Who Was To Blame For The Deaths of Romeo and Juliet?
Shakespeare makes it obvious that although the story of Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, they are in no way to blame for the fate that awaits them. Instead, the deaths of Romeo and Juliet could have been down to any of the people in the play, as everyone contributed in one way or another. Was it down to their families and their feud? Or was it the nurse? The person who is most to blame for their deaths is Friar Laurence. In Romeo and Juliet, Friar Laurence has a major role. Romeo and Juliet trusted Friar Laurence completely, as he was a member of the Order of St. Francis, a group of wise and generous priests, turning to him for advice, and solutions to their problems. He was there throughout Romeos and Juliet's lives, first of all he married them, and then he came up with a cunning plot to keep them together, and was a friend throughout their hard times. However, all of this may have seemed like a good gesture at the time, but in time, it just made things worse, and in turn, contributed to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
First of all, Friar Laurence is being blamed, through his lack of good judgment, is responsible for the deaths of both Romeo and Juliet. He practically forced Romeo into marriage, because he thought he would be praised for marrying them by ending the family feud, so he marries them. Rather than supporting them and helping them resolve their love situation, Friar Laurence did what was best and easier for him. As mentioned earlier, he secretly married Romeo and Juliet instead of encouraging them to confront their families and tell them about their commitment and love for each other. As a result, an even stronger bond between them was created through marriage: "For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone till holy church incorporates two in one" (act 2 scene 6 lines 36-37). So, Friar Laurence married Romeo and Juliet, thinking that their marriage would bring an end to the ancient grudge between their two families, the Montagues and the Capulets. But although the Friar meant well, not everything went to plan. None of the tragedies would have occurred if Romeo and Juliet were not married. When Tybalt challenged Romeo to a fight, Romeo, now being an in-law of Tybalt through his marriage with Juliet, refused to fight, by saying, "Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such a greeting " (act 3 scene 1 lines 61-63). And then when Mercutio stepped in to defend Romeos honor, Romeo tried to stop them.But unfortunately, Mercutio died. "Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm"(act 3 scene 1 lines 102-103). Soon after, because Romeo was angry, he killed Tybalt saying, "Tybalt, that an hour hath been my cousin. O sweet Juliet! Thy beauty has made me effeminate, and in my temper soften'd valour's steel"(act 3 scene 1 lines 112-115)and so, Romeo and Juliets marriage is the reason for Mercutio and Tybalt's deaths, and Romeo's exile from Verona. Friar Laurence was the one who caused these tragedies, as he started the tragedies by marrying Romeo and Juliet.
The Nurse is another person to blame in the tragedy that should take responsibility. The Nurse helps the two get their marriage to happen. She even goes to Romeo and says, " for the gentlewoman is young; and, therefore, if you should deal double with her, truly it were an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very weak dealing." (act 2 scene 4 lines 167-170) Meaning that she makes sure that Romeo knows too that he better mean that he wants to marry Juliet. [pic]The Nurse helps Juliet to get to her wedding, as was the only person other than Friar Laurence to be there. And later on, after Romeo is banished to Mantua, [pic]the Nurse says, "Romeo is banish; and all the world to nothing that he dares ne'er come back to challenge; or if he do, it needs must be by stealth. Then since the case so stands as now it doth, I think it best you marry with the county." (act 3 scene 5 lines 213-217) But, [pic]the Nurse changes her mind and tells her to forget about Romeo and marry Paris, because she is employed mainly for Juliets needs, so if Juliet married Romeo, she would have been thrown out and there would be no need for the nurse anymore, and so would have been fired as a consequence of this. This did not help Juliet, because she needed support and guidance instead of being told different things by her nurse. After this, Juliet has no hope and thinks about killing herself.
Mercutio plays a part in contributing to their deaths as well, when he is killed by Tybalt, he curses both of the families for vengeance to his death, he says a plague aboth your houses! and he says this three times in one scene: (act 3 scene 1 line 91), (lines 100-101) and (line 108). This quote, in Elizabethan times would have been recognised as a curse, as it is said three times and this was a curse. The plague was referring to a bad thing that was going to happen to them. Some may believe that this may have, yet many others dont believe in curses, contributed to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
Benvolio also played a part in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, as he was the one that told Romeo to go to the party in the first place, and if Romeo had never of went to the party, he never would have met Juliet and so none of the events that followed ever would have occurred.
Fate is also to blame, they are meant for each other, it is fate, destiny. Fate played a part at the party because when Romeo went in everyone was wearing a mask apart from Juliet. So, she was the only one that he saw, and it could be seen as destiny/fate. Also, in the prologue, the narrator says, a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life. (prologue, line 6) star-crossed implying that their fate was written in the stars, like two stars crossing, as in Elizabethan times, they believed in star signs and astronomy. Another quote from the prologue is, from forth the fatal loins, with fatal loins suggesting that it was fate that killed them, like they were destined to die together, they would even die just to be with each other for eternity.
Romeo and Juliet themselves are to blame for their deaths as well as any other person, as Romeo was the one who wanted to marry Juliet in the first place, even though he was only seventeen and she was just but thirteen. He says, Thexchange of thy loves faithful vow for me. (act 2 scene 2 line 127) When he says Thexchange of thy loves faithful vow, he is referring to exchanging wedding vows, getting married. He was too hasty in wanting to get married and rushed into it without thinking it through. He should have waited until she was older, and they could have been better off, and it would have been easier. Also, when Juliet is dead, Romeo notices that she has colour in her cheeks and that she has red lips, as if the were living. He says, death that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, hath no power yet upon thy beauty. (act 5 scene 3 lines 92-93) And why art though yet so fair? (line 102) he means that even though she is dead, she is still beautiful and he even looks at her again and asks why she looks so good. But, Romeo is stupid and doesnt notice that she isnt really dead, and he doesnt even think to check.
Paris seems to keep everything Romeo and Juliet does very hasty as he wishes to marry Juliet in two days. This means that Juliet drinks the potion that night, where she speaks her monologue in her bed. If Paris wasn't going to marry her in two days time, then she would have waited for a reply letter from Romeo. None of the confusion would have arisen. Paris doesn't love Juliet, not as Romeo does, but instead his love is only skin deep. He never really gets to know Juliet, he has only met her a few times, and he liked her of what he knew of her, but, he didnt know her that much. If he did, then she may have liked Paris better than Romeo, which would completely change everything else and there would have been no need for all of the problems arisen.
The prince is also as much to blame as anyone else, as he contributes by exiling Romeo near the beginning of the play. Romeo thinks this very unfair; he says "Tis torture and not mercy. Heaven is here, where Juliet lies." (act 3 scene 3 line 29) This causes many problems. Romeo cannot hear about The Friars and Juliet's plan and he did not receive it from the other friar, so he doesn't know that Juliet was still alive when he killed himself on top of her. The Prince doesn't really play much more of a part than this.
Capulet is the nastiest of all of the characters. He never allows Juliet to marry Romeo, because Romeo is a Montague. Therefore, Romeo and Juliet cannot have a normal relationship and must keep their love for each other secret. Capulet also changes his mind very quickly. Near the beginning of the play he answers to Paris's query that Juliet is still too young to marry Juliet and that he should wait two years. But, later on in the play, which is only a couple of days later, he tells Paris that he could marry Juliet in two days time. This causes all sorts of problems. It means that Juliet must seek help from the Friar that introduces many more things that could have gone wrong.
Tybalt is the one that makes Romeo and Juliets relationship unbearable. He is always causing trouble and never once in appears in the play without being in a battle or wanting to fight. The reader finds him constantly harassing Romeo and trying to start a fight. When Romeo finally does fight him to get revenge, he ends up killing him and in turn gets exiled as the Prince promised earlier in the play. Romeo getting exiled means that when Friar Laurence and Juliet plan their plan to fake her death, Romeo is not able to hear about it straight away. In fact, he never hears about it, as the other Friar never delivers it to him, so assumes Juliet is really dead, and kills himself.
But, the most commonly seen reason for Romeo and Juliet's death would have to be the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues, the ancient grudge between their two familys means, as long as they are enemies, they cannot be together.
So, in conclusion, the overall evidence suggests that Romeo and Juliet themselves were to blame for their own deaths, because they were the ones that fell in love in the first place, and Romeo was incredibly stupid as to want a relationship with Juliet at seventeen and thirteen years old, and he should have noticed that she was alive when she was in her tomb. And Juliet for being so nave as to trust an old Friar, instead of someone she really trusted. And after all, they were the ones who killed themselves, and they cant blame anyone else, as they were the ones who done it. Romeo drank the potion and Juliet was the one who stabbed herself. So, I am blaming Romeo and Juliet themselves, as it was their responsibility.
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