, Research Paper
For never was a story of more woe, than that of Juliet and ger Romeo. But what made the story so tragic? To whom should the blame be placed for their downfall? Friends? Family? Themselves? As they say theirs no one to blame but yourself. Juliet and Romeo’s profound ignorance of the importance of both trusting internal instincts and heeding warnings showered upon them by friends caused a significant deal of their downfall. After their secret wedding, Romeo and Juliet further led to their own downfall by not telling their repective families about their marriage. Romeo and Juliet behaved impulsively without thinking of the severe consequences of their actions and this caused the majority of their tragic downfall. Romeo and Juliet’s ignorince towards their instincts and warnings, secercy about their marriage and hasty decisions are all reasons responsible for their downfall.
Firstly, Juliet and Romeo’s profound ignorance of the importance of both trusting internal instincts and heeding warnings showered upon them by friends caused a significant deal of their downfall. Juliet disregarded her original instinct to not rush their marriage and Romeo ignored Friar Laurence’s warning about the hurried marriage. Romeo concealed under Juliet’s window until after Juliet declaired her love for him. When Romeo then propose marriage, Juliet’s immediate reaction was that it was too sudden.
“Well do not swear. Although I joy in thee,
I have no joy of this contract to-night:
It is too rash, too unadvis’d, too sudden;
Too like the lighting, which doth cease to be
Ere one can say It lightens’. Sweet good-night!” (A.2 S.2 L.116-120)
Juliet not listening to her intuition eventually led to their death. If she had trusted her instincts, there would not have been a rushed wedding. This is important because if the marrriage had not been rushed they would have had time to work things out between the families. As Romeo waits for his bride-to-be at their secret wedding, the good Friar warns Romeo of some of the consequences of their hasty marriage.
“These violent delights have violent ends,
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder
Which as they kiss consume. The sweetest honey
Is loathsome in his own deliciousness,
And in the taste confounds the appetite:
Therefore love moderately-long love doth so,
Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow. ” (A.2 S.6 L.9-15)
Romeo did not stop to analyse the potential aftermath of their marriage, despite Friar Laurence’s comments and went ahead with the wedding anyway. His Failure to face the difficulties arising out of the marriage and discuss it with Juliet contributed to their tragic endings because it did not allow them to plan together how to inform their families. Therefore Juliet’s dis regarding of her instincts and Romeo’s ignoring of a friend’s warning about their rushed marriage each contributed to their subsequent downfall.
Secondly, After their secret wedding, Romeo and Juliet further led to their own downfall by not telling their repective families about their marrage. Romeo and Juliet both had numerous oppertunities to dicuss their secret with family members. If others had known about the marriage, the tragedy may not have accurred. As Romeo was about to fight with Tybalt, he told him,
” Romeo
Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee
Doth much excuse the appertaining rage
To such a greeting. Villain am I none.
Therefore farewell; I see thou know’st me not
Tybalt
Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries
That thou hast done me. Therefore turn and draw
Romeo
I do protest I never injur’d thee,
But love thee better than thou canst devise,
till thou shalt know the reason of my love:
And so, good Capulet, which name I tender
as dearly as my own, be satisfied”(A.3 S.1 L.61-71)
Romeo causes part of his own downfall here by not telling Tybalt about his marriage to Tybalt’s cousin. If Romeo had stepped forward and openly told Tybalt about his the wedding, then Tybalt would not have faught him so. Thus Tybalt would not have died and Romeo would not have banished. After Juliet’s outburst regardign Marring Paris, she came back from the Friar’s cell to apoligize to her father.
” Juliet
Where I have learn’d me to repent the sin
Of disobedient opposition
To you and your behests; and am enjoin’d
By holy Laurence to fall protate here,
And beg your pardon. Pardon, I beseech you!
Hence forward I am evr rul’d by you.
Capulet
Send for the County, go tell him of this:
I’ll have this knot knit up tommorrow morning.
Juliet
I met the youthful lord at Laurence’ cell,
And gave him what becomed love I might,
Not stepping o’er the bounds of modesty.” (A.4 S.2 L.17-27)
However, she could have taken this opportunity to confess that she ahd married Romeo and conumated the marriage. Although her father would have been furious with her, he would not have insisted that she marry Paris. She would not have needed to go though with the Friar’s scheme about the potion, and it would have effectively ended the matter before any tragedy occurred. In both instances, if Romeo and Juliet had taken advantage of opportunities to tell family about the marriage, neither of them would have died.
Lastly, Romeo and Juliet behaved impulsively without thinking of the severe consequences of their actions and this caused the majority of their tragic downfall. If Romeo and Juliet had stopped to think of the aftermath of their actions they would have probably decided to change their stategy. While Juliet’s mother was discussing how Juliet must marry Paris, Juliet’s respose to this news was that she would rather kill herself than marry Paris.
“O sweet my mother, cast me not away!
Delay this marriage for a month, a week;
Or, if you do not, make the bridal bed
In that dim monument where Tybalt lies”(A.3 S.5 L.199-202)
Juliet caused most of her own downfall by making a hasty decision. Though killing herself seemed logical at the time, in the end faking her death caused more problems then it solved. Because of her prior theats, people assumed she had killed herself and did not really investigate the matter. After Juliet ahd taken the Friar’s potion, Romeo heard the intial news of her death, jumped to conclusions and went to Juliet’s tomb to kill himself.
” Romeo
Hast thou no letters to me from the Friar?
Balthezar
No, my good lord
Romeo
No matter; get thee gone
And hire hores: I’ll be with thee tonight.
Let’s see for means. O mischief, thou art swift
To enter in the thought of desperate men.” (A.5 S.1 L.31-36)
Romeo caused a major part of his own downfall by not getting all the facts before he made his rash decision to kill himself. Had Romeo talked to the Friar to find out how and why she died he would have discovered that she was only sleeping and waiting for his return so they could be together. Romeo is impulsive decision to kill himself ultimately led to Juliet’s subsequent death. Therefore, Juliet’s and Romeo’s impulsive behaviour caused the majority of their tragic downfall.
In conclusion, Romeo and Juliet’s ignorince towards their instincts and warnings, secercy about their marriage and hasty decisions are all reasons responsible for their downfall. Juliet and Romeo’s profound ignorance of the importance of both trusting internal instincts and heeding warnings showered upon them by friends caused a significant deal of their downfall. After their secret wedding, Romeo and Juliet further led to their own downfall by not telling their repective families about their marriage. Romeo and Juliet behaved impulsively without thinking of the severe consequences of their actions and this caused the majority of their tragic downfall. Their were so many ways that Romeo and Juliet’s tragity could be been avoided, but when it all comes down to it would their families really have let them be togther Had they been able to stay togther would their love really have lasted or would realization of their love” turn into an infactuation?
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