Romeo and Juliet and Significant Decisions Essay

Submitted By poopiep
Words: 664
Pages: 3
Open Document
Choice Determines Outcome
Throughout the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, dismal outcomes are the result of either choices made by different characters or by destiny. In the prologue, Shakespeare states that the relationship between Romeo and Juliet is death marked, and no matter what happens they are destined to die. Romeo’s death is an exceptional example of their fate since Juliet wakes up minutes after Romeo kills himself. However, with a closer look, the deaths of Juliet, Tybalt, and Romeo are caused by small, but significant decisions made by themselves or others.
The decisions induced by Juliet, as well as, other characters cause Juliet’s tragic demise. Before Juliet’s marriage with Paris, Juliet decides to threaten the Friar that “ if thy wisdom thou casnt give (her) no help”(4.1.53) she will commit suicide. Juliet’s decision causes the Friar to come up with a plan, which turns out to be a disaster, killing Juliet in the process. Nevertheless, Capulet choosing to move up the date of the wedding for Juliet helping to cause the Friar’s plan to ultimately fail. Furthermore, the Friar chooses to “dare no longer stay”(5.3.164) at the Capulet tomb because of the watch enclosing in. As a result, Juliet is left alone in the tomb to kill herself next to Romeo’s dead body. Therefore; the better choices can prevent tragic events such as the death of Juliet and Tybalt.
Tybalt’s death is not due to fate, but by a series of choices made by different characters. For Instance, Romeo does not tell Tybalt that he is married to Juliet, as Romeo “doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such a greeting”(3.1.64) when called a villain. If Romeo were to have told Tybalt of his marriage, Tybalt would have known exactly why Romeo does not want to fight, and there would be no bloodshed. Mercutio is also partly responsible for Tybalt’s death since he decides to dual Tybalt, in Romeo’s place, because of his audacity to defend the Montagues honor. Finally, Romeo decides to “beat down their rapiers”(3.1.92), but instead he gets caught in the middle of the fight, and Tybalt accidentally stabs Mercutio under the arm. Tybalt is now accountable for murder and will definitely be executed by law if not by someone else. Thus, Tybalt’s and Romeo’s deaths are the cause of a chain of decisions made by various characters in the play. Romeo’s death is determined by the decisions made by people he encounters. Instead of kicking
Show More

Related Documents: Romeo and Juliet and Significant Decisions Essay

Romeo and Juliet Themes Essay

Jason Herman Per. 2 2/22/13 Romeo and Juliet Essay Romeo and Juliet, written by the famous William Shakespeare, shows how teenagers act in many different ways at different times. This love story focuses on two rival families. A Montague named Romeo, and a Capulet named Juliet quickly fall in love. However, everything goes terribly wrong, as Romeo is banished form Verona, the setting of the play, which ultimately leads to the suicides of both Romeo and Juliet. The “star-crossed lovers”, along…

Words 1208 - Pages 5

How Did Romeo And Juliet Make Impulsive Decisions

Romeo and Juliet is the tragic story of two star-crossed lovers, caught in the feud of their families. With their desire to express and pursue their love for each other, Romeo and Juliet both make decisions that have significant influence on the events throughout the play. They make impulsive decisions, meaning quick, non-processed choices based solely off emotions. The impulsive decisions the two lovers make ultimately contribute to their downfall, and to the downfall of other members of both families…

Words 815 - Pages 4

Romeo And Juliet Fate Essay

plays a more significant role in the tragic conclusion of the play---fate or the choices of the characters? Use specific details from the play to support your responses. Definition of key words: Significance-important Role-part of the play Tragic-bad; terrible event Conclusion-end Fate-destiny Choices-decisions Romeo and Juliet’s choices play a more important role in their death at the end of the play rather than fate. Prompt 2. Did true love or immaturity play the more significant role in the…

Words 715 - Pages 3

Differences Between Romeo And Juliet

another.” In the play Romeo and Juliet, many lessons are learned. One lesson that is more prominent than the others is think before you act. Three characters that failed to do so were Romeo, Juliet and Friar. As the play shows, obtaining a better understanding before acting can be crucial in better decisions. Firstly, Romeo shows several times that he rushes decisions, making most of the time wrong or poor. The first action that Romeo did without thinking is kissing Juliet, who was at the time…

Words 829 - Pages 4

Romeo And Juliet Decisions

is a power beyond one’s control that is believed to decide what happens. Many people may believe that fate does have a significant effect on their lives. They believe their whole life is already predetermined, and everything is laid out like a road map. In reality, it does not have any effect. The decisions that people make are what control their lives. In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the main characters both mention fate several times during the play. They believe that all their…

Words 880 - Pages 4

Responsibility In Romeo And Juliet

of Responsibility In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare emphasizes the idea that many factors led to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. The rivalry between the two families, the Montagues and Capulets, is the reason Romeo and Juliet cannot be together and their relationship is kept a secret. Due to many challenging obstacles and impulsive decisions, the title characters die tragically. Everyone in the play is responsible for the demises of the title characters because the decisions of the characters, such…

Words 741 - Pages 3

Friar Lawrence Is To Blame In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

so they put their problem on others. In the play The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet blame is a factor because, they do not know who caused the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Friar Laurence is to blame in the situation of Romeo and Juliet's death, he should have thought of a better way to postpone the wedding of Juliet and Paris as well as the boy that told Romeo the news. One factor that was responsible for the death of Romeo and Juliet was them wanting to get married right off the bat by Friar Laurence…

Words 697 - Pages 3

Who Is To Blame For Romeo And Juliet's Death

cannot kill what never dies” William Penn. Who was it that caused the deaths of Romeo and Juliet? That’s the topic of my essay. The two people who led to their deaths the most were Tybalt and the Nurse. The Nurse, Juliet's nanny and Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, both led to their deaths by forcing Juliet to make important life decisions at an early age and acting carelessly. In the play, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Romeo, and Juliet's deaths are most to blame on Tybalt and the Nurse, who are too…

Words 692 - Pages 3

Comparing The Deaths Of Friar Lawrence In William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

look at the play “Romeo and Juliet”, there are many unfortunate factors that this play had such as tragedy, death, forbidden love, and secrecy. But, these tragedies could simply have been prevented by one man. The person that had the biggest impact on Romeo and Juliet’s untimely deaths was Friar Lawrence. He is the most responsible for their deaths because of his secrecy, cowardliness, and miscommunication. To sum up, if Friar Lawrence had handled the situation differently, both Romeo and Juliet’s lives…

Words 949 - Pages 4

justin bieber Essay

Romeo and Juliet. The story of two feuding families, whose children are gravely in love. Tragically, the lives of Romeo and Juliet end whilst in a desperate attempt to escape Verona, where their love is forbidden. Several significant elements of the play explain the ending of their lives. A potential reason for Romeo and Juliet’s death is Friar Lawrence and his choices about the future of Romeo and Juliet, which were finalized too quickly, and without proper thought. The long lasting feud between…

Words 1193 - Pages 5