Who Is Responsible For Romeo And Juliet's Deaths

Everyone has heard the story of Romeo and Juliet. The tragic deaths of the two lovers leave readers heartbroken, looking back on who was responsible or what could have been done to prevent this fatal ending. One group of people that could be responsible are the parents. Parent-child relationships are among some of the most important aspects in a child's development. Bad parenting, or lack of emotional connection could lead to dire consequences for both the children and the parent. This can be seen in the famous William Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet, where the parents, especially Juliets, play a crucial role in the devastating turnout of the story. It is debatable on who is responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, but Juliet's parents

The text says, “If thy bent of love be honorable, / Thy purpose of marriage, send me word tomorrow.” (2.2.150-151). This is a valid point because of the fact that if Juliet hadn't rushed their relationship and decided to get married to Romeo only a few hours after meeting, Romeo and Juliet would probably have not ended up dying. However, teenage brains are not developed yet, resulting in lack of impulse control. The text says, “ This area is responsible for skills like planning, prioritizing, and controlling impulses. Because these skills are still developing, teens are more likely to engage in risky behaviors without considering the consequences” (1). Juliet’s parents would have the job of helping Juliet not engage in this behavior if they were more involved in their life. If her parents were more emotionally involved, they could have known about Juliet's plans and helped her through the fact that this was not a good idea. Juliet also showed impulsive behavior when she killed herself right after she found out that Romeo had died. She found a dagger and immediately killed herself. The text says, “O, happy dagger, This is thy sheath. There rust, and let me die.” (5.3.174-175). It was Juliets lack of brain development that helped her make the quick decision to kill herself. If her parents had educated her on bad decision making, Juliet could have had better judgment. As one can see, Juliet is not to blame for the tragic end for Romeo and Juliet, and it is really Juliet's parents who are at