Theme Of Responsibility In Romeo And Juliet

“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves”, is a quote by the man himself, William Shakespeare, concerning human responsibility, otherwise known as the capability of completing an obligation, or duty sufficiently. These commitments or duties play a role in how a situation will play out, and dictate the consequences that follow. The choices made from the beginning to the end in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet are all examples of how people’s decisions, primarily those of Tybalt, Mercutio and Friar Lawrence, lead to a heartbreaking fallout. The pressure and burden weighing down the young lovers ultimately overwhelms them, causing an expeditious chain reaction. The influences behind each character’s ill-considered judgments,

Seeking to flee her father’s demands about marrying Paris, Juliet ran to Friar Lawrence in pursuit of a plan, or else threatening to take her own life. Once Friar Lawrence finally gave in to Juliet’s pleas, he comforted her by saying, “Let not the Nurse lie with thee in thy chamber. / Take thou this vial, being then in bed, / And this distilling liquor drink thou off” (4.1.92-94). This proposition made the entire Capulet family believe that Juliet was dead, but unfortunately it was not passed on to Romeo in the right means, which made him believe that Juliet was truly dead. Romeo found no alternative reason to live if he could not be with her, and planned to kill himself. This was one of the most important pieces of information that determined the future of the young lovers, but was not interpreted in a conscientious

Through the predominant influences of certain characters, inconsistency of decision making, and secretiveness amongst the characters, these events quickly lead to the grievous incident of the play. All the way from past hatred and persuasive friends, to emotionally driven decisions such as Romeo’s desire to be married and his vengeance, the play concluded with potions that provoked counter outcomes. Romeo and Juliet displayed the risks they were willing to take in the name of love, but in the end, poor choices took responsibility for the continuous occurrences that lead to dreadful ends; however, opposed to the idea of fate, or a stronger force guiding the character’s actions. With this, the play closed with the poisonous idea of the love that Romeo and Juliet shared, including all that they would sacrifice to have a chance at a life