Analysis: Revenge in Romeo and Juliet

Synthesis (40 points) Level 3

Whether young or old, almost everyone can recall some point in their life where they read the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet. Even if you have never before read it, you probably can summarize the plot fairly easily: the boy meets the girl and it is love at first site, they sneak and fool around, they both die a woeful death. What may be unheard of are the surprising, murderous revenges that occur a total of three times. The retaliations are aggressive, horrendous, and not to mention insensitive to the individuals that were close to the late characters. Revenge is ruinous to everyone and anyone involved.
The first sight of vengeance is when Tybalt slays Mercutio in a duel. Any mundane person would think Tybalt was simply angry and needed a fight, but really he was upset from Romeo tarnishing the Capulet feast because he was a Montague. Tybalt’s revenge for Romeo showing up unexpected was a battle, but since he could not find Romeo at the time, he killed his friend as payback. This indignant homicide wounded Romeo in such a way that he too began looking for revenge.
Subsequently, Romeo facilitated his dear friend, but it was of no use. Mercutio passed away from bleeding to death and left Romeo wondering why he had to fail at protecting his comrade. Since there was no bringing back Mercutio, Romeo began to seek out Tybalt. Before long the coward ran back to fight Romeo like the original scheme, and out of hatred and retribution, Romeo took the life of Tybalt. This was an exceedingly drastic measure that indeed put the Capulets in a world of suffering, for Tybalt was Juliet’s only present cousin. What was even more unpleasant was that Romeo was sentenced to exile for disrupting peace in the streets of Verona. This devastated Juliet since she would no longer be able to visit her new husband ever again.
The ultimate slaughter happened amid Romeo and Paris at the tomb where Juliet lay asleep and not yet dead. Romeo partook the idea that Juliet died in her sleep, when actually she acquired a potion to cease her pulse and chill her skin. Romeo was miserable and despondent, therefore he slipped back into Verona to say farewell to his first and last wife. Outside her tomb, he stumbled upon Paris who was to marry Juliet that day. Being enraged at the trespasser and his fiancé’s demise, Count Paris threatened and verbally assaulted Romeo. Romeo’s sorrow was not enough to win the sympathy or empathy of Paris, and thus they battled. Romeo stabbed Paris for his aggression, but more importantly, his idea of becoming Juliet’s new husband. Of course this last revengeful casualty is not the last death; it is the most remarkable one because all Paris asks for is that he be laid beside his lover Juliet. To imagine the wretched way that Romeo damaged Paris’ life is enough to break anyone’s heart.
Although revenge may have sounded pleasing to the characters, they should have recognized the distress they were placing on people other than themselves. Every reprising man mentioned had to have known that fate is in their hands only. Vengeance will never be the answer, and was certainly not the correct one in this love story. Fortuitously the mortalities in this play are nonexistent!