Who Is To Blame For The Death Of Romeo And Juliet Essay

858 Words4 Pages

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is one of the most well-known works written in history. Due to the popularity of the play, the question: “Who is to blame for the death of Romeo and Juliet?” has been around for nearly as long. Most people will state that it is the Friar, the Nurse, or perhaps even Romeo to blame, but I think that all of them were only trying to make the best out of an already fateful situation. Rather, I believe that Lord Capulet, Lady Capulet, and Tybalt are to blame. There are numerous instances where these three characters directly and indirectly lead to the deaths of the star-crossed lovers. The Friar takes a lot of blame, due to the fact that he creates the plan that directly causes Romeo and Juliet’s death. Yet Friar Lawrence has little to no choice– Juliet threatens suicide: “Do thou but call thy resolution wise, / And with this knife I’ll help it presently.” (IV.1.54-55). Friar Lawrence is cornered and has no other choice than to help Juliet. …show more content…

In a way, the two families are foils of each other: the Montagues appear to be rather caring, composed, and humble throughout the play, while the Capulets appear to be the complete opposite: hardy, flashy, and aggressive. The opening brawl is triggered by the Capulets, and so is the climax fight: Mercutio’s death, after Tybalt brashly challenges Romeo. The Capulet family’s choleric personalities are displayed on numerous occasions: “What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.” (I.1.71-72) Tybalt hollers before starting a massive brawl, or when Tybalt states “Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford no better term than this: thou art a villain.” (III.1.61-62). Heedless actions like the two stated prior are a main reason why the feud continues to be ignited, eventually leading to the deaths of Romeo and

Open Document