GUILT IN ROMEO & JULIET

Guilt in Romeo & Juliet

Guilt in Romeo & Juliet

Most of the events that happen in Romeo and Juliet lead up to the final conclusion of the couple dying. Many, if not all, of the characters also play an ultimate role in their tragic deaths. The characters that cause the most dramatic effect upon Romeo and Juliet's death are Friar Laurence, Tybalt, and Juliet's father, Lord Capulet. Friar Laurence marries Romeo and Juliet, which causes most of the problems, since they always want to be together, even though it is very difficult for them to accomplish this. Tybalt is the reason Romeo is to be banished, and Juliet's parents are the cause for Juliet to become enraged and make rash decisions.

Friar Laurence plays a very large role in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet since he basically is the `go between man' in this play. First off, he marries the two "star-crosses lovers"(prolouge.6). The rest of the events in the story tumble down from here since nothing seems to ever go right for both Romeo and Juliet. The Friar gives Juliet a potion, which is intended not to kill her, but allow to her to run away and have a better life with Romeo. It does end up causing them both to die, since there is much confusion and mix-up. The letter the Friar sent did not get to Romeo in time, causing him to become extremely upset and to kill himself.

Secondly, Tybalt, his hatred towards the Montague family, and the actions he takes ends in Romeo being banished. When Tybalt strikes Mercutio down with his sword, Mercutio says, "Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm"(act III, sc i, 97-98), Romeo feels guilty and decides to avenge his friend by killing Tybalt. As a result, he becomes banished, which in turn, devastates Juliet, causing her to feel hopeless and suicidal. With Romeo gone from their town of Verona, news cannot reach him easily therefore communication becomes difficult. This `road block' causes him to get the news of Juliet being dead, even though she is not. This causes both of them to make bad choices that end in their deaths.

Lastly, Lord Capulet, Juliet's father, causes Juliet to become so flustered and sad, that she decides to take drastic actions and fake her own death. Juliet's usual obeying behavior is crushed when ...