Austin Montez

Mrs. Balka

Pre AP ELA 9

16 December 2016

Responsibility

In the tragic end of Romeo and Juliet, we see our two heroes take their life believing that

the other is dead. Although both Romeo and Juliet are clearly victim to their own weapon, who is

really to blame for their suicidal ends? This is a question that seems unanswered in the story,

however there is enough evidence that infers who is really the killer of Juliet and her Romeo.

That person is none other than Romeos best friend, The Late Mercutio. It may seem like a

stretch to imply that Mercutio was in fact the murder of this young couple especially considering

the fact that Mercutio is already dead. It is for this fact in which Mercutio is to blame. Some of

Mercutios last words, A plague o both houses (3.1.94) are in fact a curse on both houses. He

did so out of anger however it was purely unintentionally. At least at the time it was. Later Friar

Lawrence develops a well thought out plan to reunite Romeo and Juliet however, so many little

things went wrong for this practically bulletproof plan to fail. It may have been bad luck, or

could it have been A greater power than we can contradict(5.3.158). Maybe the spirit that

Friar Lawrence was referring to was none other than Mercutios ghost. But what is he to gain

from Their death? It could be the revenge that he swore about before he died. Maybe he just

thought that they would be happier living in heaven rather than hiding on Earth. Or maybe, he

foresaw the ending of the story, he could have been trying to end the family feud and if so he

succeeded.