I think Friar Lawrence is partly responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet because he should never have agreed to marry Romeo and Juliet in secret. He shouldn’t have got too involved with the troubles that the young lovers were having.
The friar comes across as a confidante of Romeo’s. He is always helping Romeo and gives him advice that helps him with his relationship with Juliet. He talks to Romeo about his sudden change from being in love with Rosaline, to Juliet, “Is Rosaline…so soon forsaken?” shows this.
When first meet the friar he is showing how plants, nature are able to be used in good and bad-“for nought so vile…good doth give” demonstrates this point. In his long speech on page 42, it is full of contrasts, mainly connected with life and death: morn/night, womb/tomb, virtue/vice etc. He is foreshadowing the events that are to take place, of life and death, when he agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet. If he had of thought of the consequences that were to come from the marriage, instead of believing that the marriage could bring the two feuding families together, then Romeo and Juliet would have been forced to tell their families and then marry. Although he agrees to marry them, he feels they are being too rash, and rushing into things too quickly. He feels that it is too sudden for them to want to marry and fears their relationship will end as quickly as it began. An example of his thoughts of the hasty marriage is, “This violent delights have violent ends, and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which, as they kiss, consume”. The Friar knew that what he was doing was wrong, but being a religious and holy man, he mainly saw the good side of things. For example, he believed that the marriage would bring the families together- “in one respect…to pure love”.
When the Friar finds out that Juliet is to marry Paris, he feels guilty, as he had already married Juliet to Romeo. Juliet goes to the Friar for help to get out of the marriage by threatening to kill herself in his chamber-“If in thy wisdom…help it presently”. The Friar agrees to help her, by giving her a potion that would give her the appearance of death. However, I feel that if the Friar hadn’t of given the potion to Juliet then he could have confessed his sins to the Capulet’s about the marriage of Romeo and Juliet, stopping them from making her marry Paris.
When Juliet takes the potion, she is told to send the nurse away for the night by the Friar, so she doesn’t see what Juliet is planning. When she is found “dead”, she is taken to her tomb, just as the Friar said she would be. But not everything the Friar said would happen, took place in the way he planned. He was responsible for getting the message of Juliet’s “death” to Romeo, and his plan but he finds out the news in a different way, and learns that she is actually dead. When the Friar realises that his messenger didn’t deliver the letter to Romeo, he is angry with himself and the messenger- “The letter was not nice but full of charge, dear import, and the neglecting it may do much danger”. At this point, the Friar realises what he has done and worried as to what actions Romeo will take when he arrives back in Verona to see Juliet.
The Friar had a lot to do with the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, especially towards the end. He became too involved with Romeo and Juliet that he couldn’t think straight, or about the consequences that could occur through some of his reckless actions, i.e. marrying Romeo and Juliet, giving Juliet the potion. Every time the Friar tried to do something good to help Romeo and Juliet, it back fires and makes their situation worse.
I think the Prince is responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet because he should have acted a lot earlier to try to put a stop to the feud between the families. If he had of taken the right kind of action sooner, rather than later, then maybe Romeo and Juliet would still be alive and the feud would have stopped. We first meet the Prince it is just after the “third civil brawl” between the feuding families. The Prince had decided that he had enough of the fights and declared that anyone seen fighting in public, then their “lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace”. When Romeo kills Tybalt in revenge after he killed Mercutio, the Prince banishes Romeo. I think that this was unfair of the Prince to banish him, when the fight was Tybalt’s fault. If the Prince didn’t banish Romeo, then Juliet wouldn’t have gone to the friar for help, and Romeo wouldn’t of got the wrong message about Juliet’s death then killing himself.
I think Tybalt is responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet because he, more than anyone else, kept the feud between the two families going with his own hatred and fiery temper for fights. When he finds out that Romeo has gate crashed his uncle’s party, Tybalt tries to start a fight, but is stopped by his uncle. Tybalt is a proud man and considered himself weak if he ignored Romeo’s presence at the party- “It fits when such a villain is a guest: I’ll not endure him” shows this. However, Capulet is furious with Tybalt’s reaction and tells him that he will not start a fight in his house. Tybalt vows revenge for Romeo’s trespassing at his uncle’s house and will not be taken for a fool.
When Tybalt catches up with Romeo later in the play, it is just after he has married Juliet. Tybalt insults Romeo by calling him a villain, trying to get Romeo to fight him. Romeo refuses to fight saying, “The reason that I have to love thee…I see thou knowest me not”. This outrages Tybalt, who still wants to fight Romeo and continues to insult him, but only makes Mercutio angrier who accuses Romeo of being weak. Tybalt then starts a fight with Mercutio who he then kills. In revenge, Romeo kills Tybalt who started the fight in the first place.
If Tybalt didn’t have such a fiery temper and a strong hatred for Romeo, then the fight that killed him and Mercutio would not have taken place, Romeo would not of been banished for a fight that was not his fault, which resulted in him receiving the wrong message about Juliet then killing himself.
I think Mercutio is responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet because, like Tybalt, he had a love for fights. His attitude towards the quarrels and fights that happened between the two families did not help, as he saw the feud as a game and did not take it seriously. In the final fight with Tybalt, he is still treating the feud as a game and provokes Tybalt to fight- “And but one word…word and a blow”. His attitude does not change and he is furious when Romeo refuses to fight, so fights Tybalt himself. In his final fight, Mercutio is hurt under Romeo’s arm. He blames Romeo for his death “why the devil you come between us, I was hurt under your arm”. He curses both the families with “A plague upon your houses”. This fits in with social context, as Elizabethans were very superstitious and believed in curses, witchcraft etc. Through his foolish behaviour and lack of sense, leads him to his death and to Romeo’s banishment, and his death.
Romeo is the son of Lord and Lady Montague. I think he is responsible for his own death and Juliet's because throughout the play he acts to hastily and irrational. At the beginning of the play, Romeo is madly in love with Rosaline, and says he will love no one else, “out of her favour where I am in love”. He seems totally infatuated with Rosaline and not actually in love with her. This could be the same thing with Juliet; his not in love with her, but infatuated by her beauty etc. Later in the play, Mercutio convinces Romeo to go to the Capulet’s party. Romeo is wary of going to the party and tells himself that if he sees someone more beautiful than Rosaline then he shall die- “when the devout religion…first the world begun” tells us this. This is Romeo foreshadowing what is going to happen at the party, and knows that by going, it will end with his untimely death, “I fear too early…direct my sail”. When he arrives at the party, he spots Juliet, and forgets about Rosaline. He says, “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” This quote demonstrates that he has forgotten how beautiful Rosaline is, how in love with her he is and about his own warning. I don’t think Romeo ever loved Rosaline or Juliet but he lusted for them. I think this because one minute he is deeply in love with Rosaline, and swears to love no other, the next he is declaring his love for a stranger he just met at a party.
When Romeo and Juliet finally meet, they are in love at first sight. Lines 92-105 in act 1 scene 5 shows how impulsive and reckless they are, “o then…prayer’s sake,” as they have only just met and already have fallen in love with each other. Soon after their first meeting, they discover that their love is forbidden, as they are sworn enemies from an old grudge.
After the party, Romeo sneaks into the Capulet’s garden to try to see Juliet. When she appears on the balcony, Romeo uses metaphors, describing Juliet as light-“Juliet is the sun”, “as daylight doth…it were not night” shows this. After Romeo reveals himself to Juliet, they both declare their love for each other, and plan to marry the next day. This is foolish and too hasty; as they don’t know each other that well and seems that they act on impulsive constantly, not thinking about the outcome in the future.
Romeo’s language throughout the play is poetic and romantic, “be heap’d like mine…dear encounter”, whereas Juliet’s language is more serious, down to earth, “more rich in matter…half my wealth” demonstrate these contrasts.
After Romeo and Juliet were married, Tybalt tried to pick a fight with him for insulting him by turning up to his uncle’s party. Tybalt calls Romeo a villian, trying to intimidate him to fight. Romeo refuses, saying: “I do protest…be satisfied” is his way of trying to tell Tybalt that he cannot fight him because he is married to Juliet. Mercutio, thinking that his best friend is a coward, steps in to fight for him. Mercutio is killed by Tybalt, and ass well as blaming himself, Romeo blames Juliet as he thinks she has made him soft-“o sweet Juliet, thy beauty hath made me effeminate” demonstrates this. Angry at himself and Juliet, Romeo decides to take revenge for Mercutio’s death by killing Tybalt.
After he has killed Tybalt, Romeo feels guilty and goes to the friar. Romeo tries to take the easy way out of punishment and avoiding Juliet as he thinks she won’t love him anymore and offers to kill himself. The friar stops him, and accuses him of being weak like a woman, “thy tears are womanish…”.
Romeo spends one night with Juliet before leaving for Mantua. The next day, Romeo gets a message from his best friend Belthazar about Juliet’s death. He has ago at the stars, blaming them, “I defy you stars!”, before swearing to join Juliet in her tomb-“well Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight”. Romeo visits an apothecary for a “soon-speeding” posion to kill himself with.
Once he gets back to Verona, Romeo goes straight to the tomb where Juliet’s body lies so he can die with her. However when he gets there, he is greeted by Paris, whom he fights then kills. Romeo’s last speech on page 112-114 talks of Juliet and death, and of his love for her, before taken the poison.
Juliet she is the daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet and comes across as an obedient child, wanting to please her parents-“But no more deep will I endart mine eye than your consent gives strength to make it fly”, demonstrates this point. In the beginning, Juliet is told of her prospective husband, Paris. Juliet is happy with her parent’s choice, and is already engaged to Paris. However, things soon change when Juliet meets Romeo at her father’s party. Already the pair have fallen for each other, even though they know nothing about each other. When she is called away to see her mother, she asks her nurse to find out the name of the man she was with and proclaims that “if he be married, my grave is likely to be my wedding bed” which is ironic as her love for Romeo is what kills her in the end.
After the party, Romeo over hears Juliet talking about her love for him. When he reveals himself, Juliet lets him know how she feels but also feels that they are rushing into things-“it is too rash, too unadvis’d, too sudden, too like the lightning, which doth cease to be…” shows this. Juliet is the one who suggests marriage, which shows that she isn’t thinking which shows how little she has thought things through. She decides to get her nurse involved with their situation by delivering the lovers messages when needed. She is the one who helps Romeo marry Juliet and encourages them both with their romantic ideas.
After they are married, Juliet’s happiness is soon deflated as she learns of Tybalt’s death and her husband’s banishment. Juliet doesn’t know what to say nor do,"shall I speak ill of him that is my husband…”. This quote shows that she doesn’t quite know what to do, how to feel or who to cry for.
On the morning of Romeo and Juliet’s first and last night together, Juliet learns that she is to marry Paris on Thursday. She is disobedient-“he shall not make me there a joyful bride” and refuses to marry him. Her father reacts terribly when he learns that Juliet will not marry Paris. She is insulted by her father and threatened that, if she doesn’t marry Paris on Thursday, he will disown her. Juliet turns to her mother, desperate for help-“o sweet mother, cast me not away! Delay this marriage for a month a week…”. However Juliet is let down when her mother does disowns her and refuses to help her. Juliet turns to her nurse for help, for “comfort” but again is let down by the one person she trusts most as the nurse turns her back on her, advising her to marry Paris and forget Romeo. Juliet is devestated and turns to the friar for help. The friar agrees to help her and gives her a potion that will give the appearance of death. Juliet arrives home and makes things up with her parents, telling them that she will marry Paris on Thursday-“where I have learnt…ever rul’d by you”. When she is alone, Juliet plans to take the potion but has to talk herself into it “what if it be a poison which the friar subtly hath minister’d to have me dead…I drink to thee”. The next morning she is found “dead” by her nurse and placed
When Juliet awakes in the tomb, she finds Romeo dead beside her with a poison cup in his hand. Juliet’s final speech is shorter than Romeo’s as a noise disturbs her, not giving her enough time to think about what to do. She takes Romeo’s dagger and stabs herself saying, “and let me die”.
I think the apothecary is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet as he is the one who gives Romeo the poison. He tells Romeo that he has “such mortal drugs” but by law he is not allowed to sell them. Romeo begs the apothecary to give him the poison and will pay him a good sum of money. The apothecary agrees to sell the drug but says, “My poverty, but my will, consents”. This means that he doesn’t agree with selling such an illegal drug but because he is poor, he needs the money. If the apothecary had of thought of morals/rights before his poverty, then he wouldn’t of sold Romeo the poison and he and Juliet would still be alive.
Balthasar is one of Romeo’s friends and it is because of him that Romeo receives the wrong message about Juliet’s death. He sees Juliet “dead” in the monument and rushed to Mantua to tell Romeo the news. If Balthasar had of checked his facts about Juliet’s death with the friar before rushing to Mantua to tell Romeo, then he would still be alive. Also if Belthasar had of seen the friar before going to Mantua, then the friar could of given him the letter to give to Romeo explaining Juliet’s death.
I also think Friar John is responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet as he was meant to be delivering the letter to Romeo but failed. Friar John didn’t want to travel to Mantua alone so called for a friend who was visiting a sick person. However when the friar arrived, the house was closed off, declared as a plagued area, meaning that friar John was unable to get the letter to Mantua on time. If Friar John had of gone to Mantua alone without stopping to have someone to accompany him, then the letter would have got to Romeo in time and he and Juliet would still be alive.
Finally I think fate is responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet as from the beginning of the play, “whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows…”. It is also an important theme in the play. The sequence of events that lead to the lover’s death are seen as fate or bad luck. From the prologue, the audience is told that their love is short-lived. Time and time again in the play, we the audience are reminded that Romeo and Juliet will die e.g. “methinks I see thee now, thou are so low, as one dead in the bottom of a tomb” shows this as Juliet later sees Romeo dead in the tomb. It was fate that Romeo and Juliet met and fell in love at the Capulet party and fate that the letter never reached Romeo in time. Throughout the play, Romeo, Juliet and the friar are all foreshadowing the events that are going to happen, the deaths etc. It seems that all the things the lovers try; they are doomed to death from each irrational action they take.
There are many themes in Romeo and Juliet; love, conflict, time, life and death. Each theme connects to the other, making the play run smoothly. Firstly, there is the theme of love and Romeo’s capability to fall in out of love so easily. The two lovers meeting and all their actions throughout the play trying to be together and killing themselves for their love for one another. Conflict in the play is constant, right up until the deaths of Romeo and Juliet between the two warring families. Another important theme in Romeo and Juliet is power as some people in the play have the power to tell others what to do i.e. the Prince, Capulet etc. it is the Prince who decides to live and die, e.g. banishes Romeo for killing Tybalt, Capulet expects his wife, daughter and servant to obey his every word. Friar Lawrence also has some power as in the time that the play was written, the church was very important.
In conclusion, I don’t think the responsibility of the deaths of Romeo and Juliet can be pinned on one person. The responsibility is shared somewhat equally throughout the play between all characters and fate. Each character contributed to the final outcome and although some of the characters actions were intended to help the lovers, i.e. the friar, they had drastic consequences, leading to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
I think the play Romeo and Juliet is still enjoyed by a modern day audience because it has all the elements of a good play/film: love, conflict, violence, death etc. All of these points keep a modern audience gripped until the very end of the play. Also, it is a famous tragic love story, that people all over have heard of and come to love.
