Romeo And Juliet's Death Essay

William Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet centers around two star-crossed lovers from feuding families whose forbidden love eventually leads to their own demise. Sadly, Romeo and Juliet’s death could have been avoided, but it is hard to tell who is to blame for these young lover’s deaths. Throughout the play, several characters are at fault, some more than others. While many characters contribute to these tragic events, Romeo is most to blame for his death and the death of his beloved Juliet.

Throughout the play, Romeo is constantly impulsive and the hasty decisions he makes have grave consequences. First, he marries Juliet after having known her for only a day. He barely even knew her and yet less than 24 hours after meeting her they get married. Not once does he think of the consequences that will come from marrying Juliet. An even more reckless decision comes later in the play, when Romeo kills Tybalt. After a duel in the streets resulting in Romeo’s friend Mercutio being killed by Tybalt; Romeo decides to seek revenge. “For Mercutio’s soul is but a little way above our heads… Either thou or I, or both must go with him.” (3.1.88-91) He begins to fight Tybalt and ends up killing him. Romeo doesn’t think about the danger he’s putting himself in, nor does he think about what kind of trouble he could get in. It is this fight that leads to him being banished from Verona, thus separated from his new wife. Romeo’s final act of impulsiveness is the most severe, killing himself. After learning that Juliet was dead, he immediately decided that he wanted to be dead too. He did not consider the other options, let alone stop to make sure Juliet was actually dead. If he had not been so quick to kill himself, he would have real...

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...uicide. He kills himself because he believes Juliet is dead, when really she is still alive. He was oblivious to the fact that she wasn’t pale, she was moving a bit, and she was still breathing. If Romeo paid closer attention he would have realized that she was alive and wouldn’t have killed himself. Had Romeo not been so ignorant and paid attention to his surroundings and warnings he received this story would not have ended in tragedy.

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet ends in devastating tragedy but it did not have to. Many events leading up to the tragic ending could have been prevented. It seems almost every character in the play could have done something more. With that being said the blame definitely falls on some characters more than others. Romeo’s impulsiveness, ignorance, and deceitfulness make him most to blame for his death and the death of Juliet.