Romeo And Juliet is a tragedy showing the descent from comedy and love, to death. However, during the Prologue the audience is foretold the outcome of the play. This confuses us as a modern audience and makes the play seem like a challenge to place the blame of the outcome on to one character. Throughout the story many characters make decisions which could play a part in the tragic outcome of the production, from Romeo and Juliet themselves, to the Friar and the Nurse, or perhaps it was all down to fate and nothing could have stopped it from happening.
Shakespeare suggests that fate is to blame for the tragedy of the play and for Romeo and Juliet’s death. The Prologue’s mention of ‘Star crossed lovers’ portrays that their story was already written in the stars and there was nothing anybody could do to stop it. The fact that such an important point of the play in that they ‘take their life’ is mentioned so early, emphasises the fact that fate is pre-determined. Furthermore, in act 5 scene 1 of the play Romeo says that he will ‘defy you stars’ further showing that their love and death would always happen and it was their fate, and that even though he tries to ‘defy’ his fate it ends with the same result emphasising the importance of fate. This would have resonated with an Elizabethan audience due to the popular belief in astrology. In Act 3 Romeo describes himself as ‘Fortune’s fool.’ The personification of Fortune and suggestion that he is at the mercy of Fortune relates to the Wheel of Fortune and suggests that Romeo is at the bottom of the goddess Fortuna’s wheel and that she is making a mockery of him which will eventually lead to his demise and death, and presents fortune as the villain of the play.
Shakespeare also places blame on the Friar and the Nurse, who Romeo and Juliet go to for advice. The Friar provides a range of help for Romeo from wise statements: ‘they stumble those that run fast’ In Act 2 scene 3, to mentioning that ‘These violent delights have violent ends’ yet still marrying Romeo and Juliet and not mentioning it to them. This indecisiveness suggests that his advice is questionable. In Act 2 Scene 6 the Friar uses the metaphor of ‘The sweetest honey’ which is ‘Loathsome in its own deliciousness, and in the taste confounds the appetite.’ This suggests that he knows too much of a good thing is destructive and foreshadows that allowing Romeo and Juliet to marry will ultimately lead to their demise. Furthermore, the Friar believes that their ‘alliance may so happy prove to turn your households’ rancour to pure love.’ This in parallel with his mention of the ‘violent ends’ could suggest that he is using and manipulating their love to end the war between the families whilst realising that they will die. This portrays the corruption in the Catholic church which is relevant to Shakespeare’s time as during the Reformation of the church there was a large divide between the Protestants and Catholics and many thought the Catholic church was corrupt. Furthermore, the two families of the Capulets and the Montagues could relate to the two sides of the Protestants and the Catholics in their battle over the church.
The Nurse’s Character is a mirror of the Friar but for Juliet and her advice also seems to vary. In Act 2 Scene 5 she talks positively of Romeo and calls him ‘an honest gentleman, and a courteous, and a kind, and a handsome […]’ These positive adjectives portray that the Nurse thinks highly of Romeo, she also mentions later in the scene that she must ‘fetch a ladder, by which your love must climb a bird’s nest when it is dark’ portraying that she approves of their intimate love and that she will help them stay in secret. This could be interpreted as the Nurse wanting the best for Juliet as her maternal figure and possibly a ‘wet nurse’ for Juliet when she was a baby but her encouragement of their marriage could be to blame for the result of the play.
Throughout the production Romeo and Juliet’s actions also affect the outcome of the play. Romeo makes many quick decisions and doesn’t fully think them through. When Romeo and Juliet first meet in Act 1 Scene 5 they speak in sonnet and use lots of religious imagery. From lines 92-106 many phrases such as ‘Holy shrine […] pilgrims, ready stand […] saints […] palmers’ kiss’ are used throughout the whole conversation. This religious imagery portrays the way that Romeo would do anything for Juliet, similar to how many religious people would die and give their life for religion and that their love is pure. Furthermore, it suggests an agape love similar to that which people would have for a spouse or God. Moreover, having recently met Romeo and finding out that he is a Montague Juliet says: ‘Prodigious birth of love it is to me, / that I must love a loathèd enemy.’ The use of ‘must’ shows that Juliet refuses to give up on Romeo and has to love him forever or she will never be happy. From this point on he seems to be very impulsive in his decisions. After Mercutio’s murder in Act 3 Scene 1 Romeo says: ‘This days black fate on moe days doth depend, this but begins the woe others must end.’ The description of the day’s fate being ‘black’ portrays how negative Romeo is feeling. Shakespeare suggests that Romeo and Juliet realise the possible consequences of their actions through their almost constant mentioning of death. In Act 2 scene 2, Juliet realises the risk Romeo is in and exclaims ‘If they see thee, they will murder thee.’ Romeo replies ‘Alack there lies more peril in thine eye than twenty of their swords.’ This further emphasises the couple’s recklessness and immaturity which is the cause of their inevitable deaths.
In conclusion, I disagree with the statement. Shakespeare places the blame on many characters throughout the story. From fate and fortune having their whole lives planned out in the stars, to the Friar and the Nurse giving the couple bad advice and not advising against it in the knowledge of the potential consequences, and finally Romeo and Juliet’s recklessness. Shakespeare’s clever use of blame, ever shifting between characters, leaves the question in the audience’s head of who is to blame and each person could have their own view, which, in my opinion, is the brilliance of this play.