Romeo And Juliet Make Decisions Essay

Everyday, people make many decisions. Some are small and do not affect lifestyles very much. But there are others that can change lives completely. They can change the life of the person who made the selection and the lives of the people around them. In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo And Juliet the citizens of Verona all make choices that not only affect them but also the people dearest to them. It is the decisions made by those closest to Romeo and Juliet that cause their downfall. Lord Capulet, Juliet’s father, forces Juliet to marry Paris and Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, starts a duel in the streets. Mercutio, Romeo’s best friend, begins fighting when Romeo does not want to and Benvolio, Romeo’s friend and servant, is the first to tell Romeo

of Juliet’s situation. Juliet’s nurse, who she confides in, turns against her and Friar Laurence trusts Juliet with a sleeping potion. Romeo and Juliet’s family, friends and confidants all play a part in their descent.
Firstly, the members of Juliet’s family make decisions that lead to the deaths of their beloved relatives.

It is the Lord Capulet and Tybalt that have the most effect on Romeo and Juliet’s lives as members of the Capulet household. Lord Capulet declares that Juliet must marry Paris or else he will disown her. When Juliet disobeys her father, he angrily states, “But fettle your joints ‘gainst Thursday next/To go with Paris to Saint Peter’s Church/Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither” (3.5.157-159). Lord Capulet forces Juliet to marry Paris without knowing that she is already married to Romeo. This choice causes Juliet to make quick decisions and see the Friar to get a potion that would make it seem like she is dead. In addition, Tybalt’s actions severely affect the lives of the adolescents by starting a brawl in the streets leaving him and Mercutio dead. After Tybalt duels and kills Mercutio, he agrees to continue the conflict with Romeo. Romeo says, “That late thou gavest me, for Mercutio’s soul/Is but a little way above our head/Slaying thine to keep him company” (3.1.121-123). When Tybalt brawls with Mercutio, Mercutio dies and when fighting with Romeo, he dies. For this reason, Romeo was banished from Verona, and caused Juliet to become hopeless and make impulsive choices. Overall, the agreements of the members of the Capulet household results in the stream of events that in the end lead to the couple’s suicides.

Next, it is the decisions that the friends of the two teenagers

that result in the tragic ending of their lives. Balthasar and Mercutio are close to Romeo and it is them who are most responsible for the passing of their friend’s lives. Baltasar was the one who tells Romeo about Juliet’s “death” and causes Romeo to make quick and rash choices. Balthasar goes straight to Romeo after hearing the news and informs him:
Then she is well and nothing can be ill.
her body sleeps in Capel’s monument,
And her immortal part with angels lives.
I saw her laid low in her kindred’s vault (5.1.17-20)
The selections Balthasar takes result in Romeo going to the apothecary to buy poison so that he can join Juliet in death. Additionally, When Romeo declines Tybalt’s request to battle, Mercutio steps up and duels in place of his friend. Mercutio looking for a fight asks, “Tybalt you ratcatcher, will you walk?” (3.1.69) Mercutio battles in the quarrel instead of Romeo and this results in Mercutio dying by the sword of Tybalt. Romeo is enraged by the death of Mercutio and seeks revenge on Tybalt so they battle. During the fight, Tybalt dies and Romeo runs away. When the Prince finds out what happened he banishes Romeo from the city. Ultimately, the choices Balthasar and Mercutio took consequently result in the depart of the young lovers.
Finally, the people who Romeo and Juliet confide in play an important role in their downfall.

Friar Laurence and the nurse’s actions equally contribute to the deaths of their friends. Friar Laurence trusted Juliet with with a fake-death potion intended not to kill her but make her appear dead for 42 hours. Juliet goes to see the Friar to get advice after Lord Capulet, her father, demands she marry Paris. To help Juliet solve her problem, Friar Laurence gives her a potion and instructs her, “Take thou this vial, being then in bed/And this distilling liquor drink thou off ” (4.1.94-95). By putting his trust in Juliet, Friar Laurence was the reason why she passes. When Capulet changes the wedding date, Juliet is forced to make irresponsible decisions and take the fake-death potion early. This leads to plenty of confusion such as Romeo not getting the letter in time and believing that Juliet truly was dead and killing himself. Equally important, Juliet’s nurse gives up on helping Juliet with Romeo after he is banished. She turnes against Juliet and takes the side of her parents when they obligate Juliet to get married to Paris. The nurse, believing Romeo would never return, tells Juliet, “I think it is best you married with the County./O, he’s a lovely gentleman./Romeo’s a dishclout to him...” (3.1.228-230). When Juliet hears what her nurse says, she is shocked. The nurse has helped her all along with Romeo and now she is giving up and agrees with her parents. This causes

Juliet to feel lost and confused. It is also the reason why Juliet does not trust her anymore. Juliet now has one less person to go to for advice and because of that her decision making skills become worse. The confidants of Romeo and Juliet give them advice and plans to try to help the couple in their fast-paced love. But, the nurse and Friar Laurence are also a main cause for their departure.
In conclusion, the family, friends and confidants of Romeo and Juliet, all take risky decisions and accordingly they lead to the unwanted deaths of the two “star-crossed lovers” (1.Prologue.6). Firstly, Capulet demands Juliet to marry Paris and Tybalt began a duel that causes two deaths. Secondly, Romeo’s friends Mercutio and Balthasar, both think that they are helping Romeo when they fight for him and share what they know with him, but they are not. Lastly, Juliet’s nurse stops helping Juliet and sides with her parents when they tell her who to marry and Friar Laurence helps Juliet fake her death by giving her a potion. The downfall of Romeo and Juliet corresponds with what the people closest to them do. Lives can change in an instant when people are faced with decisions. They can change for the better or for worse depending on what option the person chooses to take.