The Causes of Death in Romeo and Juliet Essay Example

Romeo and Juliet has a climax full of grief and anguish. There are many factors attributing to the ultimate result of the title characters committing suicide. With that being said, the play’s events and ending are caused by free will.

In Act 1, Scene 4 of the play, Benvolio, Mercutio, Romeo, and others are walking to the party and toward the end of the act, Romeo straggles and says, “Some consequence yet hanging in the stars.” He reckons the night has something dreadful in store for him but he decides to go anyway. Though it is a mere thought that pokes his brain, he makes the final choice. Another example of Romeo’s impulsivity is at the end of the play, when instead of taking time to mourn for his wife, Juliet’s, death, he makes the foolish decision to take his own life. In this instance, he didn’t display any composure and made a choice without thinking about it first.

In Act 4, Scene 1, Juliet visits Friar Lawrence and stresses about the dilemma Romeo’s banishment has caused her. Lawrence offers her a vial containing a drink that will put a plan into effect where she is in a comatose state and Romeo returns to Verona to reunite with her. What she doesn’t know is that the time it takes for the drink to wear off kills Romeo. She says “Give me, give me!”, ignoring Lawrence’s warning. Likewise Romeo, Juliet makes an unwise decision at the end of the play. She wakes up after Romeo takes his own life and she decides to kill herself as well. She has the option to own up to her scheme or lead a new life away from home, but she makes a careless decision that she thinks is her only way out.

Although free will is the leading cause for the play’s ending, it is undebatable that fate has some part in deciding the outcome. In Act 5, Scene 2, Friar John rushes to Friar Lawrence’s cell and informs him that he couldn’t deliver his letter to Romeo because he was suspected of having the plague. He says, “Sealed the dors and would not let us forth.” He is referring to how he was quarantined in a house while traveling to Mantua because officials accused him of being ill. This is fate because nobody has control over the circumstances. While this is a strong occasion of fate, the other characters make too many life-altering choices that free will is the vaster factor.

Romeo, Juliet, and other supporting characters make several horrible decisions that lead to their demise. Whether it’s breaking the law and committing violent acts, or devising the plan that kills off the main characters, the play features many mistakes. As you can see, free will, which includes impulsive choices and actions, is the primary cause of the play’s conclusion.