Responsiblity for the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet

Responsiblity for the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet

The final tragedy in the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is the death of Romeo

and Juliet. It’s a result of the feud of the two houses: Capulets and

Montagues, but amongst other likely causes are the personalities of

Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is ‘hot-headed’ and Juliet lacks experience in

life because of her young age. Other characters who play a significant

part in driving them to their deaths are: Tybalt, Mercutio, Friar

Lawrence, The Nurse, Old Capulet, Romeo himself and Juliet herself.

Also, the political circumstances in Verona have a part to play

because the Prince doesn’t do anything to stop the feud of the two

families. A ‘weak’ Prince adds tension because he is partly related to

Mercutio. Fate or God might have something to do with bringing Romeo

to the tomb because the letter that Friar Lawrence sent out never

arrived in time for Romeo to see it. Balthasar received the news of

the death of Juliet and was ordered to go and find Romeo in Mantua to

tell him the dreadful news. Also, ‘freak’ accidents make the deaths

more likely because of Juliet waking up straight after when Romeo

dies. Love itself may have been the ‘vital’ key to all this because in

the end the two will be drawn together in a sad, yet rather emotional

ending to Shakespeare’s play.

We can see that ‘Romeo and Juliet’ reflected some of the important

events in Shakespeare’s own time because it was the age of Elizabeth I

and James I, an age of a religious and political faction and of

growing nationalism. Elizabeth’s father, Henry VIII disconnected the

English Church from the Roman Catholic Church in protest because the

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... deaths are caused by ‘love’ and they

died because they love each other and willing to give up including

their own lives. Also, if they truly love each other, they will be

inseparable. Love can be a very mysterious character because you won’t

know where it lies and when you feel it. The power of ‘love’ has

guided Romeo to go back to the tomb to die with Juliet. The love at

first sight can be seen as the most common way of falling in love with

somebody because you are simply attracted to them when your eyes

lock-on to each other and this happens in the play when Romeo sets

eyes on Juliet during the Capulet feast. From then on, all the events

that happen after that go downhill for Romeo and Juliet which mean

they cannot be together so they decide to die instead, which is a

brave, yet sad and emotional ending to the play.