Who Is Responsible For The Deaths Of Romeo And Juliet

Despite the popular belief in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet shared by both characters and readers that fate kills Romeo and Juliet, the real villain of the play is Friar Laurence. The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is the devastating love story of two children whose irrational decisions and lack of trustworthy mentors lead to their unnecessary deaths. In Shakespeare's tragedy, Friar Laurence causes Romeo and Juliet to die an untimely death because he acts solely for his own benefit, and he is reckless and irresponsible with how he handles the prevention of the young lover’s intense feelings leading to something drastic.

Friar Laurence is a major contributor to Romeo and Juliet’s ultimate demise because of how his actions while masked under

Friar Laurence knows about the condition of Friar John but does not take the time to think through how he will not receive the letter, and the effect the news will have on Romeo. Romeo admits to the friar earlier on in the book that he will take his own life if he can not be with his wife; however, Friar Laurence still implements a plan which involves the “death” of Juliet without considering how dangerous it is. In Act III scene iii, Romeo is at the friar's cell distraught after his banishment from Verona hears the nurse mistakenly claim Juliet does not love him anymore and he pulls out his dagger saying, “in what vile part of this anatomy doth my name lodge? Tell me, that I may sack the hateful mansion” (3.3 115-117). The way Romeo is ready to end his life at the idea that he can no longer be with Juliet instantly strengthens the depth of his feelings and should confirm to Friar Laurence that he has someone's life in his hands. Instead of considering the extremity of Romeo’s feelings toward Juliet that were previously discussed, he comes up with a plan that is highly careless and almost sure to result in mayhem. Friar Laurence's impetuous decision to allow Juliet to go through with the plan outlines how, “the flaw of impulsiveness or rashness does explain the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” (Cardullo). The fact that the friar