Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare tells the story of two families: The Montagues and Capulets who have an on-going feud. Out of this feud, two lovers emerge Romeo a Montague and Juliet a Capulet.

Romeo and Juliet deaths could have been avoided by the choices and actions of characters in the story. I believe that if there was any character to blame, or in this case a group of people it would the Montagues and Capulets. If these two families did not hate each other there would not have been a reason for Romeo and Juliet to hide their love. Juliet expresses this when she says:

“O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name;

Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,

And I'll no longer be a Capulet.”

Another part of the story in which the blame can be pinned on the Montagues and Capulets would be when Prince Escalus says: "Capulet! Montague! See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate, /That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love."

Even though I believe that the Montagues and Capulets are one of the main causes of the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Their love might have developed differently if the families didn't hate each other . One way their love might have developed differently is they might have never gotten married or Friar Lawrence might have not agreed to marry them as shown in the following quote: “In one respect I'll thy assistant be; For this alliance may so happy prove/To turn your households' rancour to pure love.” Another reason why their love might have developed differently if the two families didn't hate each other is their love might not have been as strong because it was young love and it might have not lasted long if their parents had let their love flourish Friar Lawrence even mentioned this when he said “young men's love then lies/Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.”

This is why I believe that the Montagues and Capulets are the people who are the most to blame in the story, but I also believe that their were many other characters or causes that could have caused their deaths as well and if these causes were avoidable the play would have not been the same.