How Does Shakespeare Present Death In Romeo And Juliet

In the tragedy of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, death is a theme that is presented repeatedly. Shakespeare uses death as a plot device to keep the story moving. Over the course of the play, several characters die and death is often threatened. Through the perspectives of different characters, Shakespeare portrays death as the tragic consequences of hate and prejudice, love and loyalty, and the inevitability of fate. From a legal perspective, Shakespeare presents death as the punishment of disregarding the law of peace in Verona. The Prince, in this case, is the legal perspective who threatens death. Tybalt and Mercutio, two characters in the play, succumb to their disregard for the law, resulting in their death. When Mercutio is

Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is a prime example of this irrationality. The two lovers choose to kill themselves rather than live without one another, ignoring the future consequences. Here, the reader begins to discover Romeo's willingness to die if he can not be with Juliet, “I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes,/ And but thou love me, let them find me here./ My life were better ended by their hate,/ Than death proroguèd,/ wanting of thy love” (2.2.80). This shows how they are prepared to risk everything, even their lives, for one another because their love is so intense. When Juliet exclaims “...Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger,/ This is thy sheath./ There rust and let me die” (5.3.174), it shows how Romeo’s death affected Juliet’s inability to think rationally, choosing to commit suicide instead. Their lack of maturity causes them to take risks and act without thinking through the consequences. Shakespeare also portrays death as a result of family feud, resulting in the couple’s tragic

Tybalt and Mercutio’s deaths were because of their background. On every occasion the members of the feuding families meet, it always results in further bloodshed. When Mercutio is fatally wounded, he curses at the two houses, “A plague o’ both your houses!” (3.1.94), which shows that both families are to be blamed for causing his death. Furthermore, the threat of the families’ feud caused Romeo and Juliet to keep their relationship a secret. Their lies and secrets ended up killing them, and their parents played a part by not letting them be together. As both sides come to realize the cost of their hatred, Lord Capulet says, “O brother Montague, give me thy hand/ This is my daughter’s jointure, for no more/ Can I demand” (5.3.306). This supports the conclusion that it was the fault of their feud for the deaths of their beloved children. The lack of support, communication, impulsiveness and short-tempered decisions of the families are to be blamed for the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare highlights the consequences that family grudges can have on individuals and