An Avoidable Tragedy

QUESTION 2

An Avoidable Tragedy

Romeo and Juliet’s tragedy was a result of circumstances and strong personalities. The feud is what originally caused the conflict between the Montague's and the Capulet’s. The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet could have been avoided if the people had been less querulent and had looked more into the present and future rather than in the past. instead people’s stubbornness, blind hatred or blind love for each other and their hubris is what caused the death of Romeo and Juliet.

    In Romeo and Juliet strong emotions play a very important role. The cause for this is the feud between the Capulet’s and the Montague's. It is what provokes both the intense love between Romeo and Juliet and the strong hatred that individuals from both houses feel for each other. These strong emotions often make the people in the play blind and cause misunderstandings that often lead to death. An example of that is the hatred that Tybalt feels for Romeo. In Act 2 Scene 1 Tybalt says: “Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford no better term than this: thou art a villain.” Romeo answers: “I do protest I never injured thee But love thee better than thou canst devise” Tybalt wants to kill Romeo, Romeo tries to assure Tybalt that he feels no hatred for him and that he is not Tybalt’s enemy however Tybalt's hatred for Romeo has left him blinded, a fight evokes in which Tybalt kills Romeo’s friend Mercutio and out of revenge Romeo kills Tybalt. Though Romeo does not see himself as Tybalt’s enemy the feud has left Tybalt blinded with hatred and this leads to his death. If Tybalt had listened to Romeo and been willing to talk the situation would not have escalated the way it did and Romeo would not have killed Tybalt, and would not have been banished which was the turning point that ultimately lead to Romeo and Juliet’s deaths.

    When Juliet’s Parents decide to marry her to Paris she is devastated. She seeks Friar Lawrence for help who gives her a sleeping potion that will make her seem dead. Juliet decides to take the potion hoping that way she can escape the marriage with Paris and live with Romeo. Though Friar Lawrence is a man of the church, he also believes in Science and that man can take their fate into their own hands. This hubris ends up being the fatal flaw that leads to Romeo and Juliet’s deaths as the message of the plan does not reach Romeo. When he hears from Juliet’s death he travels to her grave where she lays still sleeping, however Romeo, thinking she is dead decides to take his live in despair. When Juliet awakes and finds Romeo dead she kills herself as well. If it hadn’t been for Friar Lawrence’s hubris the Death of Romeo and Juliet could have been avoided.

    They play Romeo and Juliet ends with the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. A feud between Romeo’s family, the Montague's and Juliet’s family, the Capulet’s had caused long years of hatred between the two houses. The feud however also provokes the strong love between Romeo and Juliet. The strong personalities of many of the characters is what caused the tragedy, as people were blinded by love or hatred due to the feud or to sure of their abilities to take fate into their own hands. The tragedy could have been avoided if characters had been less querulent and stubborn and more open to compromise.