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1. The rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets was the main reason for Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. Discuss The tension between the Montagues and Capulets is one of the fiercest known rivalries in literature. From this intense hatred many unforeseen consequences result from it, most notably the unfortunate deaths of the two madly in love youths, Romeo and Juliet. The bitterness between the two families is the prominent reason for their untimely demise but the rivalry was not the factor which killed them, rather it was aided by a few other elements which stemmed from the hatred. Throughout the play, the themes of fate, youth mentality and pride constantly reoccur. All of these themes combine with the rivalry to cause their doom. The constant encounters with the bad lucky which plagues the couple, the impulsive and often reckless actions of the youths and the much valued pride of the opposing parties ultimately lead to Romeo and Juliet’s doom. Although the main reason of their unfortunate deaths is the rivalry, without the contributing factors, the rivalry itself would not have had the power to end the star crossed lovers’ lives. One of the factors which combine with the rivalry is fate. From the outset of the play, it is known that Romeo and Juliet will be affected by forces whom which they have no control over, as Shakespeare uses the term, “star-crossed lovers”. Firstly, fate is the force that brings them together in the first place. Romeo’s was reluctant to go to the ball due to his “love” for Rosaline but due to Mercutio’s persuasion he goes. Then this is where the goddess of fate “Dame Fortuna” steps in. Out of all the guests at the masquerade ball, Romeo lays eyes on Juliet and immediately falls in love. All the problems begin from here as they become addicted to each other. Clearly fate brought them together but then it is also a factor which contributes to their deaths. When fate combines with the rivalry, it causes the banishment of Romeo due to the confrontation between Tybalt, Mercutio and Romeo. In this instance, fate is a villain, by bringing them together at the worst time possible. It is not a mere coincidence that they meet Tybalt on a hot summer’s day on the streets of Verona but it was fate’s doing. Had the families not had the amount of resentment towards each other, this fated meeting would not have had such a violent end. The rivalry though was intense and the fated meeting between the rivals causes the death of Tybalt and Mercutio which sets into motion the series of events which ultimately ends the “star-crossed lovers” lives. When the play is set, Romeo and Juliet are just two teenagers. Their age is another element which contributes with the avoidable deaths. Being teenagers, they have the feeling of empowerment, the feeling that they can do anything and that the world owes them. With this feeling comes impulsive thinking. The impulsive thinking of the couple is what makes them long for each other, even though they are from rival families. It is clear that their teenage minds were not well enough equipped to cope with love as their decisions which they made regarding love were impulsive. A prime example of this is Romeo and Juliet still wanting to continue the romance even though they know it’s wrong, as Romeo says “My life is my foes debt” while Juliet says “My only love sprung from my only hate”. A clear consequence of the continuation of the romance was the addition of wanting to see each other, up to the point where they were so blinded by love that they got married. With the marriage, a lot of dangers are created such as the measures in which both Romeo and Juliet undertake to sustain their relationship. When the mentality of the youths is combined with the rivalry, the couple starts to travel on the path which leads to their deaths. The scene which truly justifies this is the confrontation between the rivals Romeo, Tybalt and Mercutio. After Mercutio is killed by Tybalt, Romeo slays Tybalt out of pure anger and in doing so is banished. Had Romeo not been so young, he would have been able to have a greater control over his emotions and restrain himself from killing Tybalt, therefore meaning that the chain of events which would eventually claim the couple’s lives would never have been set in motion. With the rivalry between the two families, some values are given a greater importance, none so than pride. Because of the rivalry, pride is valued greatly as each family wants to have the better image, to prove to the other family that they are better. Having something damage their pride would be like being stabbed by a sword, so each family places great importance on pride. Within the play, there are many scenes in which the importance of pride can be seen, such as the normally joker like Mercutio taking Tybalt’s challenge with Romeo very seriously and also when Tybalt gets offended when he is not allowed to confront Romeo at the masquerade ball. The moment thought which plays a massive role in deciding the ending of Romeo and Juliet, is Lord Capulet wanting Juliet to marry Paris, a man with a high social status and prestige being the Governor’s son. Back in Shakespeare’s times it was very important for females to be married off to a high ranking male. This made the female look good while more importantly making her family seem more influential. This is clearly Lord Capulet’s intention of wanting Juliet to marry Paris. The complication of the arranged marriage is further amplified with Juliet’s secret marriage to Romeo. As Romeo was from the rival family, the secret marriage would not have been considered by Juliet’s father due to the bitterness between the two families. As a result, Juliet cannot tell her father this and ultimately takes things into her own hands by consuming the potion in order to try and sustain the secret marriage, setting down the path for the star-crossed lovers tragic deaths. Rivalries can be good-natured and just friendly competition but the rivalry between the Capulets and Montagues was the complete opposite. Consequently, the ferocity of the rivalry pushes the couple towards the path of death but not onto it. It is only when the contributing factors such as fate, youth mentality and pride combine with the rivalry that the young couple is pushed onto the path and to their deaths. In saying this though, had the rivalry not been there, the other factors also would not have been able to single-handedly cause their deaths. Therefore the intense nature of the rivalry between the two houses of Capulet and Montague was the main reason behind the two lovers untimely deaths, as without it, all the events leading to Romeo and Juliet’s deaths would not have happened. 2. The rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets was the main reason for Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. Discuss In Romeo and Juliet, the rivalry between the Montagues and the Capulets was the main reason for Romeo and Juliet’s demise. The enmity between the two families ultimately caused Romeo to drink a lethal poison and Juliet to stab herself. The young and innocent couple’s death had a devastating effect on the Capulet and Montague family as their rivalry was meaningless in comparison to the suffering of their children. There were other reasons which contributed to their deaths such as the couple’s naive nature, Friar Lawrence’s intervention, fate and the withdrawn support from the nurse. However, the rivalry was central to the couples’ tragic death. The rivalry is the main reason for the couple’s untimely death as it caused Romeo’s banishment. The “ancient grudge” between the Montague’s and the Capulet’s created the most momentous complication in the film. Tybalt who was fuelled by his hate for the Montagues accidently kills Mercutio with a blow intended for Romeo. This is Shakespeare’s display of the unruly and irrational nature of the rivalry. Romeo, though not urged by rivalry, is grief stricken that he had lost a friend and kills Tybalt for vengeance. Consequently, Romeo becomes a victim of the rivalry between the two families and is banished. Had Romeo not been banished, the couple would not have been pushed to the point of desperation: “Be not so long to speak, I long to die.” The rivalry caused Romeo’s banishment; this makes the rivalry the main reason for Romeo and Juliet’s tragic death. Romeo and Juliet’s naive and fickle nature partially contributed to their downfall. Romeo’s capricious personality instilled him to ask for Juliet’s hand in marriage without considering the repercussions: “Let us hence, I stand on sudden haste”. Similarly, Juliet was immature in demanding for a marriage when she was only 14 years old. During the duel involving Mercutio, Romeo and Tybalt, Romeo’s deep affection for his best friend Mercutio meant he felt Mercutio’s loss deeply. Romeo’s nature though immature was not murderous: “Gentlemen, for shame forebear this outrage!”. He killed Tybalt out of grief, desperation and guilt upon seeing his best friend killed at his side. Hence, Romeo was not acting naturally when he killed Tybalt. His nature was not to blame for his banishment. After finding out about Juliet’s (false) death, Romeo was again compelled by the same emotions to come into Juliet’s tomb: “Tempt not a desperate man!” and drink poison to kill himself. Romeo was Juliet’s husband and was loyal in his role as her spouse to dash to her side. Though his actions were rushed and hasty, Romeo was neither naive nor fickle because he was acting out of love for Juliet and his best friend Mercutio. Friar Lawrence makes the decision to aid Romeo and Juliet in an effort to stop the rivalry which overshadowing his intention to make the couple happy. His choice reveals to be fatal as he fails to anticipate Romeo rushing to his wife’s side and committing suicide upon seeing her dead. In the play, Shakespeare conveys the Friar as a person who works toward peace: “To turn your households’ rancour to pure love”. The Friar has generally good intentions, but is too obsessed in trying to stop a rivalry to pay attention to the fate of Romeo and Juliet. As a result, his attempt to stop the rivalry, though successful, results in the death of the young couple. Accordingly, Friar Lawrence has been indirectly affected by the rivalry. The absence of the rivalry would not have compelled the Friar to marry two young teenagers and help the couple unite. In trying to stop the rivalry, Friar Lawrence incorrectly guided Romeo and Juliet to their deaths. Fate and the lack of support from the nurse played small parts in Romeo and Juliet’s death. Romeo not receiving the letter from Friar Lawrence and drinking lethal poison before Juliet’s awakening were unfortunate turns of fate. William Shakespeare integrated misfortune into Romeo and Juliet, in order to make certain the play was a completely shattering tragedy. Shakespeare introduces hints of what is to happen in the play: “I am fortunes fool” however, the playwright does not attempt to ‘blame’ fate as the main reason for the couple’s death. In addition, the nurse who is a portly and comical figure in the play was intended by Shakespeare to be Juliet’s emotional support. Though the withdrawal from the nurse isolated Juliet, she did not hesitate to drink the potion the Friar concocted from her. In Romeo and Juliet fate and the nurse’s absence played a miniscule role in the couple’s death. There are many reasons contributing to the death of Romeo and Juliet such as their nature, the Friars interference, fate and the withdrawal of support from the nurse. These reasons however are not majorly responsible for the couple’s death. William Shakespeare’s intention in Romeo and Juliet was to display how love between two young people can influence and be influenced by an ancient rivalry. The rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets was responsible for Romeo’s banishment and is therefore the central reason as to why Romeo and Juliet died. 3. The rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets was the main reason for Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. Discuss Fate is the main reason for the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet, while the rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets is merely a tool Fate used to keep them apart. Romeo and Juliet is a timeless play about the troubles of two ‘starcrossed lovers’ whose relationship is thwarted at every turn and whose lives end in tragedy because their families are rivals, and as a consequence of this, hate each other. This essay will discuss the fickle influence of Fate, the repercussions of mindless hate and rivalry, as well as the sheer impatience and impetuous passion of youth itself, which ultimately leads to their demise. In death, however, they were able to do what they couldn’t do in life: to end and ‘bury their parent’s strife.’ From the very start, it seems that Dame Fortuna has deemed that Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is ‘death-marked’ and destined to end in tragedy, as Shakespeare opens the play with fate’s hand already present in the drama. They came forth from the ‘fatal loins’ of two great foes, bringing about the idea that they have been doomed from birth and have entered into a ‘cosmic configuration’ that is ultimately outside their control; the ‘ancient grudge’ signifying that this set-up is larger than the two lovers and that the stage was set for them a long time ago. In Shakespeare’s time, the stars and other occupants of the skies were viewed as heavenly bodies that ruled over what happened on earth and described the future; thus by referring to them as ‘star-crossed lovers’, the Chorus is indicating that by a chance unfortunate alignment of their stars, they are destined not to be happy together. The two young lovers desperately want to be together more than anything in the world, but there is an undercurrent, an unseen force, which ensures that this is never going to happen; indeed, they could be described as ‘Fortune’s fool[s]!’ It is Fortune’s capricious sway that causes Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s subsequent banishment, Romeo’s defiance of the ‘inauspicious stars’ that causes him to suicide mere seconds before Juliet awakens, ‘unhappy fortune’ that prevents the messenger from delivering the Friar’s message and a ‘greater power’ that thwarts the Friar’s illconceived plan. Was it by mere chance that Romeo and Juliet meet at the Capulet Masquerade Ball? No, it was not; indeed, Romeo sensed that something dire was coming to pass, but felt there was nothing he could do but comply with his fate and allow it to ‘direct [his] sail’. Something ‘hanging in the stars’ was set into motion that night, with disastrous, unforeseeable consequences. The enmity and rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets, the most potent weapon in Fate’s possession, is a catalyst that propels events forward after Romeo and Juliet’s encounter at the Capulet party. Many critical elements that contribute to Romeo and Juliet’s death are introduced during this fateful night; one of them is Paris, a wealthy and influential aristocrat whom the Capulets’ want Juliet to marry. Perhaps if the feud had not been raging between the two families, Juliet could have successfully made a case to her parents that she be allowed to marry Romeo. To be sure, it was to escape her impending marriage to Paris that added fuel to her desperation and spurred her to participate in the Friar’s misguided plan to ‘undertake [a] thing like death’. The plan, in consequence, backfired and caused Romeo to return at the wrong time, arriving too soon and believing she is dead rather than in an herb-induced coma. Another event precipitated at the party is Tybalt’s outrage at the Montagues’ sheer gall at intruding upon their party and ‘scorning the solemnity’ of that night. Taking it as a personal affront to his honour, Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel, but accidentally slays Mercutio, who thrice cries out ‘a plague on both your houses!’ This not only foreshadows ill fortune for their future, but drives home the fact that it is the rivalry between the two houses that causes Mercutio’s death. Inevitably, unresolved grudges and tempers flare, causing Romeo to become the murderer of his new wife’s kinsmen and be subsequently banished to Mantua. Because he was is now situated in Mantua, he is unable to successfully receive the Friar’s message and thus, believes Balthazar when he brings tidings that Juliet’s ‘body sleep in the Capel’s monument and her immortal part with angels lives.’ Had the families obeyed the Prince and sought peace without the sacrifice of their children’s lives, there would not have been such a large catalyst to drive their demises forward. Although Fate and the rivalry between the families are the two driving reasons for their deaths, Romeo and Juliet contribute to their own destruction by their sheer impatience and youthful passion. They are young, fervent and impulsive, their actions dictated by emotions and biology rather than reason. Romeo in particular, could be described as foolhardy and somewhat capricious. Only a few hours before he met Juliet, he was desperately in love with ‘fair Rosalind,’ yet when he sees Juliet he asks himself, quite seriously, ‘Did my heart love before now?’ His affections seem to change as the wind blows, and one is forced to ask themselves whether his obsessive ardour for Juliet would have lasted the passage of time. Cruel accidents of Fate befall the lovers, but in each this is compounded by their own deliberate actions. There is certainly a self-destructive impulse at work in their passion for one another. An example of this is before Juliet takes the potion. She goes through all the various calculations and possibilities that exist, almost trying to rationalize the whole thing, but understanding that she is unable to do so. The fact that she contemplates all the possible ‘mischances’ reveals that not only does she recognize and is unable to shake of the weight of fate, but that she is willing do anything to be with the one she loves. While the intense passion and desire they share has a touching beauty, it is hard to see the intensity of this their relationship as deep and abiding because of their youthful impetuosity. Romeo and Juliet is a masterpiece that transcends the ages, inspires a wide range of emotions and causes the audience to question how heavily Fate influences our lives, the consequences of blinding hatred and enmity, as well as the dangers of youthful infatuation and obsession. While the rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets may be a catalyst for many events leading up to the lovers’ demise, it is Fate that is orchestrating everything— the character’s personalities, the circumstances etc.— from behind the scenes. Some may wonder what would have happened if all these obstacles had been removed; we will never know, but Romeo and Juliet serve as a warning not to rush heedlessly into a situation and let ourselves be ruled by emotions rather than logic. Indeed, ‘violent delights have violent ends.’ 4. The rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets was the main reason for Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. Discuss Whilst the rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets greatly contributed to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, it was not the only factor that lead to their suicides. The mere fact that their physical deaths were caused by their own hands suggests that it was ultimately their lust – or love – for each other that resulted in their deaths. It can also be noted that had Friar Lawrence not suggested Juliet fake her own death in order to continue her life with Romeo, it is possible that neither of them would have fallen into harm’s way. Similarly, events throughout the text – including Mercutio’s death, the absence of an efficient mail service or other means of communication available to us now, and the need for wealth the community of Verona possessed (in particular, Juliet’s mother) – ultimately played a role in the lead up to their deaths. Much of Romeo and Juliet involves the couples’ struggles against public institutions that either explicitly or implicitly oppose the subsistence of their love. Juliet’s mother, Lady Capulet, obediently follows the structure of Verona’s social expectations. She states that by Juliet’s age, she had already given birth to Juliet and was married to a successful and rich man – Lord Capulet. These expectations are laid heavily on Juliet, and as a result of her parents’ lack of concern toward her own, personal wants and desires, Juliet decides to impulsively disobey her parents, marrying Romeo, partially as an act of rebellion. Though societal institutions are not the specific cause of Romeo and Juliet’s deaths, they in some way present obstacles for Romeo and Juliet. The hostility between their families, coupled with the patriarchal power structure inherent in the two families (wherein the father controls the action of all other family members, particularly women), leads to the lovers’ insurgent behavior, and in some way, to their deaths. Romeo and Juliet’s behaviour, as mentioned previously, not only comes from their rebellious and impulsive natures, but also from the so-called ‘wisdom’ of Friar Lawrence, the play’s kind-hearted, yet oddly decadent religious figure. While he provides the two with generally good advice – recommending moderation and sagacity in their relationship – then generously marrying them as they wished, he is also doing these deeds to fulfil his own wishes. He marries Romeo and Juliet as part of a plan to end the social conflict between the Montagues and Capulets in Verona; he assists Romeo into Juliet’s bed, then straight out of Verona the next day; and he devises the plan to reunite the two through the use of a sleeping potion. These acts seem out of character for a man of Catholic stance. They express little understanding of love, and the knowledge he possesses of ‘mystical potions’ lacks the temperament of his religious background. Friar Lawrence, without sensitivity, informs Juliet that Romeo no longer lives, where his solution is to send her to a convent; “Come, I'll dispose of thee among a sisterhood of holy nuns: Stay not to question, for the watch is coming; Come, go, good Juliet”, reflecting upon his temperamental views of love. This doesn’t, however, contradict his caring objectives. Even if his actions were not centrally for the needs of Romeo and Juliet as a couple, Friar Lawrence’s plans did all seem well conceived and well intentioned. Nonetheless, they do, however unintentionally, serve as the main mechanisms through which the tragedy of the play arises – along with Romeo’s overly dramatic view on romance. Romeo, a Montague, well known for his over-romanticism and strong sexual drive, immediately ‘falls in love’ with Juliet having met her only briefly and anonymously at a Capulet party. At the beginning of the play, Romeo is infatuated with Rosaline, announcing her the paragon of women; “She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair”. He later becomes miserable at her indifference towards him, as he explains to Benvolio how “[Rosaline will] not be hit With Cupid’s arrow” and that she "hath Dian's wit” – Dian being the goddess of chastity. In a way, Rosaline is a device used to show the intensity of Romeo’s love for Juliet. After the realisation that Rosaline hasn’t noticed him, Romeo writes angst-y poetry and pines over her, all the while never actually doing anything to get her attention. Romeo’s attention then transfers almost immediately to Juliet – an action that can either demonstrate his impulsive and somewhat naïve nature, or the fact that he is truly more compatible with Juliet. When Friar Lawrence questions who Romeo, had spent the night with if not Rosaline, Romeo replies with, “I have forgot that name, and that name's woe”. When announcing that he wants to then marry Juliet after but one night, Friar Lawrence comments on his sudden change of sentiment, that “[Romeo’s] love then lies not truly in [his] heart, but in [his] eye”, and that he thinks this infatuation Romeo has with Juliet is superficial. Had Romeo been able to leave Juliet as simply as he had forgotten Rosaline, their deaths would likely have been avoided. Likewise, had Juliet found a more practical method of running away with Romeo than forging her own death and had the communication through Verona been more efficient, tragedy could have been steered clear from. Ultimately, however, it was the rivalry between the couple’s families that caused their deaths. For without the conflict, Romeo and Juliet’s households would have joyfully granted their marriage, and there would have been no need for Juliet to fake her death, no need for Romeo to kill himself upon seeing Juliet dead, and no need for Juliet to emulate Romeo’s own actions and take her own life permanently. 5. The rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets was the main reason for Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. Discuss A romantic Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet is about two acquainted, starcross’d lovers that take their life by fate. There has been a known public rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets so it was mere coincidence that two complete strangers from both opposite sides fell madly in love when their eyes met. It was a love that was forbidden yet they decided their own destiny to see how their relationship would blossom. But little did they know they had only a few days to live because of a simple misunderstanding. If fate had been kinder, their lives would not have ended so suddenly and tragically. In this play, Shakespeare specifically crafted it in a way that Romeo and Juliet supposedly met by fate. In the beginning of this play, Romeo had just broken up with a girl named Rosalind. According to the way Romeo described this girl was evident that he believed that she was the one and even after the break up, his love for her would never be forgotten. Mercutio had gotten invitations to a Capulet masquerade ball for him and all of his friends. Romeo did not want to go in the beginning but by Mercutio’s persuading charms, he went. At this ball, there were a lot of people who attended and yet it was certainly fate that Romeo and Juliet met. Without knowing each other’s names, a single glance made these two teenagers fall romantically in love. Unfortunately it was ‘…too early seen and known too late…’ as they both happened to be from opposite sides (Juliet was a Capulet and Romeo was a Montague). Although the public rivalry did not get in the way of their passionate love for one another, they had to plan it secretly. Friar Lawrence and the Nurse were just encouraged the secret the marriage but in their opinion, the marriage was for good intentional purposes. Friar wanted to marry them because he believed that the marriage would end the feud once and for all and the Nurse who had raised Juliet as her own child, believed that this marriage would make her happy. Though even after the marriage, the peace and happiness did not come till sadly much later. There’s no argument that Friar Lawrence was the person who caused their death, but if the letter was received by Romeo, Friar’s plan would’ve been a blessing for them but back fired. At this time, Romeo had fled to a place called Mantua because he had been banished from Verona by the Prince (because he was guilty for the murder of Tybalt). Unfortunately for Juliet, she was being forced to marry Paris the following day by her controlling parents even though she had already secretly married Romeo. With all these course of events, she couldn’t handle the pressure so she declared to Friar Lawrence that she was ready to kill herself. Friar gave her another way make her life easier which was to give her a ‘…distilling liquor drink’ that would give her ‘…a cold and drowsy humour; for no pulse’ and at the same time send a message to Romeo to warn Juliet of her mistaken death. It could’ve been a brilliant plan for this young couple but ended up being a disaster. Friar Lawrence’s friend Friar John was the messenger that was expected to deliver the letter to Romeo. At the time of sending the letter, there were plagues spreading around the nation and one of them happened to be around a place that would’ve lead to Mantua. If this event had happened during a time where plagues were non-existence, the message would’ve been delivered on time and Romeo wouldn’t have travelled back to Verona in rage to see Juliet and kill himself. Romeo was in anguish and pain after hearing Juliet’s death through public news and foolishly took his life before he had checked the integrity of her death. At this point, Balthazar had told Romeo about Juliet’s death, which made Romeo devastated. Immediately Romeo fled to Verona and bought a potion that was so toxic that it had ‘…the strength of twenty men…would dispatch you straight.’ As he was next to Juliet, he believed that killing himself will take him to a happier place so he drank the deadly vile before Juliet woke up from her deep sleep. As Juliet sees Romeo (an adolescent who she fell in love a few days ago and married not long after), she believes that her life was no longer worth living anymore as well so she decides to take her life by stabbing herself with his dagger that happened to be in front of her. Juliet was already prepared to kill herself because she knew that if she continued to live, with her very controlling parents, she have to obey them by marrying Paris and may never be allowed to be close to Romeo due to the feud. She was immediately convinced that Romeo was the only thing that made her happy. Romeo had a choice whether he wanted to remain in Mantua to later receive Friar Lawrence’s message or whether he wanted to visit Juliet for the last time. Through his eyes, he considered that by disobeying the Prince’s orders by returning to Verona will get himself killed so as long as he could spend his last night with Juliet he wouldn’t mind his life ending even though it would’ve been a short one. If Romeo had waited longer, Juliet would’ve awakened and allowing the lovers to continue their passionate relationship. Overall, regarding that the rivalry was one of the main reasons for Romeo and Juliet’s death, it was truly fate to blame. It was impossible to control where and when their paths would cross. Romeo and Juliet were two teenagers that were not supposed to fall in love but did. It was the fate’s decision to bring the two together and develop devoted connection and lead to their heartbreaking death.