The Nurse has a major impact on Juliet; in her decisions and her actions, so it’s no surprise that the Nurse’s abrupt change in attitude towards Romeo and Juliet’s marriage leaves Juliet feeling abandoned, isolated and rejected from her. This encourages Juliet to seek comfort otherwise, in her depressed stage. Here, Juliet’s actions are rash and melodramatic; it’s an appeal for attention and company. Juliet is willing to seek advice from the Friar, willing to agree to his dangerous plan, all in the hope to reunite with Romeo to show the extents of her love. Blame for Juliet’s death can be placed upon the Nurse as her rash and abrupt change in attitude leads Juliet to take the poison and deal with the severe consequences, which eventually lead to her death. If the Nurse hadn’t deserted Juliet, but instead supported her, would she still be alive? Despite saying this, I don’t think the Nurse plays a major part in Juliet’s death as she doesn’t impose the decision to take the poison. I think there are other, far more important factors which contribute to Juliet’s death.
Although there are many factors to the tragedy of William Shakespeare's “Romeo and Juliet”, some are greater than others. A major contributor to the downfall of these lovers can be Capulet, Juliet’s own father. Capulet and Montague’s feud, described in the Prologue as an "ancient grudge” is the single cause for the deaths of the two lovers. We never learn the cause of the feud only that it continues to this day. Capulet is to blame as he brings upon the death of Juliet by forcing her to marry Paris, separating her from her Romeo, and rejecting her.
Capulet truly loves his daughter, though he is not well acquainted with Juliet’s thoughts or feelings, and seems to think that what is best for her is a “good” match with Paris. Often prudent, he commands respect and propriety, but he is liable to fly into a rage when either is lacking. Although Capulet wants the best for Juliet, he doesn't give a thought to how she feels, but forces her to marry Paris which, eventually cause problems leading to her tragic end. She doesn't want to marry someone who she doesn’t love and wants to escape the marriage. Her method of escape is death. Capulet's controlling actions appear as early as Act I Scene 2, when he arranges Juliet's marriage to Paris without her consent. Paris wonders if Juliet will like him and Capulet responds with, "Of my child's love: I think she will be ruled. In all respects by me; nay, more, I doubt it not", stating that he doesn't just think Juliet will like him but that he knows she will like him. However, at this stage Capulet is caring and protective over her as he’s wary to let her get married at such a young age, “Let two more summers wither in their pride/ Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.” Capulet experiences a drastic change in attitude, on hearing Juliet’s refusal to marry Paris. He flies into a towering rage, talking of Juliet in the third person to emphasise his anger, “How, will she none? Doth she not give us thanks? / Is she not proud?” He’s aware of the authority instated by his patriarchal figure, and tries to assert his authority on Juliet by ordering her to prepare for the wedding and not giving her any other option, “fettle your fine joints ‘gainst Thursday next”. When Juliet refuses to marry Paris, he shouts, "To go with Paris to Saint Peter's Church, Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither”, making her agree to go to the Church. Initially, Capulet feels guilty for Tybalt’s death, as he feels his feud with Montague was the reason, therefore tries to cheer up Juliet by arranging her marriage. It’s important to know that Capulet is not aware of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship at that time. When his sympathy is rejected, Capulet feels weakened as his authority loses its respect. He believes his patriarchal figure gives him control of Juliet’s decisions as the right of all fathers, “you be mine, I’ll give you to my friend/ And you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets/ For by my soul, I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee”. This shows Capulet holds no real importance for Juliet, other than a possession to be exchanged with his friends, therefore expects her to obey his guidance. Although she does agree to go, her thought of, "I'll to the friar, to know his remedy; If all else fail, myself have power to die", shows that she doesn’t plan on marrying Paris but to die instead. Juliet's arrangement to Paris brings about her death because it results in the potion plan which causes, both, Romeo and Juliet to die. If Capulet never forced Juliet to marry Paris, would she be happily with Romeo?
By making Juliet marry Paris, who she doesn’t love, Capulet also separates her from Romeo, who she does love and it is this separation that leads onto her downfall. This contributes to her death because her life isn't worth living if she can't have the only person she loves, as he is the person she lives for. Her expression on how she feels about Romeo before she even knows his name, "Go ask his name. --If he be married. My grave is like to be my wedding bed", shows she wants him and will die if she can’t have him. It shows the strength of her feelings, but also the strength of her love as those feelings were expressed during their first meetings. She feels bereft and thinks about ending her life because now, that she has just married Romeo, she can't have him! Another example of how separating her from Romeo, contributes to her death is when she begs the Friar for a way to see her Romeo again. Her description of what she will do if she can't be with Romeo, "And with this knife I'll help it presently. God join'd my heart and Romeo's, thou our hands; And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo seal'd, Shall be the label to another deed", displays her true love for him and her intentions of death if she is alienated from him. Separating her from someone that she truly loves is a dangerous act to do because it influences her demise.
Verbal rejection is something Capulet uses that turns out to be very harmful and actually can be linked to Juliet taking her life. The feeling of rejection coming from her own makes her believe that she isn't wanted by him. She chooses to satisfy him by ending her life and therefore leaving his. Capulet's rejection of Juliet is evident in what he tells his wife, "That God had lent us but this only child; But now I see this one is one too much, And that we have a curse in having her", which tells us that they are grateful enough to have a child, but they are cursed by having Juliet as their child. He clearly states that he is ashamed of having her as his daughter and says this in front of her, implying that he doesn’t want her. Another example of rejection is his response to Juliet's refusal to marry, "And you be mine, I'll give you to my friend; And you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets", which threatens to give her away if she doesn’t obey. All this rejection is just another reason for Juliet to end her life. She thinks that not only will it rid her of her miseries, but it will also make her father happier without her as an embarrassment to the family. It is this rejection from Capulet, which plays a major part in her death.
It is hard not to see the cause of Juliet's end after she is forced to marry someone she doesn't love, separated from someone she does love, and rejected by her own father. Also, it is near complete ignorance not to be able to discern that Capulet is one of the biggest reasons for Juliet’s death. His relationship with his daughter is one that doesn’t function correctly and causes Juliet suffering. In the end, her suffering leads onto her death which makes everyone suffer, including friends and foes. Alongside Capulet, I think there can be other issues relating to Juliet’s death but rejection from family does play a major part in Juliet’s decision-making, eventually leading to her death.
Friar Lawrence, although not on the stage for most of the play, greatly contributes to the tragedy of the play. He plays a vital role in the marriage, planning and the death of Romeo and Juliet; the three major parts leading to their deaths. His attempts to do the right thing are noble, but because of poor planning, they soon lead to the inevitable tragedy. The Friar is answerable for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, but only to some degree. Often, because of his involvement in the lives of the lovers, Friar Lawrence can be seen as more responsible for their deaths than he actually is, although in the last scene the Friar is partially responsible for the death of Juliet. However, his responsibility is mild compared to the accountability of other influences in the lovers’ lives, including friends, parents and the idea of fate or fortune. Even Romeo and Juliet themselves can be blamed to some extent for the tragedy.
Friar Lawrence marries Romeo and Juliet even though he believes that the marriage will end up in tragedy. However, he marries them in hope that it will end the continuous feuding between the two families. When Romeo asks Friar Lawrence to marry him with Juliet the Friar doesn’t think that his love is true. “O, she knew well/Thy love did read by rote and could not spell.” As was his love for Rosaline, the Friar believes that his love for Juliet will not last. Even though he thinks that the marriage is flawed he agrees to marry them in his own self interest of ending the feuding. “Come, come with me, and we will make/short work;/For, by you leaves, you shall not stay alone/Till Holy Church incorporate two in one.” This first exposure to the Friar shows his careful, wise manner and his obvious care for Romeo’s best interests. This characterization of Friar Lawrence stands firm throughout the play, as he attempts to guide Romeo and Juliet during their struggles. This is the first action that eventually leads to the young couples’ deaths. He marries them, even though he forebodes that the marriage may end in tragedy, “These violent delights have violent ends/And in their triumph die, like fire and powder/Which, as they kiss, consume.” The Friar’s intentions are well; however he himself even warns Romeo that rushing into it will not work out. The marriage of Romeo and Juliet is the trigger of the events that will soon come that will eventually lead to the tragedy of their deaths. The Friar still believes that Romeo and Juliet are merely infatuated with each other and are not truly in love, but he agrees to marry them regardless. He does this because he still hopes to bring the feuding families together. Friar Lawrence’s sense of duty here identifies him as the “peacemaker” of the play. Ironically, his intentions are never truly fulfilled because the circumstances surrounding the marriage make it almost impossible for peace to occur. It is important to remember that the Friar’s impetus for all his actions in the play is initially to bring peace and secondly to bring happiness to Romeo and Juliet.
The next event to contribute to Juliet’s death is Friar Lawrence’s faulty planning in Juliet’s fake death. Friar Lawrence doesn’t thoroughly plan the fake death of Juliet. He fails to inform Romeo that her death is fate. “I could not send it. Nor get a messenger to bring thee, so fearful were they of infection.” Friar Lawrence doesn’t stress the importance of the letter. As a result, Friar John doesn’t see that it’s delivered to Romeo. Another fault in his plan is informing Romeo of who is delivering the letter. "I'll find out your man/ and he shall signify from time to time/ every good hap to your chances here". The Friar forgets to inform Romeo who will be bringing the message, that it will be one of his fellow Friars and not Romeo’s servant, Balthasar. In Act 4, Scene 1 Juliet goes to the Friar for advice. In his cell she encounters Paris, after chatting for awhile she requests to see the Friar alone, where the Friar tells her his plan. “Hold, then; go home, be merry, give consent/ To marry Paris: Wednesday is to-morrow/ To-morrow night look that thou lie alone/ Let not thy nurse lie with thee in thy/ chamber/ Take thou this vial, being then in bed/ And this distilled liquor drink thou off.” The Friar doesn’t consider all the possible outcomes of his plan. He tells Juliet she must drink the potion the next day, however he hasn’t made sure that Romeo knows of the plan. Again, the Friar’s intentions are well, but he doesn’t carefully consider the course that his actions will take, and that they will eventually end in tragedy. In Scene 4, Friar Lawrence shows he is capable of sin and dishonesty. He goes to the Capulet household after Juliet is discovered “dead”, and helps motivate the family to rush their deceased daughter to her funeral service and then to burial. He justifies this by saying it is God’s will, and he lowers himself here by using God as a tool in his dishonesty, “A greater power than we can contradict/ Hath thwarted our intents.” However, we must remember that he is still trying to help both families and his young friends, despite his new fault.
The Friar plays a major role in the actual deaths of Romeo and Juliet. The Friar’s carelessness in his actions, leads to the suicide of both Romeo and Juliet. The Friar arrives in the tomb to see Juliet awake with Romeo and Paris by her side, “...Come, come away/ Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead/ And Paris too. Come, I'll dispose of thee/ Among a sisterhood of holy nuns /Stay not to question, for the watch is coming/ Come, go, good Juliet, I dare no longer stay.” Friar Lawrence’s selfishness makes him leave the tomb in fear that he could end up in trouble, but if he had stayed longer he could have kept Juliet from committing suicide. After he leaves the tomb he is confronted by the Capulets and the Prince. “And I here stand both to impeach and purge/ myself condemned and myself excused.” Friar Lawrence feeling shameful for the carelessness of his actions confesses what has happened and blames himself for the tragedy. The Friar’s timing and action play a major part in the unfolding of the events; it can be said that the deaths could have been prevented with a better, revised plan. Friar Lawrence fails to take action when Friar John tells him that Romeo hasn’t received the message. “...But he which bore my letter, Friar John/ Was stayed by accident, and yesternight/ Returned my letter back...” If the Friar had acted sooner, he would have had several options; he could have warned Romeo of what was happening, or gone to Juliet’s tomb sooner, however he fails, once again, to succeed in his plans. Though he is genuinely a good man, he, too, makes the wrong choices for the right reasons. His pure intention of bringing the families together can be attained, but his close relationship with Romeo and Juliet doesn’t allow him to feel happy about the results. He is indirectly responsible for their deaths, and though he still remains a very religious man, it leaves you wondering if his faith in God and God’s good stands just as strong as before.
The rushed marriage, the ill-planning and carelessness of Friar Lawrence all lead to the death of Romeo and Juliet. Several references can be made to the fate of the lovers; however, this tragedy could have been avoided if the Friar had given a little more thought to the course of his actions. There is much controversy over what or who is responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, but many clues are left by Shakespeare which point in the direction of Friar Lawrence. The responsibility of their deaths 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.”
Friar Lawrence is only partially responsible for the death of Juliet, only as responsible as Capulet and The Nurse are. Moreover, several other factors also have to be considered, particularly the role of fate and fortune. For instance, if the Capulet’s servant hadn’t asked Romeo to read the guest list for the feast, Romeo wouldn’t have attended, and therefore wouldn’t have been seen by Tybalt, eventually resulting in his banishment. Moreover, he wouldn’t even have met Juliet, and therefore would not have had the chance to fall in love with her. Later, there is another twist of fate when the news of Juliet’s ‘death’ reaches Romeo in Mantua but the news of the Friar’s scheme doesn’t. This leads Romeo to the tomb, where the timing of Romeo’s death, Juliet’s waking, the Friar’s arrival and the Watch’s appearance coincide in such a way that Romeo and Juliet both commit a lonely suicide.
Nevertheless, fortune wouldn’t have had its disastrous effect if Romeo and Juliet were not impulsive people. Romeo’s decision to kill Tybalt to avenge Mercutio is what initiates the sequence that brings about their deaths; if he hadn’t done this, he wouldn’t have been banished, Juliet’s marriage wouldn’t have been moved to an earlier date, and therefore nobody would have killed themselves to follow their love into the afterlife. Moreover, both Romeo and Juliet willingly commit suicide, and are therefore ultimately responsible for their deaths.
Nevertheless, Romeo and Juliet aren’t wholly responsible for their decisions to commit suicide because in part they were driven to their choices by a lack of support from friends and family. Juliet doesn’t appear to have any friends; she relies on the opinions of the Nurse and her parents, but all these people betray her when she can’t marry Paris. Her father is appalled, telling her to “hang, young baggage, disobedient wretch” and her mother almost disowns her, “Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee.” The Nurse tries to comfort her, but can only tell her to betray Romeo and marry the count, for ‘he’s a lovely gentleman! Romeo’s a dishclout to him” and there, she retracts her previous thoughts on Romeo, “an honest gentleman, / And a courteous, and a kind, and a handsome, / And I warrant a virtuous” man. Romeo tends to rely on his own decisions more, his friends inadvertently betray him too, Mercutio is the one that goads Tybalt into a duel, eventuating in his banishment, and Balthasar’s choice not to check with the Friar before telling Romeo of Juliet’s ‘death’ eventually moves Romeo to kill himself.
We can therefore infer that responsibility for the death of Juliet lies not only with the Friar, The Nurse or Capulet but also with nearly every main character in the play. The idea of chance plays a greater role in the tragedy than any single character, and the lover’s characters compel them to make choices that also contribute significantly to the event of their deaths. This does not excuse the other character’s actions, but it does put both their behaviour and the play into perspective.
