Bad Luck or Bad Management in Romeo And Juliet Essay

Romeo and Juliet

Essay topic: 1. Are Romeo and Juliet victims of bad luck or bad management? Discuss.

In William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, bad luck, or fate, plays a major role throughout the story. It causes many terrible events. Many people argue over whether it was bad luck (fate), or bad management. Shakespeare smartly hints at the outcome throughout the story making the reader hope for more and more that Romeo and Juliet end up living together, happily married. Unfortunately, the fate in Romeo and Juliet isnt a very desirable one. Bad luck, can be defined as an inescapable and often conflicting results; destiny. Romeo and Juliet were ultimately the ones responsible for their own deaths looking from a destined point of view. On the other hand, the death of the two are partly caused by bad management. The fact that Romeo and Juliet got married knowing that there was a bitter feud between their two families. This feud brought problems along with it, such as the killing of Tybalt by Romeo. Juliet had said: Whats in a name? which explains her ill fate of being a Capulet and Romeo being a Montague. When Romeo tells his servant, Ay, mine own fortune in my misery. This sentence tells us he does not care for what Juliets name, nor his is.

Bad luck plays a major role in the story of two-star-crossed lovers. There is an example of this when Romeo attends the Capulets party, and this is where he is first exposed to Juliet and where the misfortune begins. At this point in time Romeo and Juliet immediately fall in love with one another. Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet, this is a problem for their love since the two families are quarreling with each other. They cannot see each other while in the presence of another family member. Their relationship has to be kept a secret and the only ones that know of it are Friar Laurence and the nurse. This shows bad luck.

Romeo and Juliet were defying with the stars in their love for each other. Since they met, they knew it would be difficult for them to be together due to their familys bitter feud. However, they decided to secretly get married. After Romeo had been banished from Verona, Friar Laurence asks Friar John to deliver a letter to Romeo. Due to bad luck and bad management, the letter did not reach Romeo in time causing him to be unaware of the Friars plan. Friar John was quarantined for suspicion of carrying the plague, meaning that the letter could not be delivered in time. This can be the reason for the deaths of the two star-crossed lovers.

Another example of bad luck is when Friar Laurence finds out that the letter had not reached poor Romeo in time. The Friar came up with a plan to intercept him at the Capulets family tomb and tell him of the scheme before Romeo could see his lover in the current state. Because of Romeos desperation of returning to Verona to see Juliet, he arrives at the tomb earlier than the Friar. The Friar arrives seconds later only to discover that Romeo is lying besides Juliet, already consumed the poison. If the Friar was to arrive before Romeo, the two lovers could be alive still and probably/maybe live happily ever after. For this reason, bad luck could be the murderer for Romeo and Juliets deaths.

Another possibility is that Romeo and Juliet were the victims of bad management. Friar Laurences plan had many flaws in which could lead to the death of Romeo and Juliet. When Juliet had said to her father that she would be happy to marry Paris, Capulet chose an earlier date for the wedding. This led to the messenger having less time to deliver the letter. When Romeo was told about Juliets death he wasted no time and rode his horse back to Verona. Here shows the effect of hastiness, as Romeo returned earlier than the Friar had predicted and he could not be intercepted in time. Even though the wedding was forwarded by a day, the Friar could have taken precautions to ensure his arrival before Romeos. Therefore, bad management is a consideration in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

The slaying of Tybalt could also be a cause to the case of bad management. When Tybalt started to insult Romeo, Romeo does not respond knowing that Tybalt is his cousin in-law. But Mercutio is angered by Tybalts insults and challenges him to a duel. In Romeos attempt to stop the fighting between the two, Tybalt receives a death wound and in the end leading to Romeos banishment. If Mercutio controlled his temper, and had ignored Tybalts pathetic insults, no fighting would have occurred. But, being witnessed his friends death; Romeo was angered and chased Tybalt hot-headedly. If Romeo were to avoid seeking revenge, this would result in him still living in Verona. Mercutio and Romeos tempers led to the banishment of Romeo from Verona, and the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

In conclusion, Romeo and Juliets deaths could be blamed on a number of factors in the play including bad management and bad luck. It was unfortunate enough that fate was against them as their families were in a bitter feud. Bad management played a major role and better managing that could have ultimately saved their lives. Bad luck has its blames in the two lovers deaths, but I believe that the rush everyone was in to do things in the play led to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.