Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is set in Verona and as the prologue says the play is about two lovers who are driven into suicide by their feuding families. This play is a romantic tragedy, it is romantic because of the love between Romeo and Juliet and it is a tragedy because the lovers die in the end. The death of the lovers does not go in vain because their families put their differences behind them and start a new beginning but this still makes the end very tragic and emotional. Shakespeare the writer of this play has wrote many plays in his career and he has written a variety of genres from tragedies to comedies.

Mercutio is the first person to die in the play. His death occurs mainly because of the feud although there are many other factors that contribute to his death. One of the other main factors of Mercutio’s death is Tybalt’s fiery character and his hatred for Romeo; a Montague who gate crashed his uncle Capulet’s party. For that reason Tybalt went to fight Romeo but Romeo would not fight because he just married Juliet, a Capulet who is Tybalt’s cousin. You could also argue to some extent that Romeo was the cause of Mercutio’s death because he gate crashed the Capulet’s party and got Tybalt started and looking for a fight. When Tybalt came to fight Romeo, Romeo gave a ‘vile submission’ and made Mercutio furious and at that point it could be said that Mercutio brought death upon himself because the fight had nothing to do with him and he was mocking Tybalt by calling him names, for example he called him ‘Good King of Cats’ and ‘rat-catcher’ this infuriated Tybalt and led him into committing Mercutio’s murder. We also know that Tybalt did not want to fight Mercutio because as he sees Romeo he says ‘Well, peace be with you, sir, here comes my man’ this shows that Tybalt does not want to fight Mercutio but he wants to fight Romeo this is also proven when he says ‘What wouldst thou have with me’ to Mercutio. Mercutio’s consistent insults to Tybalt made Tybalt lose his temper and want to fight Mercutio and to prove this he says ‘I am for you’ while drawing his dagger. Romeo shows that he does not want to see Mercutio or Tybalt injured and that he love Tybalt when he leaps in between the two raging men in an attempt to stop the brawl. Romeo also tells to Benvolio’s to help him stop the battle but Benvolio does nothing this suggests that it could be Benvolio’s fault that Mercutio dies. As Romeo was holding the two men apart Tybalt showing his violent nature he stabs Mercutio from under the arm of Romeo.

There are many factors for the death of Tybalt. It could be said that it was his own fault that he got killed because of his fiery character, he went looking for Romeo and then killed Romeo’s best friend Mercutio which then in turn led to Romeo wanting to avenge his friends death. Romeo take a immense part in the death of Tybalt as he is the one who killed him to avenge his friends death and he says ‘This but begins the woe other must end’ to Benvolio which shows that he wants end the sadness that Tybalt began by killing Mercutio, by killing Tybalt. Romeo play an even greater part in Tybalt’s death not by killing him but going to the Capulets ball, if he did not go then he would have not upset Tybalt which then would have not lead to him looking for Romeo and then killing Mercutio. This would mean that Romeo would not have to avenge Mercutio’s death by killing Tybalt therefore he would have not been banished and then his o mother would have not died of sadness. Not only that but then he would not have been banished and him Juliet could run away and that way his, Juliet and Paris’s deaths would have been avoided. The feud plays apart in the death of Tybalt in the same way as Romeo not attending the Capulet’s ball because the feud causes the hatred between the two families and if there was no feud Tybalt would have not been upset by the fact that Romeo graced the ball with his presence.

Like all the other deaths in the play the feud plays a part in Lady Montague’s death had there been no feud there would have not been the death of Tybalt and Romeo would have not been banished. Lady Montague’s death is actually caused by the sorrow of the Prince’s verdict to banish Romeo from Verona so you could say it was the Princes fault that she died. It could also be argued that it is Romeos fault that his mother died because if didn’t go to the Capulet’s ball Tybalt would not come looking for him and in turn he would not have to murdered him for killing Mercutio.

The person to die before the main characters is Paris he dies because of his love for Juliet. If Paris did not love Juliet and try to marry her she would have not taken the potion and he would have not gone to the Capulets burial site and tried to stop Romeo from getting to Juliet’s body, Romeo would not have stabbed him. It cannot be said that it is Romeos fault for the death of Paris because Romeo warns Paris to leave but he chooses not to. ‘Good gentle youth, tempt not a desp’rate man, Fly hence and leave me’ this shows that Romeo wanted Paris to go and not kill him.

Romeo’s death has many factors contributing to it. A factor that contributes to Romeo’s death is the Prince’s decision of banishment and the sorrow of being torn away from his true love Juliet, Ha, banishment? be merciful, say ‘death’ this shows that he rather die than be banished from Verona. Another important factor is the feud, if there was no feud there would be noting standing in the way of Romeo and Juliet living happily together. The feud is a factor of Romeo’s death because if there was no feud Tybalt would have not tried killing Romeo and instead kill Mercutio Romeo would have not killed Tybalt and then be banished. Friar Lauwance plays a vital part in Romeos death because he did not insure that Romeo was told about the sleeping potion. Romeo would have known the fires scheme about the sleeping potion and he would have not committed suicide.