Fate Essay, Research Paper

The only theme that tragedy reveals is that the noble and good must suffer. There is no lesson we can draw from tragedy that will help us avoid the fate of the protagonist. It is known that in Shakespeare?s tragedies the main characters die in the end. Romeo and Juliet being a tragedy, sets up a situation where we know that Romeo and Juliet are going to die in the end. There are many events that lead to their deaths. The Capulets and Montagues share the responsibility for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet because of each family?s stubborn refusal to end an enduring feud. If their feud could have been resolved the children of each family would not have shared this terrible fate. Friar Lawrence was also partially to blame through his actions in trying to help the couple. At the end of the story the Prince, is the only character who reminds everyone the reality of how Romeo and Juliet?s death occurred because of everyone?s faults.

Romeo and Juliet didn?t even try to tell their parents, Lord and Lady Montague and Lord and Lady Capulet, about love between they shared for each other because they were afraid that their parents wouldn?t understand them. Perhaps the families would have understood, the problem is, we don?t know, because Capulet and Montague learned about their children?s love when they were already dead. If Romeo and Juliet were comfortable with telling their parents of their marriage then there would have been fewer complications regarding the marriage with Paris. If it wasn?t for the hostility between the two families then they wouldn?t have cost Romeo and Juliet their lives.

The masque was the most important part of the story. Romeo was wearing a mask to hide his face. Since Juliet couldn?t see his face, it allowed Juliet to fall in love with him before she saw who it was. If Juliet had known Romeo was a Montague she would probably not have fallen in love with him. Juliet said: “My only love, sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late!” (I-5) Juliet realizes that it was a mistake to fall in love with Romeo, because he is a Montague, but it is too late, because she is already in love.

Friar Lawrence also had a big part in the story. All his good intentions, the play still ends in tragedy. Friar Lawrence is a man who is not afraid to take risks to help someone. In Act 2, Scene 6, when he marries Romeo and Juliet, he is risking his reputation as a Friar, so he can help the two lovers. He doesn?t think of the further complications, he does what he thinks is right at the time. He admits his fault in the tragedy when he says, “And here I stand both to impeach and purge myself condemned and myself excused.” (V-3)

The Prince makes them see how much it was all the parents? fault. Montague and Capulet were too immature to end the fighting. They finally ended it after it cost them their children. The Prince accuses them of killing Romeo and Juliet, ? . . . Capulet, Montague, see what a scourge is laid upon your hate, That heavens finds means to kill your joys with love!” There hate, because they couldn?t let their children love each other, Romeo and Juliet died. After that, Capulet and Montague make peace, and Montague even says that he will make a gold statue of Juliet, but what is that going to do, it is too late, their children are already dead.

That is how in Romeo and Juliet, the only theme that tragedy reveals is that the noble and good must suffer. There is no lesson we can draw from tragedy that will help us avoid the fate of the protagonist. The events that lead to their deaths are the Capulets and Montagues, because of their family?s? feud, and Friar Lawrence also was partially to blame for the tragedy. At the end of the story the Prince, is the one who reminds everyone the reality of how Romeo and Juliet?s death occurred because of everyone?s faults.