Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

Romeo and Juliet Essay The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet was pre-ordained by fate there was nothing that any of the characters could do to prevent their deaths. Fate is a thing that nobody can run hide or escape from it is just going to happen. The author refers to things like star crossd lovers. This shows the reader that they were made to fall in love and death markd love which suggests that they were made to die if they fell in love, which is also a warning of what might happen. However, there are also references to ancient grudge and to parents rage which suggests that it is not only fate that has a part in their deaths but also human intervention. Actually the part played by some of the characters directly resulted in the deaths of the two principal characters. Romeos friend, Benvolio, has a great deal to answer for. He knew perfectly well that it was wrong to gate crash Lord Capulets party. He must have known that the discovery of his friends presence there would cause serious disquiet, especially to Tybalt. Nevertheless, he encouraged Romeo to go because he had become morbid after his break up with Rosaline and therefore needed cheering up by meeting other girls and as such compare his ladys love against some other maid That I will show you shining at this feast, (Act 1, Scene 2, lines 97 and 98). We know that the party was a masquerade, but the probability that Romeo would be discovered was high. Inevitably this was the case, and, of course, it was Romeos number one foe, Tybalt, who made the discovery. No one can criticise Tybalts reaction on finding out that Romeo had had the audacity to enter the home of his familys enemy, the Capulets. This by his voice should be a Montague. Fetch me my rapier boy. (Act 1, Scene 5, lines 53 and 54) would be a natural reaction of most men on finding an enemy in their camp. Right at the beginning of this tragedy the feud between the two families is immediately brought to our attention. The opening scene involves servants of the two houses making antagonistic noises to each other, enticing one another to fight. We find Benvolio intervening when he says: Part, falls! Put up your swords -you know not what to do. (Act 1, scene 1 lines 56 and 57. ) No reason is given of how the feud started but we know that it has been going on for some time and has affected the lives of the citizens of Verona. Not only is Benvolio fed up with the continual feuding but also the ruler of Verona. We know this because the Prince of Verona decided that he and the city has had enough and vows to put an end to it. In a protracted speech he lays down the law and says in very plain language: If you ever disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of peace. (Act 1, Scene 1, lines 88 and 89. ) Therefore, he declares publicly that all future fights will be severely dealt with and offenders will pay with their lives. Tybalt was a man whose soul purpose on life was to defend his familys honour. The only way to do this was by fighting. His language was naturally that of a hard man. Right at the beginning we see this side of Tybalt when he confronts Benvolio with the words, What, drawn, and talk peace! I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues and thee: Have at thee coward! (Act 1, Scene 1, lines 62, 63 and 64. ) No wonder Tybalt was angry at Romeo for insulting his family honour by his uninvited presence at the party. Of course he wanted to evict Romeo from the party immediately. If he had just been allowed to do so maybe this tragedy could have been avoided, but he wasnt, thanks to the intervention of his uncle. Therefore, Lord Capulet could be held responsible for his own daughters death. He was totally out of order when he took his nephew to one side and gave him a good dressing down. He shall be endured. What, goodman boy, I say he shall, go to! Am I the master here, or you? Go to! (Act 1, Scene 5, lines 75, 76 and 77). Go to, go to, You are a saucy boy. Ist so indeed? This trick may chance the scathe you, I know what. You must contrary me! Marry, tis time. Well said my hearts! -You are a princox, go (Act 1, Scene 5, lines 82, 83, 84, 85 and 86). These words were designed to hurt. To be called an insolent boy by his uncle must have been very upsetting and hard to swallow. It must have made Tybalt so angry and humiliated that a duel to the death between him and Romeo was inevitable. In the initial stages of the romance, Juliets nurse was fully aware of what was going on and made no effort to stop it. In fact she acted as an eager go-between and after being satisfied with Romeos good intentions towards her mistress appears to be encouraging the romance. During a conversation between her and Romeo he asks the nurse to convey his greetings to his beloved and she replies Ay, a thousand times. (Act 2, Scene 4, line 186). It was her solemn duty to her employer to protect his daughter from uninvited suitors. Girls from rich high-born families were seen as assets, as a means of trading up in the social hierarchy. This is evident from the conversation between Juliets father and Paris prior to Lord Capulets party. Paris discloses his intentions towards Juliet and Lord Capulet, although mindful of his daughters age, agrees to the marriage: But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart, My will to her consent is but a part; And she agreed, within her scope of choice (Act 1, Scene 2, lines 16, 17, 18 and 19). If the nurse had done her job properly and reported to her employer as to what was going on then steps could have been taken to shield Juliet from Romeos advances. Probably, the one who contributed the most to the downfall of Romeo and Juliet must be Friar Lawrence. Although he meant well in that he thought that a marriage would end the feuding his actions were totally unprofessional and not that of a man of the church. His concern was that Romeo and Juliet should not commit a mortal sin by having sex outside marriage was the main reason for him performing the ceremony. His closing remarks after meeting Romeo and Juliet was: Come, come with me, and we will make short work, For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone Till holy church incorporate two in one. (Act 2, Scene 6, lines 34 to 37). He knew that Juliet was deceiving her parents and he should have condemned her behaviour as he also knew just how old she was. Even her own father thought she was too young to marry as was disclosed in his dialogue with Paris where he says: She hath not seen the change of fourteen years, Let two more summers wither in their pride, Ere we may think her to be a ripe bride. (Act 1, Scene 2, lines 8 to 11). As for his ridiculous scheme, including the faking of Juliets death, this defies all comprehension. Even if successful he must have known that she could never return home and he has, in fact, banished her for life from both her family and community. There is no doubt in my mind that the most significant player to the downfall of the two principal characters was Juliet herself. Throughout the play she was deceitful and constantly lied to her parents. Her mother was concerned about her daughters welfare and thought that her tearful moods were as a consequence of her cousins death: Evermore weeping for your cousins death? (Act 3, Scene 5, line 69). Juliet went out of her way to encourage her mothers interpretation of her emotional state by replying, Yet let me weep for such a feeling loss. (Act 3, Scene 5, line 74). She was pretending to her mother that her hurt was for Tybalt and not for the murderer, Romeo, with the following lines: And yet no man like he doth grieve my heart. (Act 3, Scene 5, line 83), and Ay, madam, from the reach of these my hands. Would none but I might revenge my cousins death. (Act 3, Scene 5, lines 85 and 86). She even goes on to denounce Romeo completely when she states to her mother: Is my heart, so for a kinsman vexed. Madam, if you could find out but a man To bear a poison, I would temper it, That Romeo should upon receipt thereof Soon sleep in quiet. (Act 3, Scene 5, lines 95-99). As I said in my opening paragraph the story of Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy in the making. It was doomed from the start because these two young people broke all the conventions of that era. Juliet most certainly did not have her parents consent and it must be inferred that neither did Romeo. It would be highly unlikely that the two families, who had been feuding for a considerable time, would have wanted any of their offspring marring. Nevertheless, it was an affair that could have been so easily stopped by those who were privy to what was going on. Not one of these characters, who were by the way all adults, took on the responsibility of bringing a sense of proportion and integrity to what can only be described in todays society as a sordid affair. A similar story in contemporary times would receive the attention of the police. The one thing that I find incomprehensible is the interaction between Juliets father, Lord Capulet, and his nephew Tybalt at the party. Why he humiliated Tybalt in such a manner is, for me, totally out of character with the essence of the play. Knowing the background of the play I would have thought that the logical response of Lord Capulet on finding out that a Montague had gate crashed his party would have been to have him thrown out. The tragedy of his actions was the death of his beloved daughter. If he had allowed Tybalt to perform his duty, Juliet would have probably married Paris.