Romeo and Juliet

Aristotle proposed what is believed to be the first definition of a true tragedy. Specifically, he states that a tragedy triggers great pity and fear caused by the main characters’ actions alone. Likewise, a true tragedy lacks coincidence and fate plays little in the overall play. William Shakespeare writes the play of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet in which the audience knows the destiny of these two tragic heroes from the very beginning. Although this play is tragic knowing that the lives of two lovers are lost, it is not a tragedy as Romeo and Juliet are not solely responsible for their own deaths. Destiny is determined through the hands of greater forces than that of Romeo and Juliet, making this play merely tragic and not a true tragedy. Therefore, the play of Romeo and Juliet is not a tragedy as coincidental events, the role of fate, and Romeo and Juliet’s numerous tragic flaws are what ultimately cause the outcome of this play. Pure misfortune and outside pressure contribute to the chance events that create a path for Romeo and Juliet’s destiny. According to Aristotle, a true tragedy lacks coincidence as everything happens for a reason. However, the reason that Romeo and Juliet meet was because of adversity. To illustrate, when the servant needs help reading the invitations to the Capulet party, he chooses Romeo as the person to read them. Out of all the people who are in city, the servant chooses Romeo. Because Romeo read the letter, he was able to come to the party. Nevertheless, there are over a hundred different girls at the party. Considering this number, the percentage that Romeo falls in love with Juliet, his family’s enemy, is very minimal. Additionally, bad luck was the main reason that the letter explaining Ju... ... middle of paper ... ...h it is tragic that Romeo and Juliet both die in the end, this play is not a tragedy as they alone did not determine their destiny. Certainly, tragic heroes have their lives ended for different reasons, but according to Aristotle, only true tragedies have tragic heroes that bring about death through their own mistakes. Works Cited Moulton, G. Richard. “Innocence of Pathos: The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.” Drama for Student. Vol. 21. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 271-273. Thrasher, Thomas. Understanding Romeo and Juliet. San Diego: Lucent Books, 2001. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992. Waters, D. Douglas. “D. Douglas Waters on Catharsis in Romeo and Juliet.” Bloom's Notes: William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Ed. Harold Bloom. Broomall: Chelsea House, 1996. 68-70.