Examples Of Who Was To Blame For The Downfall Of Romeo And Juliet Essay

Romeo was to Blame for the Downfall of Himself and Juliet

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is one of the utmost famous tragedies in History, but what was the cause of such disaster? Beverly Donofrio once said “One day can change your life. One day can ruin your life. All life is, is three or four big days that change everything.” This was the case for Romeo and Juliet, a couple of days that changed everything, but who was at fault for these 5 disastrous days? Evidently several roles played into this tragic story such as Friar Lawrence, but ultimately, Romeo was to blame for the downfall of Juliet and himself. Since the beginning, Romeo had always been extremely passionate and acted on his first instinct, which was always bound to result

in disaster. Romeo was also naïve and confused about his feelings and extremely persistent that he was in love. However, Romeo’s most fatal flaw was his stubbornness; he was determined to prove his love all the time. This over clouded the important advice of his friends. Romeo was to blame for the downfall of himself and Juliet.
Romeo was too impulsive and acted without forethought. Romeo was a very passionate character and acted with his heart rather his head. He was immensely stubborn and tended not to think of the consequences. This was just one of Romeo’s fatal flaws; these flaws would eventually lead him into a disastrous situation. Romeo being a tragic hero possessed these fatal flaws or in other words moral blindness. If Romeo had a sudden idea he followed through on it. Romeo’s passionate love for Juliet caused him to make many more rash decisions than ever before. One of the worst impulsive decisions Romeo made in the play was in Act 5, he told Balthasar “Leave me, and do the thing I bid thee to do (act. 5, scene. 1).” When Balthasar had warned him saying: “I do beseech you, sir, have patience. Your looks are pale and wild, and do import some misadventure (act. 5, scene. 1)” Balthasar here was foreshadowing, he told Romeo it looked as if Romeo was going to injure himself create some problems. In this scene, Romeo had just found out about Juliet’s ‘death’, he instantly wanted to go see Juliet not matter the consequences, ignoring the advice of Balthasar and ignoring the fact he had been exiled. If Romeo had not just acted on impulse in this scene, the story of Romeo and Juliet may have turned out differently. Romeo was to blame for the downfall of himself and Juliet.
Romeo in the play was naïve and young.

Like many teenagers, Romeo did not know the difference between love and infatuation and did not have anyone to tell him otherwise. Romeo’s infatuation for Juliet was very passionate, for example, his soliloquy in Act 2, scene 2, Romeo was looking at Juliet and thinking about how beautiful she is “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, but Juliet is the sun (Act. 2, Scene. 2)” He claimed she brightened up his life like the sun. He goes on to tell her to kill the jealous moon because in the dark, she can bring more light than the moon “ Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou maid, art far more fair than she (Act. 2, Scene. 2).” He was telling her that the moon is sick with envy that the moon’s maid is far more beautiful than the moon herself (a maid is dedicated to Diana the goddess of the moons and patroness of virgins). Romeo told Juliet to leave the moon, leave her virginity; she is far too goddess-like “Her vestal livery is but sick and green and none but fools wear it. Cast it off! (Act. 2, Scene. 2)” The most important aspect to remember in the play Romeo and Juliet is that their wild ‘love’ took place the span of a few days. At first Romeo was referring to Rosaline as a religion. “When the devout religion of mine,” (act. 1, scene. 2, line: 90) and then a couple of days later had completely forgot about her. When the Friar had seen Romeo so cheerful,

he asked Romeo if he had been with Rosaline in which Romeo replied “with Rosaline, my ghostly father? No; I have forgot that name and that name’s woe.” Romeo’s nativity was a character flaw that resulted in disaster of himself and Juliet.
Romeo would not have been able to commit such acts without the assistance of Friar Lawrence.

Friar Lawrence was the one who married Romeo and Juliet, after all. Friar Lawrence definitely knew what fate beheld Romeo and Juliet if it did not work out but he still continued to marry them. At Romeo and Juliet’s wedding Friar Lawrence said “Such violent delights have such violent endings (Act. 2, scene. 6)” This was one of the many warnings Friar Lawrence had given Romeo and Juliet. Other warnings that Friar Lawrence gave Romeo and Juliet include “Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast (Act. 2, Scene. 3)” Friar Lawrence is telling Romeo that he must love wisely and slowly because those who go too fast will stumble and fall. The problem with this is that, Friar Lawrence was very aware that Romeo was a passionate character and would not be able to love slowly. Friar Lawrence was a massive contribution to the violent ending of Romeo and

Juliet.
Romeo was too stubborn and did not pay attention to the advice of his friends. There were countless warnings for Romeo from the beginning, yet he ignored the. Romeo was convinced he was right that the simply ignored everyone’s advice. In the beginning of the play (act. 1, scene.1) Benvolio tells Romeo to just stop thinking about her- if Romeo had listened to Benvolio at this time the whole situation could have been avoided. Later on, Friar Lawrence tells Romeo he fell out of love with Rosaline too fast “Thy old groans ring yet in my ancient ears (act. 2, scene. 3).” Meaning that Romeo’s complaints about Rosaline are still new and he can still hear them. Once again, at the end of the play Romeo was warned by Balthasar “I do beseech you, sir have patience. Your looks are pale and wild, and do import some misadventure (act. 5, scene. 1).” If Romeo had listened to at least one suggestion his friends had said than the whole situation could’ve been avoided. Romeo’s stubbornness was a flaw that led to the disaster of Juliet and himself.
In the end, the downfall of Romeo and Juliet was due to the flaws that Romeo possessed. Romeo acted on impulse too much and didn’t give himself enough time to think over the consequences of his actions and how they would affect Juliet and his life together. Romeo was also, exceptionally clueless and naïve, Romeo didn’t understand the difference between infatuation and as soon as he had a crush on a girl, he thought it was love. Romeo was also too stubborn to avoid this disaster that was coming for him, he ignored very important advice from his friends, if he had only listened to this advice, the disaster could have been prevented. If Romeo did not have these fatal flaws, perhaps, this tragedy may have been a love story.