Romeo and Juliet: Who's to Blame for Their Deaths?

Who do you think is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet? One of Shakespeare's most notorious plays, Romeo and Juliet, is a tragedy. The genre itself could have given away much on its own without any form of foreshadowing. You can be almost certain that a tragedy will include multiple fatalities. From the beginning, you know of a "death-marked love" between two youths from conflicting families. As details in the story start to connect, it all comes down to three major mishaps. The early deaths of Romeo and Juliet were caused by their conflicting families, Tybalt's pugnacious attitude, and Friar John's lack of determination.

The obvious conflicts between their families should have been a red flag in the beginning of their relationship. The Montague's have hated the Capulet's for as long as they could remember, and vise versa. In fact, nobody can even recall what begin this ancient hatred. "Though villain Capulet! -Hold me not; let me go" (1.1.75). This is one of Montague's lines straight from the play. He is in the act of desperately trying to escape the grasp of another Montague telling him to calm down. Likewise in this scene the fiery Tybalt and other various Capulets are trying to get the fight started. If there were no problems between their families, then nothing else would have been of importance. Romeo and Juliet would have gotten that fairytale ending everyone deserves.

Tybalt's confrontational personality got both families into a good bit of trouble, including the death of Mercutio, one of Romeo's best friends and kinsman to the Prince. "What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montague's, and thee. Have at thee, coward!" (1.1.66-68). Not only does he slay Mercutio, he also fights Romeo to the death. With the demise of his best friend hanging on his shoulder's he bulks up and defeats Tybalt. When people hear of this, they see Romeo as the enemy. With the anger this situation brings, the Prince banishes him forever. To Romeo, that's even worse than a death sentence. He knows he cannot enjoy life if it's not with Juliet. Friar Lawrence soon after comes up with a plan to reunite the young lovers where things start to go horribly wrong. If Tybalt had never confronted Romeo and his friends, Mercutio would still be alive, and Romeo would not be exiled; therefore he and Juliet could plan when and where they would run away together.

A letter explaining everything from Juliet's fake death, to how Romeo should rescue Juliet was supposed to be sent out to him the day before Juliet and Paris were to wed. I could not sent it-here it is again -Nor get a messenger to bring it thee, so fearful were they of infection" (5.2.14-16). Friar John explains in this line that he could not deliver the letter to Mantua; Romeo's hideout. The only news Romeo has received so far is about the death of his sweet wife. He decides to see it for himself and heads back to Verona incognito. He walks into the Capulet's tomb he finds that death overcomes her. In sadness of the moment, Romeo drinks a liquid poisonous liquid that would put one into a permanent sleep. When Juliet wakes up and sees her loving spouse's corpse beside her and commits suicide as well. If Friar John had known the importance of the letter that was never delivered, he may have had more determination and Romeo and Juliet would not be dead.

If any of these misadventures had not panned out in the very way they did, at that very time they did, Romeo and Juliet would have been able to lead full and exciting lives together. Why must the good die young? Romeo and Juliet were gentle, peaceful people whose only flaws were loving too much. In an immediate turn of events, after their children's deaths the Montagues and Capulets agreed to stop fighting. It could have just been an unfortunate situation, although it seems as though fate played into the early deaths of Romeo and Juliet.