The Responsible Parties for the Death of Romeo and Juliet

The death of Romeo and Juliet is caused by a multitude of different people and aspects. Many people could be held responsible for their deaths, even if they didn’t cause them to die intentionally. From among them one person stands out from all the rest, Mercutio. There are also a few aspects that can be held responsible, including Timing and the Feud between the two households “both alike in dignity”. There is also the possibility that Romeo and Juliet themselves caused their own downfall. Some of these reasons are more important than others, some which could have changed the fates of noble Romeo and beautiful Juliet.

An individual who plays a decent part in the play by William Shakespeare is Mercutio, he is one that is deemed to be connected to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. This is chiefly because, without him, Romeo would never have met Juliet, he would have stayed madly in love with Rosalyn throughout the entire five days that the play is set in. Another example of Mercutio being closely linked to their deaths can be found in Act 1 scene 1, where Romeo is forced to take justice unto his own hands and kills Tybalt. If Mercutio had not fought with Tybalt and died, Romeo would never have needed to kill Tybalt and be banished from fair Verona. Benvolio, who tells the truth of what happened in this brawl, might have saved his life, “Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo’s hand did slay.” (III, I, 48) Mercutio definitely played an important part, which eventually led up to the deaths of Romeo and young Juliet.

A substantial aspect of the play is the Feud between the Capulet family and the Montague family. The Prince says some harsh words at the beginning of the play, condemning those who “disturbed the quiet of our streets again, / Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the piece.”(I, I) Informing the two families to live side by side in harmony or as close to it as possible. While men die on both sides, love is born “from forth the fatal loins of these two foes.”(Prologue) The love between Romeo and Juliet spells doom as the family members from both sides will never accept this, and will try end it with all their might to stop this unnatural occurrence from happening were they to ever know of it. The Feud not only causes problems between the two families but it also cases unrest and violence to run through the streets of Verona.