Another character that attributed to the tragedy was Romeo himself. Romeo’s impetuousness and impulsive decisions created a myriad of impediments. He is quick to forget Rosaline for Juliet:
With Rosaline! My ghostly father, no. I have forgot that name, and that name’s woe.
What is the guarantee that if he did marry Juliet and live peacefully with here, if he saw a more beautiful woman, that he would not have forgotten Juliet as quickly as he did Rosaline? His rash decision to kill Tybalt lead to his banishment, and later he killed Paris. If he had not killed Paris, maybe Juliet would have woken up in time. Overall, Romeo was an ardent, naive boy who, due to his flawed personality, contributed to the tragedy.
Friar Lawrence, like Romeo, was imprudent, which made the likelihood of a tragedy more probable. Even with his altruistic temperament, the play still ends in tragedy. The irony is that that the Friar’s only goal was to cease the feud between the two households and let the lovers live in peace, conversely, the outcome of his rash decisions was quite the opposite. In Act 2, Scene 6, when he marries Romeo and Juliet, he jeopardises his reputation as a Friar, so he can assist the two lovers. He doesn’t contemplate any conceivable complications that may occur if he married them, and even fails to consider the consequences of giving Juliet the vial. But he ultimately admits his fault in the tragedy when he says, "And here I stand both to impeach and purge myself condemned and myself excused."
In the play, there are many pieces of evidence that further reveal the prologue’s tragic foretold reality. The prologue describes Romeo and Juliet’s fate, "A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life". (Romeo & Juliet, Prologue, Line 6). Throughout the play, Romeo and Juliet unwittingly realize they cannot exist in such reality and that a tragic fate awaits them:
‘Of a despised life, closed in my breast,
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.’
The play is full of fateful accidents that are too coincidental to be considered “freak possibilities”. It was pure fate that Romeo and his friends stumbled across an illiterate servant of the Capulets. If this meeting did not occur, Romeo may never have fallen in love with Juliet, as she would have been married. The masquerade party is central to the idea of the intervention of fate. The fact that Romeo was wearing a mask and his face was hidden allowed Juliet to fall in love with him before she saw who it was.
Too early seen unknown, and seen too late’
If Juliet had known who Romeo was she would probably have not fallen ‘victim’ to love. It was also pure coincidence that Friar John could not deliver the letter to Romeo (but note that moments before his death, Mercutio cursed them with ‘...a plague on both your houses’, and Friar John couldn’t deliver the letter because of a plague)
When considering the destruction of Romeo and Juliet the most significant fact you
must think about is fate. Fate, above all, is to blame for the tragedy of Romeo and
Juliet. Many instances in the play reveal that the love of Romeo and Juliet would end in
death.
From the very beginning it is evident that they were ill-fated. It could be that the
love of Romeo and Juliet was destined for death so that their parent's feud would be
over. Also, in the prologue it states that the dreadful course of their love was destined
for death. "The fearful passage of their death marked love". (Romeo & Juliet, Prologue,
line 9) Both of these quotes show us that the love of these two was destined to end
tragically. The masquerade party was above all the most important aspect of fate. The
fact that Romeo was wearing a mask and his face was hidden allowing Juliet to fall in
love with him before she saw who it was. If Juliet had known who Romeo was she
would probably have not fallen in love with him.
At
the end of the fight when Romeo kills Tybalt and then realizes what he has done he
yells out, “O, I am Fortune’s fool!”
Fate originates all of the conflicts in Romeo and Juliet, from when they met until they
die. Romeo is in love with Rosaline at the very beginning of the story and has just found
out that she has taken the vow of chastity. Meanwhile Lord Capulet has given County
Paris Juliet’s hand in marriage if he can wait until she is sixteen. The Capulets have a
party so that Juliet and the Count can meet and he can then woo her. When Romeo
and Juliet first meet they are at the Capulet party, which Romeo sneaks into. They fall
in love at first sight without realizing that they are enemies. Fate brings them together
and it is fate that they are enemies. Thought the play, these lovers go through many
obstacles that range from arranging a wedding and finding a time to meet to Juliet
trying to get out of marrying Paris. The entire time fate is tossing them around. Romeo
realizes this after he kills Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, in a brawl. At first, Romeo does not
want to fight because Romeo and Juliet are already married at this time and he knows
that they are cousins. Tybalt asks for a brawl from Romeo but Mercutio fights instead.
Mercutio gets killed by Tybalt and that is what makes Romeo mad and fight Tybalt. At
the end of the fight when Romeo kills Tybalt and then realizes what he has done he
yells out, “O, I am Fortune’s fool!” (Shakespeare.3.1.143). And he and Juliet both are
little toys for fate. But, they never give up on their love.
Fate plays a major role in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. The prologue describes
Romeo and Juliet’s fate, which we see come up many times later on in the play.
Throughout the play, Romeo and Juliet unwittingly realize they cannot exist in such
reality and that a tragic fate awaits them. The two families, the Montagues and the
Capulets continue being rivals all the way to the end of the play until the inevitable
event takes its place.
In the play, there are many pieces of evidence that further present the prologue’s sad
foretold reality. Even as early as the first scene of the play, we already see some
evidence to back up the prologue. "[Romeo]…And makes himself and artificial night." (I,
i, 38) This passage can be seen as the foreshadowing of Romeo’s suicide. Another line
said by Montague, which is "Unless good council may the cause remove" (I, i, 140), also
is evidence of Romeo’s tragedy. In the first act, Romeo is introduced. His great sadness
is shown right away and the theme of love is seen as well. Through Romeo’s mellow
mood we see how desperate he is for love. Romeo is in love with Juliet, which is the
daughter of an enemy to the house of Montagues. Fate is definitely involved here, and
this innocent love is the first step in a chain of events that lead to the fate driven
tragedy. In the same scene, Tybalt is infuriated with Romeo. He is ready to kill him and
believes that Romeo is his sworn enemy.
Friar Laurence plays an unwitting role, as does everyone else. The friar doesn't expect disaster when he marries the two. In fact, he does so hoping the union will bring together the feuding families. His further meddling with the sleeping potion is also done in good faith. Only his abandonment of Juliet at the tomb is inexplicable, but Juliet still chooses to take her own life; and Romeo was already dead when Laurence arrives at the tomb.
Immense repercussions
Impute tragedy with flaw in characters and fate
Characters were the bane of the lovers
Family were bereaved of children
The mask
Belligerent Tybalt’s decease
Romeo/F.L. should have been more prudent
