Daniel Ham

P4 English

Mr. Pleckaitis

April 2nd, 2020

Romeo was the main contributor to the death for himself and her lover.

In every action that occurs, a consequence follows by. In the play ​Romeo and Juliet​, there

are lots of scenes where a character causes an action and holds responsibility for or avoids the

consequences that are followed by his/her actions. Romeo, throughout the story, experiences

many actions and consequences, including the banishment from Verona for murdering Tybalt

leading to Juliet taking a vial and eventually dying. Some might say the death of Juliet and

Romeo is resulted by the miscommunication that Friar Lawrence and John has caused. However,

considering the fact that Romeo committed a suicide and Juliet’s death was caused by Romeo’s

hastiness in making decision, it is evident that Romeo is the main contributor to the death of

himself and his lover.

It is an undeniable truth that Romeo committed a suicide after witnessing Juliet lying in

the tomb. In Act 5 scene 3, when Romeo saw the dead-looking body of Juliet, he was sentimental

and uncontrollable. He said, ​“For fear of that, I’ll stay with thee and never from this palace of

dim light, depart again.”​ He was determined to stay next to her even after death and he himself

chose to drink the poison lying next to the tomb, being aware that it will end his life. After a

moment, he was dead. There was no one who lured or coercively offered Romeo to drink the

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poison. In fact, the place was an empty graveyard after Romeo killed Paris with his sword.

Though Romeo was full of grieves losing her lover at that time, it was an unfortunate choice that

he made, and he held the consequence of his action - death - nobody could be blamed for

Romeo’s choice he made.

Juliet’s death was ultimately caused by Romeo’s radical decision to kill himself. In Act 5

scene 3, Romeo stressed,​ “Thou art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet is crimson in thy lips and

in thy cheeks, And death’s pale flag is not advanced there.”​ It could be known that Juliet was

still alive as her entire body wasn’t pale and her lips were red. However, as Romeo was full of

grieves and was uncontrollable, despite the words he spoke, he was’t able to acknowledge that

Juliet was not dead and he eventually committed a suicide. Juliet, after waking up from the vial,

witnessed the astounding scene where her lover became a corpse lying next to her tomb and also

chose to kill herself. If Romeo was strong and prudent enough to prevail his grieves, he would

have been able to identify that Juliet was still alive, and would have waited until she woke up

again. However, Romeo’s hastiness prevented him from being prudent and hence Juliet’s death

took place.

If Romeo wasn’t involved in the quarrel with Tybalt, their deaths were preventable. In

Act 3 scene 1, after Romeo and Mercutio were involved in a street fight with Tybalt, Romeo got

banished from the city of Verona for killing Tybalt, who killed Mercutio. This caused Juliet to

take the vial from Friar Lawrence to meet up with Romeo, despite his banishment in Act 4 scene

1. And the vial that Juliet took to reunite with Romeo ultimately triggered the death of these two

lovers. If Romeo wasn’t involved in the street fight, or if Romeo coercively halted Mercutio

from lighting a quarrel with Tybalt, or even if Romeo restrained his wrath to revenge Tybalt, he

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would have been able to avoid the banishment. Then, Juliet wouldn’t have taken the vial from

Friar and their death would have been preventable.

Recalling the fact that he committed a suicide and the impulsive actions Romeo caused

that led to the death of himself and his lover, it is clear that Romeo should be held responsibility

for the death of himself and his lover. If Romeo was a considerate and moderate man, Juliet and

his death would have been prevented and perhaps, they might have become a successful couple.

However, the story then becomes contradicting to the tragedy Shakespeare pursues and possibly

Romeo and Juliet might not be popular as it is now.