Reaction Response:
Who is responsible for the tragendy of Romeo and Juliet?
Stuart MacGillivray							April 19th, 2002

	Determining responsibility for the final tragedy in Romeo and Juliet is a very arduous task; it is easy to find someone to blame, but finding a scapegoat that all can agree on is difficult indeed.  Thus, rather than try to pick and choose, I will simply give a list of who is partially responsible (in my opinion), and why I think they helped cause the tragedy.

	The first, and most evident focuses for blame are old Montague and Capulet.  Their feud, renewed with a new vigor, caused the deaths of many.  If Tybalt had not been raised to hate Montagues so, and he had not been slain, Romeo and Juliet would have had a “happily ever after” ending rarely found in Shakespeare.  In addition to the feud, Capulet earns more blame by arranging Juliet’s marriage to Paris.  Her engagement while being married forces desperate measures.  Finally, it should be noted that without old Montague and Capulet, Romeo and Juliet would not exist.

	Two other characters to share the blame of this tragedy are Tybalt and Paris; what they have in common is little save their murderer, Romeo.  Tybalt, through his hot-headedness, manages to get Romeo banished through his death.  This drives a wedge between Romeo and Juliet, as the former cannot stay in Verona and hope to live.  Meanwhile, Paris’ eagerness to be married to Juliet throws a monkey wrench into the scheme as a whole;  as was mentioned above about Capulet, this situation requires desperate measures.

	A lesser character that shares in the blame for this tragedy is Balthazar.  His haste to reach Romeo, and tell him of Juliet’s death, blasts the remnants of Friar Lawrence’s plan to cinders; Balthazar’s haste is conferred upon Romeo, and the Friar cannot salvage the situation in time.

	Though they do not appear in the play itself, some minor characters can share in the blame: the guards who prevented Friar John from delivering his letter.  Of course, one cannot blame them overmuch; they were just doing their job.

	Next, we come to the lovers themselves, Romeo and Juliet.  Their marriage set the cogs of chaos into motion, as the situation intensified; a thousand things would have changed had the two not met.  As it is, their near fanaticism is directly responsible for the great tragedy; had he not been so obsessed, Romeo might not have slain himself, and would have met up with Friar Lawrence in time.  Better yet, he might have gone to see the Friar about the situation, and learn the truth first hand.  Juliet, as well, occassionally shows a lack of reason.  Her reactions cause the approach of calamity to slowly continue. giving her equal responsibility for the grand finale.

	In summary, no one character is responsible for the tragedy of this play; much of the cast, as a whole, united to create great calamity.  From lowly gate guards to the stars themselves, none escape responsibility.