Who Was Responsible For The Deaths Of Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a story that has been read by millions of people. Everyone knows the tragic tale of two lovers who were kept apart until their untimely deaths, and it is one of the most highly held pieces of media today. Although it might seem obvious as to who killed them, being themselves, I think it is more than just what actually happened to them. The person I believe is responsible for Romeo and Juliet's deaths is Romeo himself. He has many character flaws, such as his dramatic tendencies, impulsivity, and an overwhelming case of main character syndrome. Romeo is very dramatic- we see it as soon as he comes on stage. His opening scene is him complaining to his cousin, Benvolio, about how he isn’t able to find love with a woman named

While his sudden marriage to Juliet after only a day might be seen as impulsive, I see it as Romeo’s need to always be living on the edge. There is nothing more dramatic than marrying somebody you just met- somebody you aren’t even allowed to speak to- and that is exactly why Romeo did it. Juliet was young and gullible, and Romeo unknowingly took advantage of that when he asked her to marry him. It isn’t true love, and it certainly won’t last forever, but he chose to do it anyway. Another character flaw of Romeo’s, as mentioned earlier, is his overwhelming impulsivity. Romeo likes to make decisions without clearly thinking them over. A perfect example of this is when he kills Tybalt, Juliet's cousin. In act three, scene one, Romeo jumps in the middle of a fight between Tybalt and his best friend, Mercutio. Tybalt kills Mercutio, and in his anger, Romeo kills Tybalt for revenge. He even admits to not thinking clearly, letting “...fire-eyed fury be my conduct now.— Now, Tybalt, take the “villain” back again.” (Act three, scene one, 129) When Romeo doesn’t think clearly about his actions, he makes impulsive decisions that have catastrophic

Romeo’s final character flaw is his need to always be in the spotlight. This ties back to both his impulsivity and his dramatic nature, creating an obvious example of who killed him and Juliet. After the murder of Tybalt, Romeo flees the city and goes to a neighboring town to hide out. He could’ve started a completely new life here- leaving all of his family feuds and teenage romance behind. This would’ve aligned with his desire to live on the edge, but his self-centered tendencies told him he needed to go back and cause more problems for everybody. In the final act of the play, Juliet falls into a deep sleep and fakes her death until Romeo comes to wake her up. However, he believes that she is actually dead, and kills himself just before she wakes up. “Here’s to my love,” (Act five, scene 3, line 119) He says as he drinks a cup of poison, immediately killing him. Of course, when Juliet comes and sees her husband dead, she kills herself as well, leaving both of them dead. I fully believe that Romeo and Juliet could’ve lived full, very happy lives if it weren’t for