Love doesn't always have a happy ending. In the play of Romeo and Juliet, the couple are brought to their untimely death. There are many factors to blame for these wretched suicides; the fate that destined unfavourable things to happen, the Priest and the Nurse that encouraged and abetted them and then betrayed them, the conflict between the two families that labelled their love as forbidden, and of course Romeo and Juliet who rebelled against the wishes of their family .
Fate is the first major contributor in Romeo and Juliet's passing. In the prologue the story is briefly critiqued, describing Romeo and Juliet as star crossed lovers. Fate has destined them to come together despite the heat of the forever fought feud of their parents. Not only is each lover from a different enemy family but the time at which they fall for each other is most inconvenient. Juliet's family is busily arranging the meeting of Paris, for whom she is supposed to wed. Fates control begins to reign when, despite Romeos better instinct to resist sneaking into the party of the Capulet's, he is urged and convinced by his friends to ignore it. He quotes, I fear, too early, for my mind misgives/some consequence yet hanging in the stars/some vile forfeit of untimely death. /but he that hath the steerage of my course/ direct my sail. It is only yet in the first few acts of the play when he already predicts the end of his life. If he had followed his self-warning, the unfortunate quandary would have come to a halt before even occurring. Another instance tweaked by fate was that of Mercutio's death. From what originated as a friendly brawl between Mercutio and Tybalt, in the brief interference by Romeo, Mercutio is gravely wounded. Romeo does not take to this misfortunate happening lightly and it soon leads to the fatality of both fighters. Contributing to Romeo's banishment, Juliet eventually goes to extreme measures to see him again and fakes death. A letter is sent by the Priest to explain everything to Romeo, however fate intervenes otherwise, slowing the letters delivery, hastening the false scenario's announcement and charging straight towards the hinted at death. Throughout these events many characters seemed to already know that they were in the arms of fate saying, "O, I am fortunes fool!"; "a greater power than we has thwarted our intents etc.
A further influencing factor is the Priest and the Nurse. On the disclosure that Romeo has his heart set on the fair maiden that is 'Capulets' daughter, the Priest is sceptical. However, being a Priest he soon forms the view that this may be the remedy to the feud between the two families and exclaims, In one respect I'll thy assistant be/ for this alliance may so happy prove/ to turn two households rancour to pure love. Simultaneously, the Nurse also agrees to Romeos proposal to Juliet to have her hand in marriage. After agreement from both sides they proceed to wed the couple the very next morning. Pursuing this unlawful act was only to lead to a series of worse consequences. After Romeo's banishment, confirming that Juliets parents will never approve of him; plans are pushed forward by her parents to have her marry the County Paris. In a turn of events the Nurse betrays them, supporting the familys decision. With no Nurse and no Romeo Juliet feels completely isolated and alone. Her only hope is the Priest. Expressing her feelings and threatening to commit suicide, the Priest eventually produces a vile of poison that provokes a deep slumber and an eluding illusion of death. Juliet would not have been in this ultimate situation if it wasnt for the influences of the Priest and Nurse as without their interference, the two never would have had a reason or way to end their precious lives in the way they did.
Furthermore, the conflict between the two families were to blame for what happened to Romeo and Juliet. Each generation of the 'Capulets' and the' Montague's' have seething hatred for each other. The cause of the original dispute seems clouded by the years past and unclear to the family of the present day. Despite this each family seems to delight in continuing the feud and causing brawls at random. Their ridiculous fighting escapades are dangerous, childish and meaningless to say the least. This is demonstrated from the opening scene where out of nowhere a fight breaks out, just out of one perceived disrespectful utterance. If both sides hadnt despised each other so much Romeo and Juliets affection would not have been sneered upon and, indeed may never have happened at all. In a classic forbidden fruit statement Juliet whispers My only love sprung from my only hate! when she realises who her love is. The conflict carries on even with the death of Mercutio and Tybalt. Instead of mourning their loss, each family incessantly blames the other for its cause. No one pays any attention to the fact that an innocent man was slayed. Even with his last dying breath Mercutio accuses, A plague on both your houses! They have made worms meat of me.
A final crucial factor is Romeo and Juliet themselves. In the opening of the story Romeo is found pondering about his lost love, 'Rosaline'. It seems that Romeo falls under loves spell quite easily or maybe he is in fact ignorant as to what love actually is. It seems quite ridiculous and unrealistic that at first sight, each lover seemed to immediately fall for each other; their life seemingly never the same. Even the Priest thinks this, Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear/so soon forsaken? Young mens love then lies/ not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes. Unwillingly separated by members of each of their opposing families they are confronted with the truth; they can never be together. Despite hearing the words, they do not listen and they continue to savour the sweet moment when they found each other. Betraying their family seems only a small consequence of their forbidden love, but the un-exhausted immediate issues arising show otherwise. If Romeo had followed his instincts and resisted his friends plea to go to the Capulets party the pair would never have even met; if they had listened to their families and stayed away from each other their love wouldnt have been able to flourish. Denying each unfortunate event as not a fault of their own they repetitiously caused hurt and mayhem; Romeo murdering Tybalt because of Mercutio's death , Juliet faking her own death to escape Paris and witnessing Romeo killing himself before he knew whether or not the information delivered to him was true. By continually disobeying each of their families and causing so much mayhem, Romeo and Juliet could be said to have lured themselves to their own inevitable deaths.
Fate, assisted by the Priest and the Nurse, the conflict between the families and the lure of forbidden fruit despite its inevitable consequences, all took their toll resulting in the eventual death of the star struck lovers. As it says in the prologue, Romeo and Juliet, whose misadventured piteous overthrows/doth with their death, bury their parents strife.
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