There were also many mistakes in the Capulet household alone, which contributed to the tragic end. For example, Capulet wanted Juliet to get married to Paris, and when she was in doubt he lost his temper to the extent that he could have hit her. This removed the trust between the relationship of the daughter to parents. Thus when she was falling in love with Romeo she was unable to come forth and was forced to do everything in secret. In effect, her parents did not really get the chance to explain to her the seriousness of this affection toward the offspring of their enemy. If the Lady Capulet would have had a closer relationship with Juliet, she would have trusted her, and would go to her mother for advice. This would have been the opportunity to suppress this affection. When Juliet was in distraught about getting married, her parents ignored her feelings and moved the wedding two years earlier because Juliet’s kinsman, Tybalt, was killed. They overlooked the fact that she was only fourteen. Juliet was shocked that she was going to get married in three days and was forced to act on impulse and come up with a plan to get reunited with Romeo, which ended in miserably due to an unfortunate confusion in the plan.
Another older character that is responsible for the tragic death of Romeo and Juliet is the Nurse in the Capulet household. The Nurse has been serving the Capulet’s since Juliet’s birth, as Lady Capulet’s milking maid. The Nurse having full knowledge that, the Montague’s were arch enemies of the Capulet, she still supported Juliet’s love. If the Nurse took the side of Lady Capulet and Capulet in forbidding Juliet’s love, Juliet would not have had the courage to go against everyone because she is only fourteen, and therefore could have oppressed her love and could have thought of it as an infatuation. But the Nurse stood by Juliet’s side and went as far as setting up her wedding night by putting the ladder outside Juliet’s room so that Romeo can come. Then when Juliet was confused because Romeo was exiled and she was to marry Paris in two days, she needed the Nurse’s advice. The Nurse turned on their love and said Romeo was probably dead and thus she should marry Paris, who she said is a better match along. Juliet lost confidence on the Nurse and stopped confiding on her about her feelings and plans. If the Nurse would have helped the couple, maybe the plan at the end would have been successful and the tragedy would have been diverted. Or if she would have gone against the whole thing, Juliet would not have been able to go as far as she did on her own; this also would have diverted the tragedy.
Two other minor older characters that carry some of the responsibility of tragic death of the two lovers are and Friar Lawrence. Friar John is responsible because he was unable to give the letter to Romeo, in which the plan of faking the death was written. This was crucial to the story and the end, because if the letter would have reached Romeo, they would not have died at the end. Friar Lawrence is responsible in various ways. For example he too encouraged their union being fully aware of the situation between the families. He got the pair married, and tied Juliet to vows that she kept until she died. The couple was encouraged by Friar Lawrence, which strengthened the relationship. He was also the one who thought of the plan and made the potion that made her seem dead, which in effect did result in her death. He knew the plan and should have come earlier to her grave thus he could have been able to stop Romeo from taking his own life. It was party his and Friar John’s incompetence that lead to the tragic ending.
There are many people who are responsible for the tragic ending of Romeo and Juliet. But from the older characters the parents seem to be the most responsible for their death. From the Capulets to Montague, the Capulets seem to be he most responsible. They seem to have had the highest impact on the couple, especially Juliet. Also from the Capulet’s household, the Nurse is another character who is responsible in their death, since she has had tremendous influence on Juliet. Finally Friar Lawrence and Friar John carry some of the blame.