Punishment for the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet Essay Example

Death, poison, and family feuds are a few tragedies that happened in the play Romeo and Juliet. The story Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare takes place in a city in Italy called Verona. Two families are in an age long feud, the Montagues and the Capulets. Two teens from the opposing families fall in love.  Their names are Romeo and Juliet. In the end, both of the teens die, along with other people. Friar Laurence, Lord Capulet, and Tybalt are responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

Friar Laurence was not thinking straight whenever he accepted Romeo and Juliet’s requests to help them. One of Friar Laurence’s biggest mistakes he made was when he married Romeo and Juliet without their parent’s knowledge. Friar Laurence says, “In one respect I’ll thy assistant be; For this alliance may so happy prove to turn your households’ rancor to pure love”(2.3.90-92). When asked to help them, Friar Laurence agrees to marry them because he thinks it will end their families’ feud. Another big mistake Friar Laurence made was whenever he made the plan for Juliet to fake her death and send a letter to Romeo to get her and take her to Mantua. Friar Laurence said, “Take thou this vial, being then in bed, and this distilled liquor drink thou off; when presently through all thy veins shall run a cold and drowsy humour; for no pulse shall keep his native progress, but surcease; no warmth, no breath, shall testify thou livest; the roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade to paly ashes, thy eyes’ windows fall like death when he shuts up the day of life… Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift; shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua”(4.2.93-101). Friar Laurence tells Juliet that he has a poison that makes her fall into a deep sleep and make her cheeks and lips white and make her look dead. Laurence also tells Juliet that he will send Romeo a letter telling him to get her and take her to Mantua. Regardless of whether or not Friar Laurence helped Romeo and Juliet to end the families’ feud, he still should be punished because it ended in the teens’ deaths.

Lord Capulet was too controlling over Juliet which was a good reason she died, which is why Lord Capulet should be punished. One of Lord Capulet’s biggest ways he caused Romeo and Juliet’s deaths is how he was forcing Juliet to marry Paris. Lord Capulet says, “And there an end. But what say you to Thursday?” And Paris responds, “My lord, I would that Thursday were tomorrow.” Lord Capulet says, “Well, get you gone. A Thursday be it then”(3.4.28-30). Lord Capulet is talking to Paris about the wedding he is planning for him and Juliet. He tells Paris that he is planning on having the wedding on the following Thursday. Paris says that Thursday works for him and Lord Capulet dismisses him. Another of Lord Capulet’s biggest ways he caused Romeo and Juliet’s deaths is how he moved Juliet’s and Paris’ wedding day back a day early. Lord Capulet says, “Send for the County (Count Paris); go tell him of this. I’ll have this knot knit up tomorrow morning”(4.2.23-24). Lord Capulet comes up with an idea that he thinks will help Juliet with her sadness. Lord Capulet changes the day for Paris’ and Juliet’s wedding to a day earlier, a Wednesday. Even though he loved her dearly, Lord Capulet is one of the main causes of his daughter’s death, and he should be punished because of this.

Tybalt, being the hot-headed maniac he is, was a big domino effect to how Romeo and Juliet die. Tybalt sent Romeo a letter telling him he wants to fight but then Mercutio intervenes and gets himself killed. Romeo gets angry and kills Tybalt out of anger. Since Romeo murders Tybalt, he is banished from Verona. A Montague says, “Not Romeo, Prince; he was Mercutio’s friend; His fault concludes but what the law should end, The life of Tybalt.” Prince Esculus then says, “And for that offense immediately we do exile him hence”(3.1.177-180). Since Tybalt killed Mercutio, he should have been punished, which he was. Tybalt was punished by Romeo killing him. Romeo says, “Now, Tybalt, take the ‘villain’ back again, that late thou gavest me; for Mercutio’s soul is but a little way above our heads, staying for thine to keep him company. Either thou or I, or both, must go with him.” Then Tybalt says, “Thou wretched boy, that didst consort him here, shalt with him hence.” Romeo then says, “This shall determine that.” Finally, Tybalt falls (3.1.124-130b). In his anger, after the death of Mercutio, Romeo fights Tybalt and kills him. This acts as Tybalt’s punishment for killing Mercutio in the first place. Tybalt was a big reason Romeo and Juliet died because he was technically the one who caused Romeo to be banished, and for his punishment, he was killed by Romeo.

In summary, Romeo and Juliet’s deaths were mainly caused by Friar Laurence, Lord Capulet, and Tybalt. In the story Romeo and Juliet, Friar Laurence was one of the biggest reasons for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet because he willingly married Romeo and Juliet without their parents’ permission, and he made a plan for Juliet to fake her death to have Romeo get her and take her to Mantua. Juliet’s father Lord Capulet played a big role in her death by being too controlling: Lord Capulet forced Juliet to marry Paris and Lord Capulet ruined Friar Laurence’s plans by moving Juliet’s wedding day back a day. Juliet’s hot-headed, maniac cousin Tybalt was a big reason Romeo and Juliet died. Tybalt was the main cause that Romeo was banished from Verona. Tybalt got punished by Romeo killing him. In conclusion, Lord Capulet, Tybalt, and Friar Laurence are the main causes of Romeo and Juliet’s deaths, regardless if they did not know they were together, or they were trying to help, they caused their deaths anyway.