Who Is to Blame for the Death of Romeo and Juliet Essay Sample

Romeo and Juliet is a famous play written by William Shakespeare. The play is about two young lovers who meet the tragic fate of death. The question remains, however, of whose fault the deaths were. Throughout the story, many events happen that contribute to the deaths, but they all stem from two interactions, those being Rosaline’s rejection of Romeo and Sampson and Gregory’s fight in Act 1, Scene 1. Without these three individuals, the entire tragedy would have been avoided entirely.

Although she never personally appears in the play, Rosaline is largely at fault for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. In Act 1, Scene 1, line 232, Benvolio says “I'll pay that doctrine or else die in debt.” At this moment in the play, Romeo is depressed over Rosaline rejecting him. Benvolio was so saddened by Romeo’s mood that he vowed that he would help Romeo forget about Rosaline. In the next scene, Romeo and Benvolio encounter Peter, who invites them to a Capulet feast. After Benvolio desperately tries to convince Romeo to go, Romeo finally says in Act 1, Scene 2 lines 102-103, “I'll go along, no such sight to be shown, But to rejoice in splendor of mine own.” In these lines, he’s saying that he is only going because Rosaline will be there. If Rosaline never rejected Romeo, then Romeo would not have been depressed. If Romeo was not depressed over Rosaline, then Benvolio would never have vowed to help him forget about her. If Benvolio did not vow to help him forget about her, he would not have pressured Romeo into going to the feast. If Romeo had never gone to the feast, he would not have met Juliet, and then they would not have fallen in love and died. If Rosaline never rejected Romeo, then he and Juliet would not have died. Rosaline is partly to blame for their deaths.

At the very beginning of the play, there are is an argument between two Capulet servants named Sampson and Gregory. Eventually, they would get some members of the Montague family involved, and a huge fight would break out. When the Prince arrived, he said in Act 1, Scene 1, lines 89-90, “If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.” The Prince had just declared that fighting in the streets of Verona would now be a capital offense. Later, when Romeo fought Tybalt in the streets, the Prince had mercy on him and only exiled him. Romeo’s exile would result in the Friar creating a plan, the plan failing, and then Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. Although Romeo did not receive capital punishment, if the fight had not occurred there would not be a punishment for the fighting, so it is doubtful that he would have been exiled. Sampson and Gregory are also to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

People often attribute Romeo and Juliet’s death to other characters, but any of these accusations can be traced back to the three characters mentioned previously. For example, some like to blame the deaths on Frair Lawerence and Friar John. People say that because of Lawerence’s flawed plan to get the lovers to Mantua and John’s quarantine, they are responsible, but this could easily be traced back to Sampson and Gregory. If Sampson and Gregory did not cause the fight to make the Prince throw down a penalty for fighting, then Romeo would not have been exiled, and Lawerence would not have had to even make a plan or send John to deliver a message to Romeo. Others like to blame Tybalt, but it is not his fault either. Romeo would never have encountered Tybalt if he did not attend the Capulet feast, which he attended because he was infatuated with Rosaline. These are just a few characters, but any other character’s involvement can be traced back to those three characters as well.

In conclusion, the seemingly insignificant actions of Sampson, Gregory, and Rosaline resulted in the entire tragedy of Romeo and Juliet taking place. Sampson and Gregory never could have imagined that causing a fight with the Montagues would eventually result in the reconciliation of the Capulet and Montague houses, at the expense of the lives of the star-crossed lovers. Rosaline would not have expected that her rejection of Romeo would result in his death. These characters help us to consider our own actions. We must abandon the false belief that we are the only ones who matter in this world, and recognize that all of our actions, even the seemingly insignificant ones, have consequences, not just in our own lives but in the lives of others as well.