The Reasons Behind the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet

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The Reasons Behind the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet

"From forth the fatal loins of these to foes

A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows

Doth with their death bury their parent's strife."

From the opening scenes of the play it is made clear that these two

children of the feuding families were destined to fall in love and

eventually die together, but was it the actions of their friends that

brought about their deaths or could it be that their deaths were just

inevitable?

Most people choose to believe that they have a sense of responsibility

and can control their own lives; they suppose that their problems are

caused by their own actions or by those influencing them. In my

opinion though, Romeo and Juliet had no control what so ever, fate

brought them together - their lives were already mapped out for them

and there was nothing to impair this.

Romeo and Juliet could not have avoided coming in contact with each

other, they were brought together by uncontrollable circumstances

(fate).

There were many events that conspired against Romeo and Juliet, for

example the family feud. The brawl in Act 1 Scene 1 is ceased by

Prince Escales who said

"If you ever disturb our streets again,

Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace."

However the Prince failed to stay loyal to his word, Romeo's

banishment and the fate involved with it is a prime factor in the

deaths of Romeo and Juliet. In Act1 Scene1 the Prince's words were

quite the contrary. Was it intentional that a man of such high

standard would go back on his word? However, if Mercutio had not

taunted Tybal...

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... such

drastic actions that lead to her and Romeo's deaths.

So why did Romeo and Juliet die? Was it down to chance, no. Adolescent

passion, slightly. The feud, partly. The actions of the Nurse, Friar

Lawrence and the Capulet's are mainly to blame. In my opinion though,

the soul contributor to the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet's death

was fate. Nowadays, most people do not have much time for the theory

of fate. They like to think that they can control their own destiny.

But what if all our actions are already planned out, and no matter

what we do the ultimate consequence will be the same? Some people

argue that Shakespeare wanted us to believe this was the case with

Romeo and Juliet.

"For there was never a story of more woe

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Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

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