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Who Was Responsible For The Deaths Of Romeo And Juliet Essay

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In which the peacekeeper becomes the death-bringer. The ultimate cause for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet is the Prince Escalus. Not only has he banished Romeo, but he never solved the dispute between the Capulets and Montagues, failing to keep the peace in Verona due to their on-going rivalry. Doing so would have prevented many deaths that have occurred. First and foremost, the Prince admits himself that without ending the rivalry between the two noble houses, Romeo and Juliet would not have died, and would not have lost his own kinsmen. It is mentioned when he said “See, what scourge is laid upon your hate,/That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love! And I for winking at your discords too/Have lost a brace of kinsmen. All are punish’d” (5.3.292-295). Furthermore, the Prince must keep the peace in town, more of a reason to end the …show more content…

If he were to not banish him, Juliet would not have fallen into a slight depression. This is another chain of events that happened due to the decision of the Prince. Juliet’s desperate measures brought her to Friar Lawrence’s cell, who suggested playing dead for the time being. However, since Romeo is banished, Balthasar played right into it as well, leading to Romeo finding Juliet “dead,” and poisoning himself soon after. A moment after Juliet’s awakening, upon seeing Romeo’s corpse, she stabs herself. The Prince was harsh in his decision, as seen in Act 3 Scene 1, “I will be deaf to pleading and excuses;/Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses:” (185-186). Therefore, the fault is his for the weeping of Romeo and Juliet. In conclusion, the Prince is at fault for the death of Romeo and Juliet due to his decision-making. Romeo’s banishment and, above all, failure to solve the dispute between the two families caused every death that had occurred. He himself is the peacekeeper, yet he was the ultimate cause of

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