What makes Romeo and Juliet a tragedy, and who or what is responsible for it Essay Example

What makes Romeo and Juliet a tragedy, and who or what is responsible for it? Essay The author of the play Romeo and Juliet is William Shakespeare. It was written between 1594 and 1596. The play is a tragedy. This means a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force (as destiny) and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror. The main people affected in this play are Romeo and Juliet because they are the ones who die as a result of the situation they are in. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy because there is a feud between two families and two people from these families fall in love with each other and get married in secret. In the end they both kill themselves due to circumstances that I am going to explain in this essay. The Prince of Verona didnt play a big part in the deaths of the main characters because all he did was banish Romeo from Verona. After Mercutio and Tybalt were killed he said And for that offence/ immediately we do exile him hence.I will be deaf to pleading and excuses,/ Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses:/ Therefore use none. This is when he finds out Romeo has killed Tybalt. The Prince tells Romeo not to give any excuses because he wont take any of the reasons into account. This ban from the city caused many problems for Romeo and Juliet because they could not see each other. We will write a custom essay sample on What makes Romeo and Juliet a tragedy, and who or what is responsible for it? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What makes Romeo and Juliet a tragedy, and who or what is responsible for it? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What makes Romeo and Juliet a tragedy, and who or what is responsible for it? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer I think Paris is one of the least responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet because he never played a big part in medalling with their lives. Even though he agreed to marry Juliet he didnt think twice that she wasnt ready for marriage or even the face that she had never met him before. There are no quotes that I can use to support my thoughts. When Romeo came back to Verona when he had heard that Juliet was dead Paris challenged him to a fight at Juliets tomb. He thought that Romeo was there to destroy the tomb. Romeo ends up taking up the challenge and killing him. Fate is one of the least responsible reasons for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Although it played a part in the tragedy it wasnt one of the major factors of the suicides. It was fate that the teenagers met each other. They met at a party at the Capulets house. Romeo was walking through the streets of Verona when he came across one of the Capulets servants. The servant said to Romeo, God gi god-den. I pray sir, can you read? The servant is basically asking Romeo if he can read the invitation to the Capulets party. He is then told to come if he is not a Montague. An big part that fate plays though is when Friar Lawrence asks Friar John to send a letter to Romeo telling him about the reunion of him and Juliet. Unfortunately this letter could not be delivered to Romeo because of the plague going round at that time, (nobody was allowed to cross into Mantua). This was a big reason for the deaths because the note that Friar Lawrence had given to Friar John could not be delivered to Romeo so he hears that Juliet has killed herself. In a way Mercutio is partly responsible for the deaths of his best friend and Juliet. The reason for this is because he said, Heres my fiddlestick, heres that shall make you dance./ Zounds, consort! He is challenging Tybalt to a fight. He goes on to say O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!/ Alla stoccata carries it away. Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk? In this quote Mercutio is basically saying to Tybalt Are you going to fight me or walk away? Tybalt decides to challenge him and the result is Tybalt kills Mercutio. After that Romeo kills Tybalt. This will be explained properly in the ext paragraph. Tybalt is equally responsible as Mercutio for the death of his cousin and Romeo. When Mercutio challenged him he said, You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, and you will/ give me occasion. By doing this he wanted to be provoked by Mercutio. He challenged him and ended up killing him. By doing this Romeo got involved. Tybalt said, Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford/ No better term than this: thou are a villain.Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries. That thou hast done me, therefore turn and draw. He is explaining to Romeo that he is a villain and nothing else. Romeo kills Tybalt and as a result of the murder he is banished from Verona. This causes Romeo and Juliet to separate. This is one of the reasons why they both killed themselves. The Capulets (Juliets family) did not play that big a part in the death of the their daughter and Romeo. Although there are a few reasons why they are responsible. The first one being the fact that they tried to force Juliet to marry a man she didnt even know. Her father told her .go with Paris to St Peters Church,/ Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither./ Out, you green-sickness carrion! out, you baggage!/ you tallow-face! At this point in Act 3 Scene 3 Juliets father is telling her that if she doesnt marry Paris he will drag her to the church. He goes on to say, Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch!/ I tell thee what: get thee to church aThursday./ or never after look me in the face./ speak not, reply not, do not answer me!/ my fingers itch.We have a curse in having her,/ out on her hiding! In this speech, Old Capulet insults Juliet saying that he and Lady Capulet were cursed with having her. He says this because Juliet is objecting to the idea of marrying Paris because sh e is in love with Romeo. Later on in Act 3 Scene 5, Juliet goes to her mother for help, instead she refused to help her daughter by saying, Talk not to me, for Ill not speak a word./ Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee. This part if the conversation has made Juliet feel as though she has no one to help her out of this marriage. The feud between the two families was a big problem and one of the main reasons why the Romeo and Juliet died. This reason is because both Romeo and Juliet knew that neither of their parents would agree to the marriage. The chorus in the prologue says, Two households, both alike in dignity.From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,/ where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. This quote is giving a description of the two families; it says that civil blood makes civil hands unclean which tells us that there have been a few killings or fights before between the two families. A quote in the play that tells us the families do not get on is when Tybalt says to Benvolio, .I hate hell, all Montagues are thee. This basically tells us that Tybalt hates the Montagues as much as he hates hell. Another of Lady Capulets speeches that we can say could be have led to the deaths Romeo and Juliet is when She says, Ill send on in to Mantua.shall give him such an unaccostomd dram/ That he shall soon kee p Tybalt company. She says to Juliet that she will send poison to Mantua for Romeo to drink. She then says that once he has taken it he will join Tybalt wherever he is. This is an important reason and a big input to the deaths because at this time Juliet was married Romeo and her mother was talking about killing her daughters husband. Obviously Romeo and Juliet played a part in their deaths but I dont think that they were mostly to blame. I say this because they were only teenagers at the time of the marriage. They were both very sure that they loved each other. Romeo said, Then plainly know, my hearts dear love is set/ On the fair daughter of rich Capulet.we wood and make exchange of vow.but this I pray/ That thou consent to marry us today. This is when he explains to Friar Lawrence that he loves Juliet and asks if he can marry the two of them. Straight after Juliet had met Romeo, he overheard her saying, .wherefore art thou Romeo?/ Deny thy father and refuse thy name;/ Or if thou will not, but sworn my love,/ And Ill no longer be a Capulet. In this speech Juliet says that she wants to marry Romeo. She is on her bedroom balcony and he has snuck into the back garden that is how he heard her. This shows that Juliet loves Romeo. The day they get married Romeo kills Tybalt and he confesses to Friar Lawrence by saying, [my] cursed hand/ Murderd her kinsman. When Romeo is in Mantua he hears that Juliet is dead. He goes to an apothecary to get poison. He said, Come cordial and not poison, go with me,/ To Juliets grave, go there I must use thee. This is what he says after he has got the poison from the apothecary. It means that he is going to Juliets tomb and take the poison so that he dies as well. But what he doesnt know is that Juliet has just taken a potion that makes her sleep for twelve hours. When she awakes, she sees Romeo there dead. She says, O happy dagger,/ This is thy sheath;/ there rust, and let me die. She says this as she stabs herself with Romeos dagger. Juliets nurse (Angelica) played an important part in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. She is responsible for many reasons. She plotted with Juliet and encouraged her to marry Romeo. She said to Juliet Then hie thee to Friar Lawrence cell,/ There stays a husband to you make a wife.I am drudge, and toil in your delight. She is telling Juliet that Friar Lawrence has agreed to marry her and Romeo. As an adult she should have known better than to plot behind the Capulets backs. Instead she should have told Juliet that the marriage would only cause more problems if both the Montagues and Capulets found out about it. She also said, Hie to your chamber. Ill find Romeo/ To comfort you, I wot well where he is./ Hark ye, your Romeo will be here at night. This is what Juliets Nurse said to her when she was arranging the wedding night. All this scheming was making the situation a lot worse because it brought the two teenagers closer together. Then Angelica decided to side with Juliets parents when she was told to marry Paris, I think it best you married with the county./ O, hes a lovely gentleman!/ Romeos a dicout to him. She was telling Juliet that Romeo is nothing compared to Paris. After all of the lies and schemes to get Juliet and Romeo married, she decides that the Capulets plan is a lot more suitable for Juliet. The main character who is responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet is Friar Lawrence. He is to blame for several reasons. The first reason being when he says, .Ill thy assistant be:/ For this alliance may so happy prove/ To turn your households rancour to prove love. This is when he agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet. He has agreed to marry them knowing they havent had consent from their parents. His moral obligation as a Friar aswell as an adult should have been to advise Romeo and Juliet about their dilemma, and should have refused to marry them. In thinking that this marriage will fix what is wrong between the two families. When Romeo is banished from Verona, Friar Lawrence told Romeo to just go and he will try and sort things out. When Romeo had gone off to Mantua, Juliet was told the news that she will marry Paris, and as she had no one to confide in she went to Friar Lawrence. He had a plan that Juliet would take a liquid that would stop her heart beating for twelve hours. He said, Thou take this vial, being then in bed,/ And this distilling liquid drink thou off.In the mean time.Shall Romeo by my letters know our drinks,/And hither shall he come, and he and I/ Will watch thy walking, and that very night/ Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua. This was the plan he had devised. He thought not only would it get Juliet out of marrying Paris, but it would also reunite her and Romeo. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy because there are a lot of deaths. Two of the deaths are of the main characters, Romeo and Juliet. I think the least responsible person for their deaths is the Prince of Verona. The second least responsible is Paris. Fate is the third least to blame for the deaths and the fourth is Mercutio. I think Tybalt is as equally responsible as Mercutio. The Capulets and the feud between the Capulets and Montagues are also equally to blame. Romeo and Juliet are seventh to blame, as it was their idea in the first place. I think Juliet nurse is eighth responsible for the deats of the two teenagers. Friar Lawrence was the most responsible for the two deaths because he plotted and schemed all the way through the play, from the very beginning to the very end.