Romeo & Juliet EssayRomeo and Juliet were not responsible for their own deathsPlanning:Reasons: Friar Lawrence's failed plan, the family feud and fate (they were destined to die)Structure:Thesis introductionBlueprint of essay - what argument am I choosing, what themes am I going to talk aboutMake it briefShould be around 5 to 6 paragraphs and I should introduce the body paragraphsBody Paragraph 1Topic sentenceChoose 1st theme3 D analysis of theme 1Synthesise (link to the question)Body Paragraph 2 & 3ConclusionAnother, more summative, version of introductionLink everything to the question (therefore……)120 - 150 words, not too short3-D analysis:Quote from text, identify techniqueExplain the quote ONLYLink it back to the themeKey points:Read the language techniquesHave clarity in your essayANSWER THE QUESTIONQuotes don't have to be in linear order!Use better vocabularyRomeo and Juliet were not responsible for their own deathsIn William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', the two protagonists, Romeo and Juliet, were not responsible for their own deaths. The play contains more than enough evidence to support the statement above. The themes of feud and fate played a major role in their deaths. Friar Lawrence's unsuccessful plan also had a huge impact on the death of the two. These three reasons ultimately led to the tragic death of Romeo and Juliet.The theme of fate had a huge role in the death of the two protagonists. William Shakespeare has included several quotes and linguistic techniques in the play to support this argument. Juliet foretells her death when she uses irony in the line 'My grave is like to be my wedding bed' since her grave does later become her wedding bed. By saying this, Juliet foreshadows her own fate. As the play starts, the metaphor used in 'A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their lives' helps highlight the foretelling of the death of 'star-cross'd lovers', Romeo and Juliet. This quote tells readers that Romeo and Juliet die at the end since it is written in their fate. The juxtaposition in "The fearful passage of their death marked love" is used to express the fact that Romeo and Juliet's love has death written all over it. This shows that Romeo and Juliet were destined to decease since their love would lead them to their death. The statement "I fear, too early: for my mind misgives some consequence yet hanging in the stars shall bitterly begin his fearful date" shows that Romeo feels that something will happen in the Capulet ball which will lead to 'bad beginnings'. These 'bad beginnings' do happen since Romeo and Juliet eventually perish. This shows that fate had a role in Romeo and Juliet's death since Romeo knew that something was going to happen in the Capulet ball which would result in a tragic or wicked ending. The use of caesura in the quote "I could not send it - here it is again- Nor get a messenger to bring it thee" helps highlight the fact that Friar John was unable to deliver the letter to Romeo due to the plague. It is fate that Romeo did not receive the letter and that there was a plague at that time. This meant that fate had decided that Romeo shall not know about Friar Lawrence's plan and thinking she had died, he took his own life. These quotes and techniques help signify the fact that fate played a huge part in Romeo and Juliet's death.The family feud between the Montague family and the Capulet family was another major cause in the tragic death of lovers, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. This historic family feud did not allow Romeo and Juliet to be together and these lovers went to extremes to have each other which eventually resulted in death. Capulet forcing Juliet into marriage also played a part. The statement "She shall be married to this noble earl" refers to Capulet demanding Juliet to be married to the 'noble earl', who is County Paris, and not giving her any choice as to whom she chooses to marry. This leads to Juliet going to extremes in order to avoid marrying Paris. Since Juliet cannot tell her father that she is madly in love with Romeo due to the family feud, she eventually deceases. The repetition in "My only love, sprung from my only hate!" refers to the idea that Juliet cannot be with Romeo since her family, the Capulets, despise the Montague family. This means that due to the family feud, Romeo and Juliet cannot be together and eventually give up their lives due to this fact. The alliteration used in the quote "Thank me no thankings, nor proud me no prouds, but fettle your fine joints 'gainst Thursday next to go with Paris to Saint Peter's Church, or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither" helps highlight the fact that Juliet is forced to marry Paris and has no choice. This quote shows that Juliet hides her feelings for Romeo from her father because of the family feud and since she is forced to marry Paris against her will, she goes to extremes in order to avoid the marriage and this eventually leads to her death. These quotes help prove that the family feud has resulted in Romeo and Juliet not being able to be together and that Juliet cannot share her feelings for Romeo with her family due to the feud. This results in the lovers taking their lives since they cannot imagine being without each other.Finally, Friar Lawrence was largely responsible for the tragic death of the lovers, Romeo and Juliet. He had devised a plan in which Juliet fakes her death in order to be with Romeo. However, the plan failed miserably and it resulted in the death of Romeo and Juliet. The statement made by Friar Lawrence, "Hold, daughter. I do spy a kind of hope, which craves as desperate an execution", describes how Friar Lawrence tempted Juliet into agreeing to take part in his foolish plan. If Friar Lawrence had not made this plan, then Romeo and Juliet would be alive. They would be separated, but alive. The alliteration used in "So smile the heavens upon this holy act that after-hours with sorrow chide us not" is used to describe the moment when Friar Lawrence marries Romeo and Juliet. If the Friar had not helped the lovers get married, then they would not perish at the end. Due to Friar Lawrence's mistakes, Romeo and Juliet eventually died.In conclusion, the three main causes of Romeo and Juliet's death were fate, the Montague and Capulet family feud as well as Friar Lawrence's failed plan. William Shakespeare has included many quotes and linguistic techniques to support this argument. The themes explored above clearly prove that Romeo and Juliet had no control over their death. The quotes above also support the argument. Therefore, Romeo and Juliet were not responsible for their death.
