What is responsible for Romeo and Juliet's deaths, love, hate or fate?

Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play that involves dramatic events. When Romeo speared Tybalt with his rapier , which leads to Tybalt dying and Romeo ultimately the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

Shakespeare wrote three types of plays; comedies, tragedies and socially. From aspect 1594 to 1608 he wrote approximately 40 plays. The men were played by men, but the female were also played by men, this would be out of place in today's society. Juliet was played by a young boy with a high pitched voice so that its voice would sound the same as that of a women.

This would make the play as realistic as possible .

This essay will explain what was responsible for Romeo and Juliet's death love, death or fate and how this was affected by the ensuing events.

The play starts with the theme love and Romeo is being sad that he is love struck and not being able to forget his love Rosaline. "Why is love such transgression: Griefs of my own lie heavy in my breast.

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" This shows that Romeo thinks that love is a crime(that he hates it and yet loves it), that it is not bearable.

Then at the Capulet's party Romeo finds a new love 'Juliet' this makes him forget Rosaline. When Tybalt sees that Romeo is with Juliet he becomes infuriated and only wants Romeo to die. "To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?" This shows he doesn't accept it that a Montague(Romeo) has kissed a Capulet(Juliet).

Mercutio would be seen as a proud character as he stood up for his friend Romeo when Tybalt scolded him.

This was lead by the love he had for Romeo. If he didn't love Romeo as a friend he would never argued with Tybalt or even go further." Consort, what dost thou make us minstrels." This shows that he doesn't accept that Tybalt is scolding Romeo.

Romeo then finds Mercutio, Benvolio is irritated by Tybalt. Tybalt is there because he saw Romeo and Juliet kissing at the party and wants Romeo dead as he is a Montague who are not accepted to consort with a Capulet.

Tybalt commands Romeo to fight him "therefore turn and draw" but Romeo refuses Tybalt is now family of Romeo and loves him as family which is not known by Tybalt yet ."But love thee better than thou canst device".

In act 2, scene 2 Romeo secretly goes to Juliet's house and declares his love. Juliet tells Romeo that her family will haunt Romeo. Romeo then asks her to marry him and she accept, although she is foreshadowing this will not end well. "Thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow" This shows that they are marrying the next day at nine o'clock. The foreshadowing shows that Juliet's knows that their love will not end well and will lead to tragic events. This shows that their love is a curse.

Tybalt is a highly tempered character as he wants to kill Romeo only because he kissed Juliet . He kills Mercutio because he was in the way. This shows that he is cold blooded. Romeo is related to him as he married Juliet but Tybalt doesn't care about this relation between them .doesn't hesitate to kill him which fails and ends up him dying. "Thou wretched boy that didst consort him here, shalt with him hence." This shows that the love Tybalt had for Juliet lead him to becoming enraged and killing Mercutio.

Mercutio cursed both families to be doomed. " a plague a' both your houses." Mercutio foreshadows the tragic events happening later.

Romeo is thinking about how his love for Juliet has weakened him and made him emotional. "O sweet Juliet. Thy beauty hath made me effeminate ,And in my temper soften'd valour's steel." He blames Juliet's beauty for making him weak.

Romeo's killing then gets punished by the prince with a banishing order. For Romeo to be banished is the same as dying. "And for that offence immediately we do exile him hence:" The prince does not kill Romeo as he was fighting to avenge his friend.

Juliet finds out that Romeo killed Tybalt and that Romeo is banished from Venice. At first she is angry at Romeo for killing her cousin. "Beautiful tyrant, fiend angelical." She uses oxymoron's to describe her hate and love for Romeo at the same time , she is confused. When she thinks that Romeo is banished. "When theirs are dry, for Romeo's banishment." This shows that she forgives Romeo's sins and feels sad as Romeo, her husband is leaving her.

Romeo returns to Juliet for the night, they consummate the marriage. Juliet is confused and lovesick as she tell Romeo it is the nightingale that made the sound and not the lark. The nightingale is a bird that makes a high pitched sound in the night. "It was the nightingale, and no the lark that pierc'd the fearful hollow of thine ear." But it was morning which meant that Romeo had to leave or he would be executed. Now Juliet is the one who is love struck and Romeo is the one who keeps his mind clear.

When Juliet is told she is to marry Paris she becomes sad, as she already married Romeo. "Delay this marriage for a month" She tries to stop the marriage but secretly, and not being to suspicious.

Friar Laurence tells Juliet to give Romeo a letter which tells Romeo to get Juliet after she used the sleeping potion which lets it look like Juliet is dead. Romeo never got the letter and thought Juliet really died. "I could not send it(letter)."

Romeo couldn't bear it that his love died and commits suicide. "Thus with a kiss I die." He drinks a poison which kills him. This shows that his love for Juliet made him sad and kill himself as he couldn't live with knowing she's dead.

Juliet finds out that Romeo is dead and stabs herself as she can't life without Romeo . "O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die."

The audience would probably be sad, as they understand the confusion between Romeo and Juliet and that the tragic events where started and ended by love, this is dramatic irony as they know more than the character.

Conclusion

From this essay I have found out that love is the starting point of this tragedy. Romeo and Juliet's love for each other started the conflicts between Mercutio and Tybalt, the death of Mercutio, the death of Tybalt and last but not least the death of Romeo and Juliet.

It was the love for each other that led the tragedy. The love for friends, family and lovers.

References

• Greek Gods: Legends Living in Olympus
• Romeo and Juliet — Summary — CliffsNotes
• Romeo and Juliet act 3 scene 1 - Literary Devices
• SparkNotes: Romeo and Juliet
• The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - MIT Shakespeare
• Wikipedia: Romeo and Juliet