Comparison Of Parents To Blame For The Deaths Of Romeo And Juliet

Tom Giaquinto once said “The only person you hurt when you stay angry or hold grudges is you.” This quote can represent the feud between the two families in Romeo and Juliet. Nonetheless, even in that play, the quote is not entirely true because the parents of the families effected more than just themselves, as both of their heirs were killed. However, the play shows one family more than the other in the play, and those parents are the one to blame. The audience can see their reactions and how they dealt with the situations that led to Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. In Shakespeare’s play the people that are the most to blame for Romeo and Juliet’s deaths are Lord and Lady Capulet because they kept the family feud going, their actions were careless,

Rather than deciding that lives being lost over the fight were not worth it, they allowed the citizens to fight the other family and add more fuel to the blazing fire that was their quarrel. The first quote that supports this claim is, “And the continuance of their parents rage which their children’s end, naught could remove” (Prologue.10-11). This shows that the Capulets and Montagues have both been angry at each other for a long while, and the only thing powerful enough to get to them and take away the fight would have to be as devastating as their children’s death. This quote speaks of the strength of this feud. Another statement that supports this is, “Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, by thee, old Capulet, and Montague, have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets” (1.1.87-89). This quote also emphasizes that the feud would have been started over something small, something small that could be as insignificant as a word. Supporting this, the feud between the families had caused Romeo’s banishment, because of Tybalt anger for something as unimportant as Romeo attending a party. Since the two families, primarily the Capulets, could not overcome the fight between each other, they are responsible for the deaths of Romeo and

This is primarily shown in the events leading up to Juliet getting married to Paris, when Lord Capulet gave Juliet no choice other than to marry Paris. He states that, “I tell thee what: get thee to church o’ Thursday, or never look me in the face” (3.5.166-168). Her choices were be disowned or commit adultery, and neither would go well for her. Lord Capulet also believes that Juliet will do whatever he wants her to, insinuating that she can not makes choices for herself or that she does not have a mind for her own. He declares, “Sir Paris, I will make desperate tender of my child’s love. I think she will be ruled in all respects of me” (3.4.12-14). It was purely unnecessary to force Juliet to marry Paris, even though her parents thought he was the best. They definitely could have found anyone else, or let her be with who she was comfortable being with. This could have saved Juliet, and she would have lived. Juliet’s parents forcing unnecessary events was another cause to her