The Shame and Blame Game
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is a heartbreaking tale about a pair of star-crossed lovers separated by the feud between their families. During the two hours traffic of said play, the two lovers, Romeo and Juliet, fall in love and eventually get married. They have to keep their relationship hidden for fear it all falling apart at the seams. By the hands of a few people and a few bad decisions, the two eventually meet their untimely demise. The characters most to blame for this outcome are Romeo, Juliet, and Friar Laurence.
The first character that is most to blame is Romeo himself. After his banishment, Romeo begins housing himself in Friar Laurence’s house in Mantua. Whilst there he says, “This gentleman, the Prince’s near ally, my very friend, hath got this mortal hurt in my behalf-” (3.1.116-118). If Romeo didn’t ever step in front of Mercutio, then his dear friend wouldn’t have gotten stabbed. If this hadn’t have happened, then many of the events that transpired afterwards, such as Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment, wouldn’t have happened. Yet, Romeo was not the only one to shoulder the blame for his and his lady’s downfall.
The next character that is most to blame
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All of the decisions they made led up to the outcome that we all know and dread. While they had a hand in said outcome, the era in which they lived may have also played a role. In that time period, there was no quick way to communicate with anyone, and there was no way to get anywhere quickly either. Also, the social standards of the people at that time affected some of the decisions that were made, such as the arranged marriage between Paris and Juliet. In short, even the smallest of details and decisions can determine the difference between life and death. As said in the poem “Bad Decisions” by Keli Mims, “Life's in need of revision, due to bad decisions, of good