Who Is Most Responsible for the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet

    Romantic love stories are often ended with a tragedy, because of loss of passion or a loved one.   These tragedies are often the result of one person’s actions that ended someone’s life or love.   In the Romeo and Juliet play written by William Shakespeare, two citizens of Verona come together and fall deeply in love.   Unfortunately their love comes to an end, along with their lives, because of a misunderstanding and a persistent feud between their families.   Although there are many characters in this play that have contributed to Romeo and Juliet’s death, Friar Laurence is the person most to blame.



    Friar Laurence’s actions throughout the play resulted in the two star crossed lovers’ death.   He assisted the two when they wanted to get married, which began the disastrous events in the play.   Friar Laurence says to Romeo:

          In one respect I’ll thy assistant be.

          For this alliance may so happy prove,

          To turn your households’ rancour to pure love.

                                                                                      (II.iii.86-88)

When he says this, he is stating he will assist Romeo by marring the two, because through the marriage their families may learn to love each other; therefore ending the fight.   Friar Laurence only married the two lovers because he thought it would have a positive impact on the families’ feud.   However, he should of thought about the consequences and how since the head of the families were unaware, the marriage could only have negative affects.   Also, they were never married they would not have such passion and reason for wanting to be together and therefore would not have killed themselves because their spouse was dead.   A second reason the Friar should be held most responsible is the fact that he gave Juliet a remedy in order to “fake” her death. Friar Laurence tells Juliet:

          Take thou this vial, being then in bed,
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