents’ wishes. It was originally Juliet’s idea for the tow to wed. “If that thy bent of love be honourable, thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow, by one that I’ll procure to come to thee, where and what time thou wilt perform the rite, and all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay.” Juliet certainly should have known the results would be disastrous had she married a hated Montague.
May be it was fate that was to blame. Throughout the play both ROMEO AND JULIET make references to the stars, light and darkness, all the usual gatherings of fate and the supernatural powers.
In the prologue, ROMEO AND JULIET are described as “a pair of star-crossed lovers.” This suggests that fate brought them together, as if it had been written in the stars. Their loves is also described to be “death-marked.” This could mean that they were destined to die from the minute they fell in love, and fate would be the deciding factor.
On the way to the party Romeo recalls a dream he had the night before. The line “Some consequence yet hanging in the stars” suggests that there is an event that will happen, which he cannot avoid. Romeo backs up the idea of fate choosing his path when he says, “but he hath the steerage of my course.” By this he means there is a greater power leading him.
Likewise Juliet tell Romeo of a vision she had of him lying dead at the bottom of the tomb. Is this an indication that the lovers will soon face death? When Romeo hears about Juliet’s death he states “Is it e’en so? Then I defy you stars.” In this line Romeo is trying to say that fate was does effect him by saying that he defies what is written in the stars. He refuses to accept that Juliet is dead.
Friar Lawrence played a dominate role in the eventual deaths of ROMEO AND JULIET. There were three major parts that lead to the tragedy; the marriage, the plan and the deaths of ROMEO AND JULIET. In all three of these parts Friar Lawrence played a vital role.
Friar Lawrence was essential in the marriage of ROMEO AND JULIET. Friar Lawrence stated, “In assistant be; for this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your households to pure love.” Friar Lawrence believed that this holy marriage would bring an end to the hostilities between the two houses and bring everlasting peace. Being a religious man the Friar always believed the good side of things.
The next event that contributes to their deaths is Friar Lawrence’s faulty planning in the fake death of Juliet. Friar Lawrence depends his entire plan on a letter to Romeo. He makes his plan is such haste that he has not thought about the possible failure or an alternative plan. Friar Lawrence failed to get the letter to Romeo to inform him that Juliet’s death was faked.
The Friar calms a frantic Juliet by giving and telling her to “Take thou this vail, being in bed, and this distilled liquor drink though off.” Friar Lawrence is suggesting that Juliet drink the potion so that she might make believe her own death and avoid marrying Paris. The Friar’s intentions are good, but he has not carefully considered the course that his actions will take.
The Friar also plays an important role in the actual deaths of ROMEO AND JULIET. Romeo, thinking that Juliet is dead rushes to her side. There he finds his true love. When Juliet wakes up the Friar tells her that Romeo is dead and his whole plan is abolished. Juliet, unable to handle the situation decides to kill herself. Taking Romeo’s sword she stab herself.
In my opinion, the hasty marriage, the ill-planning and carelessness of Friar Lawrence lead to the deaths of ROMEO AND JULIET.
There will be much controversy over what or who was to blame for the deaths. However, there are many clues left by Shakespeare which point towards Friar Lawrence. The responsibility of this tragedy will continue to be debated for many years to come. “For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
