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{Romeo And Juliet} Evaluate Who, Or What, In Your Opinion Is Most Responsible For The Fates Of The Two Lovers.

There are a number of factors in Romeo and Juliet which some could say caused the tragic downfall of the two “star cross’d lovers”, nevertheless I believe that the Friar played the most important role in this. However other key factors, such as fate, the feud between the two houses, the fathers of both children, the lovers’ passion and the Nurse may also be seen as a leading contributor in the death of the two lovers, caught in an “ancient grudge”. These characters and themes all play a part in tragic end of Romeo and Juliet.
The feud between the two houses could be seen as highly responsible for the two lovers’ death in the “two hours’ traffic of our stage”, which is represented by some of the language techniques which Shakespeare uses through the play. The theme of rivalry runs through the play, which is shown strongly in the opening scene of the play, where the Capulets and Montagues fight for the first time in the streets of Verona. This shows the world in which Romeo and Juliet were born into, full of rebellion, war and bloodshed; another plot device used by Shakespeare to cause the two characters’ deaths. The contrast of this feeling between Romeo and Juliet is shown extremely strongly in Act 1, scene 5 where both lovers find out that their “only love sprung from my only hate!” The adoption of antithesis is extremely distinctive as Shakespeare cleverly uses both contrasting words in order to create pathos for the two romantics. The direct sadness shown from both characters as they find out about the unfortunate circumstance they are in will show the audience how the feud between the Montagues and Capulets have, in effect, ruined their lives. However, in contrast to this, Juliet attempts to defy the feud that they are poised in the middle of as she asks “what’s in a name?” and abruptly tells Romeo that she will “no longer be a Capulet”. This shows the companionship and unity between the two, which is also shown through Shakespeare splitting lines between...