Compare Mercutio To Blame For The Death Of Romeo And Juliet

Persuasive. Brawling. Holy. These three words describe Mercutio and Friar Lawrence are in William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo, and Juliet. Mercutio persuades Romeo to go to the party. He likes to brawl and instigates fights with Tybalt. Friar Lawrence is a holy man; he wishes the best for everyone and tries to do what he thinks will help others although some people may believe he is to blame for Romeo and Juliet’s death. Because both Mercutio and Friar Lawrence make choices in the play that affect Romeo and Juliet, many people argue who is more to blame. While some people feel Friar Lawrence is most at fault because he gives Juliet the potion to fake her death, ultimately, however, Mercutio is most to blame for the young lovers’ deaths because he tells Romeo to go the Capulet’s party and instigates a fight.

Mercutio is most blame for the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet's death because Mercutio makes Romeo go to capulet's party when Romeo did not want to go because he was crying over Rosaline.

Mercutio says, “Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance…You are a lover. Borrow Cupid's wings. And soar with them above a common bound” (1.4.13-18). Mercutio persuades Romeo and says he is a gentle person and he gets all the girls and that he should go to the party to get over Rosaline and when they go to the party Romeo meets Juliet and falls in love with her, then marries her in a day. This is where Tybalt sees Romeo at the party making Tybalt wanting to kill

Romeo.
Because Mercutio instigates the fight between him and Tybalt, Mercutio essentially “makes” Romeo kill Tybalt and is therefore responsible for the tragedy in the play. Mercutio provokes, “Good King of Cats, nothing but one of your nine lives, that I mean to make bold withal, and, as you shall use me hereafter, dry-beat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out” (3.1.78-83). Mercutio insults and challenges Tybalt by saying that he wants to take one of his nine lives because he calls him a cat meaning his actions are much like a cat, he is agile and territorial. Tybalt agrees to fight Mercutio leading Tybalt to stab Mercutio. Romeo then goes to find Tybalt and he kills Tybalt making Romeo banished.
Some may argue, however, that Friar Lawrence is most to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. At the beginning of the play, Friar Lawrence marries Romeo and Juliet leading to the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt, and because of Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment, Juliet is set to marry Paris. When Juliet says she longs to die, Friar Lawrence says “Hold, daughter. I do spy a kind of hope, Which craves as desperate an execution As that is desperate which we would prevent. If, rather than to marry County Paris, Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself, Then is it likely thou wilt undertake A thing like death to chide away this shame, That copest with death himself to ’scape from it. An if thou darest, I’ll give thee remedy” (4.1.69-77). Friar Lawrence says to Juliet that she has hope because he has a potion that will make her family believe she is dead, Because of this Romeo has no clue of Juliet's decision which leads to their death.
In conclusion people believe Friar Lawrence is to blame for the tragedy of the two lovers because of giving Juliet the potion to fake her death. Mercutio is most to blame for their deaths because of him convincing Romeo to go to the ball because if Romeo did not go to the ball Tybalt would not have seen him at the ball leading to Mercutio challenge Tybalt to fight him leading to his death. Therefore Mercutio is to blame not friar Lawrence even though some may believe he is to blame.