The Villain In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

608 Words3 Pages

Is there a villain in Romeo & Juliet? Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare is a drama play about a pair of “star-crossed” lovers separated by their parents’ feud. The force of their love pushed the lovers together despite the obstacles that faced them. Eventually, their love led to several untimely deaths. The question is who’s to blame, who’s the bad guy, the villain in the story, or better yet what? Shakespeare develops the characters, making it difficult to answer this question. If truth be told, there isn’t 1, clear antagonist in the story but rather multiple, whether it be a person or thing. While there are characters whose behavior has caused harm and suffering to others, there is not a direct “villain” to blame. After the fight between …show more content…

An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the life/ Of stout Mercutio… As Benvolio explains the quail to the prince, his tone indicates where he stands in the situation. He paints Tybalt as the bad guy or the person to cause the fight in the first place. However, when Lady Capulet hears this story she thinks differently (3.5.84): LADY CAPULET. That is because the traitor murderer lives She believes that Romeo is the one to blame for the situation. She is blinded by her love for Tybalt and her hate for the Montagues. Both people know the same story but yet blame different people for the outcome. How is this possible? Perspective is the cause of the difference in opinion. Evidently, everyone is a villain in someone else’s story. During the quail Tybalt says (3.1.56-57): TYBALT. Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford/ No better term than this: thou art a villain. Tybalt refers to Romeo as a villain due to the learned hate between their two families. Through the lenses of a Capulet, anything a Montague does is considered mischievous and vice versa. The hate that these two families share morphs their perspectives. During the fight with Tybalt, Romeo eventually kills him in a rage. When Juliet is informed about the punishment Romeo receives for fighting with Tybalt