Who's to Blame in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet?

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Why is it that we as human beings feel the need to blame someone for every negative situation, which occurs? If we really look at the situation with any great depth, we may discover that an almost endless amount of things may be 'blamed' for the tragedy blaming an individual is pointless - only fate can really be blamed. Some characters who are more commonly blamed are Romeo and Juliet themselves. With their headstrong personalities, and love, which seemed so sure, they had in fact condemned themselves. Romeo was the first to promote the relationship at the Capulet party. It was a case of 'love-at-first-sight' for him, so he felt obligated to seek Juliet at her balcony, and charm the engagement into existence. However the reality was that the relationship was condemned before it had even began due to the parent's hatred for one another. Romeo knew the two families didn't get on, so he also should have also known that the relationship was ill fated. Yet he still persisted in promoting the relationship. Surely he could have controlled his urges and stayed in the bushes in front of Juliet's balcony on the night of the Capulet party. On the other hand love is often considered an impulsive thing, and Romeo being an impulsive person only made the matter worse. An example of Romeo's impulsive behavior was when he chased Tybalt after Tybalt killed Mercutio, which resulted in Tibet's death. Romeo was horrified with what he had done, and expressed that he felt very irresponsible by crying out; "O, I am fortunes fool!" Some may say that Romeo's reactions were only out of love, but does that really make him any less to blame? I am sure that when the photographers chased Princess Diana in her car, that the... ... middle of paper ... ... easier had Juliet married Paris as her parents wished her to. Instead she was very headstrong about the situation. "I will not marry yet. And when I do I swear it shall be to Romeo for whom you know I hate rather than Paris..." Juliet certainly should have known that the results would be disastrous had she married a hated Montague. Some may say that Juliet marrying Paris would have been a tragedy in itself, but surely it would have been far less severe than the loss of two lives! In conclusion, it is not bang said that the inventor of iron is not responsible, nor the ancestor of the Capulet, they were simply examples of how silly and useless blaming an individual is. Indeed in situations like these, either no one or anyone is to blame. Every little thing contributes - hence; the only thing, which can be blamed, is fate.

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