Theme Of Suicide In Romeo And Juliet

Many people know that Romeo and Juliet commit suicide even before they read the play, but do they know why? Yes, they weren’t accepted together, but there are many reasons to why. There are tons of suicidal desire with Romeo and Juliet, the following are the most major ones that possibly affect smaller feelings. In the play Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, the author emphasizes how only death will let them be together since their families are total opposites, they’re not arranged to be together, and they barely know anything about each other. There’s a lot of possible agreements through discussion that would have prevented them from making such a poor decision.

Anyone who’s read or watched Romeo and Juliet knows that the Montagues

and Capulets are practically enemies, it’s quite obvious. Significantly enough, Romeo is a Montague, and Juliet is a Capulet. So this has already started hectic. It’s easy to figure out that they really hate each other because they’re always fighting. As small as talking trash to each other grows until they draw their swords. Many deaths happen throughout the play between the Montagues and Capulets, but that’s more powerful later on. Imagine if their marriage was announced earlier, before Romeo was banishèd from Verona. The Friar says,”For this alliance may so happy prove To turn your households’ rancor to pure love.” (line 98-99) In reply to Romeo asking to be married to Juliet, he said this after saying trying to avoid this because he knows that the first reaction would allegedly be to turn into violence on one another and cause more deaths. To acknowledge again that something as little as trash talking can grow until swords are drawn. A perfect example would be the fight between Tybalt and Romeo, which then later involves Mercutio. When Tybalt’s first reaction was to duel with Romeo, but Romeo was trying to neglect that since Tybalt is Juliet’s family. While Tybalt’s verbally harassing Romeo, he doesn’t want to fight, so suddenly, Mercutio draws his sword. Without much discussion, Tybalt takes the challenge and draws his sword! Even when there isn’t anything worth fighting for at the moment, they’ll do it anyways. Romeo then draws his sword to try and beat down their rapiers to help out Mercutio, and Tybalt stabs Mercutio. That being the death of him. Romeo and Tybalt later fought again because as he said, “ Either thou or I, or both, must go with him.”(line 134)Tybalt lost, Romeo killed his wife’s cousin. This brings all kinds of discord into their marriage. He can’t help but hold a grudge towards any Capulet who looks for trouble since he is a Montague.
Expectedly, Romeo and Juliet are supposed to be with other people.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that they were paired with a different person. Previously, Romeo and a girl named Rosaline were in a relationship and Friar Lawrence didn’t like much of it, and we know this because Romeo says, “With Rosaline, my ghostly father? No. I have forgotten that name and that name’s woe,”(line 48-49) and Friar Lawrence replied with, “ That’s my good son. But where hast thou been then?”(line 50-51). But when Romeo confesses his love of Lord Capulet’s daughter, it’s like Friar Lawrence becomes a whole new person. Saying things like, “Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear, So soon forsaken?”(line 70-71). He’s said that because he knows the latitude between the Capulets and Montagues isn’t anything to play, so he knows what could happen if they publicized their love. Did you know that Friar Lawrence only approved of the marriage because he hopes peace will settle between the two families? It says it right in Act 2: Scene 3, “For this alliance may so happy prove To turn your households’ rancor to pure love.” (line 98-99). However, don’t forget that there’s still Juliet and Paris. Paris is a man who has asked for the permission to marry Juliet and was denied by Lord Capulet because she was too young. It is ironic because not too soon later he was morally rushing them to get married after Romeo and Juliet secretly got married. Hence the word secretly, because if it was put out to the

public there would be no mercy for each of the families. Paris shouldn’t be asking for Juliet’s hand in marriage if she doesn’t want to marry him, but she agreed to it anyways later on. Of course, she wasn’t going to go through with it because at the time she was already married to Romeo, that’s why she drank the poison. Imagine if the families didn’t have a feud. Juliet wouldn’t have drunk the poison because she could’ve been happily married to Romeo, and not so many deaths between the two families would occur. Even though the Friar, and also the Nurse, allowed them to get married, it was just them aiding themselves.
A huge factor to why the Friar and Nurse were so cautious of the two getting married is due to the fact all of this happened in just three days. It should concern any reader that has read or watched this play, that within the first night, which was at the Capulet’s party, this is when Romeo claimed love within first night. Those aren’t the exact words that came out of his mouth, but in Act 2: Scene 1, he was quick to say, “Can I go forward when my heart is here?”(line 15) and his heart is here because Juliet is there. Mind you, this was the first night they’ve met. They barely even know each other, so love at first sight, is more like lust at first sight. Romeo separated from Benvolio and Mercutio at the party and they didn’t think much of it, so they went on with their night. Romeo really just went away so he could stay and wait for Juliet, then found himself in her garden, listening to what she says. Being more like a stalker than a lover. Although this wasn’t all Romeo’s desire for love, Juliet just wasn’t as thorough. In Act 2: Scene 2, Juliet speaks to herself on her balcony. Blaming herself for loving a Montague she didn’t have a connection with for even more than a day. They don’t know a lot about each other, definitely not enough to feel the need to spend the rest of their lives together, which only lasted for a few more days. Even though, their marriage was still accepted by the only two that knew, Friar Lawrence and the Nurse. Everything would’ve been fine if the families were peaceful, but no. God forbid a Capulet and Montague be together, so it was a secret. The small time that they’ve known each other, they made such a vast sacrifices. The two wouldn’t have had to kill themselves if they thought more about love and the meaning of it. It was too soon to claim that they are in love, too young to commit suicide for “love”, and too soon to marry each other.
The suicidal impulse showed in Romeo and Juliet aren’t actually worth the suicide.

The major three reasons of the suicidal impulses and the fact that it wasn’t meant to be during that time just prove that kids shouldn’t be allowed to try and make these kinds of decisions. Even though during this time period there were things like arranged marriage and the way of love has evolved piece by piece. There are still countries that help encourage suicidal impulses due to forcing a marriage, but it’ll change within time. Romeo and Juliet can be a resource to the how the possibilities of fighting and freedom can turn

negatively.