Romeo and Juliet were not the only ones to blame for their tragic ending.

Two households, both alike in Dignity,

In fair Verona.

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows.

 Do with their death bury their parents’ strife.

The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,

And the continuance of their parents rage,

Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove.

(An extract from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Prologue.)

Romeo and Juliet’s end was undoubtedly tragic. But the big question is: Are they to blame for their deaths? And more importantly; are they the only ones accountable for these consequences? They certainly shouldn’t be held responsible for their deaths as there are various contradicting components that advocate so.

“Plague upon both your houses.” ( Mercutio Act III Scene I, 90-92) One of the conflicts, if not the main, was the dispute between Capulets and Montagues. It seemed that their houses were already cursed. On top of that, family feud forced the lovers keep their relationship a secret, without the families realising how inane this whole matter was.

Friar Lawrence helped Juliet in the way he thought was most appropriate. He asked Juliet to drink the poison that would make her seemingly dead. Had he not done that, Romeo and Juliet would have eventually found a way to reunite. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Romeo didn’t receive the letter sent by Friar Lawrence. Hence, he was never aware of Juliet’s ‘death’.

“Love is heavy and light, bright and dark, hot and cold, sick and healthy, sleep and awake- it’s everything except what it is.” (Act I scene I) Romeo and Juliet’s love was pure but dangerous, dark and most importantly, forbidden. The lovers had to sneak around, lying about who they were visiting. The forbiddance of their love, was main cause of their death. This not only cast an aura of negativity around their relationship but unknowingly caused them to somehow admit that being together was going to be very difficult if not impossible. Although, they were willing to try, it only resulted in their deaths.

“These violent delights have violent endings. And in their triumph die, like flower and powder, which, as they kiss, consume.”  (Friar Lawrence Act II Scene IV.)  Friar Lawrence warned Romeo and Juliet that love that blossomed from violence will only end in violence and almost predicted that this relationship wasn’t going to end well. Had he suggested them another plan to follow by, they would have been alive.

“Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.” (Friar Lawrence, Act II Scene III) Everything in Romeo and Juliet happened in haste. It all happened within a time frame of two days where they fell in love at first sight to when they agreed to get married to their deaths. This all happens all so fast that there was hardly any time to think things through. This rashness built pressure. This caused them to take help from Friar Lawrence who in turn, however, did devise a plan but one that doomed Romeo and Juliet’s future. Had it not been for the recklessness, not only Romeo and Juliet’s but also Friar Lawrence and Nurses’, they would still have, perhaps, been alive.   

Romeo and Juliet couldn’t have prevented their end. There were many factors in their lives driving them towards their destiny. Whether be it Friar Lawrence’s devised plan or the feud between the two families, they were destined to meet their end. Romeo and Juliet’s end was a reflection upon how influencing young love is, and how frivolous feuds between adults can have an adverse impact on their children. Their end was a consequence of their actions but they were certainly not the only ones to blame.    

Conclusively, Romeo and Juliet’s love was encompassed with violence. The same was envisaged in the quote above, “violent delights has violent ending.”  Their tragic love story came to an end with everyone, to an extent, responsible for it- their families, friends and they themselves.