To what extent do both Romeo and Juliet create their own downfall within Romeo and Juliet?

Love always ends in one of two ways: heartbreak or death. Romeo and Juliet is probably the most famous example of a love ending in death. Considering how Aristotlelian principles relate to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, it can easily be extrapolated that both Romeo and Juliet create their downfall, due to the obsessive way that they love, and how they put that love above all else. However, Romeo seems to attempt to make a change after his anagnorisis, while Juliet does not. Romeo’s hamartia is clear from Act One, due to the way he focuses his energy on love. In Act Three, he has an anagnorisis, and from then readers can observe his path to his downfall. Juliet’s hamartia, however, is clear from the moment she meets Romeo, in Act One, and instantly becomes obsessed. Her obsession continues until it drives her to her suicide. Their similar hamartia’s stem from the strict expectations of their families and society as well as the lack of love from their families.

The desire to be in love, regardless of the harm that the relationship may bring, is a timeless human trait. Teenagers, in particular, are quick to over-dramatize their feelings for potential romantic partners. Romeo’s downfall comes from his hamartia, or fatal flaw, which is his tendency to put love above all else. Romeo acknowledges that this is his hamartia when he says, “O sweet Juliet, thy beauty hath made me effeminate” (3, 1, 109). This soliloquy displays his anagnorisis. In the quotation, Romeo finally realizes his hamartia, and how it has been influencing his actions. His obsession with Juliet has led to him neglecting his duties as a friend and family member. He fails to defend Mercutio against Tybalt, due to his newfound connection to the Capulets, and it leads to Mercutio’s death. By describing himself as “effeminate,” he is saying that he is not fulfilling a man’s role for his family, relating to the gender roles of Shakespeare’s time. Strength, courage, and aggression were traits that were valued in men. Therefore, Romeo lacking in these traits would be seen as a flaw. Men in this time were also likely to have witnessed and participated in a war, as well as regular fighting in the street, further influencing the audience’s expectation of men. Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", and Male Melodrama is an article written by Luis M. García Mainar and published in Atlantis. Atlantis is a peer-reviewed journal, consisting of professors, lecturers and graduate students. Within the article, Mainar states that “In this scene Juliet seems to play an important role although only Romeo knows of her place in the pattern of relationships that are at stake” (31). He becomes aware of Juliet’s effect on the conflict between him, Mercutio, and Tybalt. He realizes that it is his love for Juliet that has influenced his decisions and behaviour up until this point, and aims to change this pattern. “Alive in triumph and Mercutio slain! Away to heaven, respective lenity” (3, 1, 118). This dialogue shows his attempt to overcome his hamartia. He makes the decision to no longer spare Tybalt simply because he is related to Juliet, viewing his loyalty to Mercutio as more important. By saying this to Tybalt in dialogue, he is committing to the action of fighting Tybalt. This suggests that it is an action that he needs to convince himself to go through with, and therefore he will not be able to continue to prioritize loyalty throughout the actions of his peripeteia, despite the realization he had in his soliloquy. When Romeo exclaims “Here’s to my love!” (5, 3, 119), and kills himself; it is the culmination of Romeo’s hamartia and his response to it. His peripeteia had him attempt, but ultimately fail to change his ways, and kill himself to be with Juliet. After their first kiss, Juliet tells Romeo that he kisses “by th’ book” (1, 5, 108). This metaphor suggests that he has had experiences with many women. His obsession with romance has led him to have searched for love with a number of women, Juliet being the one to reciprocate with the same level of obsession. Would he have killed himself for Rosaline given the same circumstances?

Young girls tend to dream of a sudden fairytale love: an unrealistic expectation that is often confronted in their first relationship. Juliet’s hamartia is her obsessive love for Romeo, which she views as more important than her life. She actually acknowledges this when she tells Romeo that she “​should kill thee with much cherishing” (2, 2, 184). In this moment, her anagnorisis, she is truly realizing and acknowledging her hamartia. She is predicting their tragic end, which is of their own making. In saying that she would “kill” Romeo with her love, she is acknowledging that the way that she loves could be overbearing to the point of leading to Romeo’s downfall. She is also bringing up the subject of dying because of their love. It is also worth noting that her anagnorisis is not the first time that she brings up the topic of death. “Go ask his name -- if he be married. My grave is like to be my wedding bed” (1, 5, 132). In this quotation, her hamartia is extremely clear. Despite this being their first meeting, she is so obsessed that she claims she will die if she cannot be with him. Throughout her peripeteia she made no attempt to put anything above love, and this pattern continues up until the end of the story, when she sees Romeo dead. She decides to kill herself and says the following quotation: “O happy dagger, this is thy sheath” (5, 3, 169). By calling herself a dagger’s sheath, a metaphor is used to make her intentions clear. She feels that the dagger truly belongs in her, and that she truly should be dead. Her lack of change in her behaviour after her anagnorisis is further communicated when she says “Villain and he be miles asunder” (3, 5, 82), while discussing, with her mother, how Romeo killed Tybalt. The quotation was included as an aside, meaning she was keeping these emotions from her mother. She is not providing an opening for her mother to convince her to change her actions, because she is still so committed to her obsession. Despite her family’s expectations, she allows her obsession with Romeo to take away from her loyalty to her cousin. Paul A. Kottman is the author of the article Defying the Stars: Tragic Love as the Struggle for Freedom in ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ published in Shakespeare Quarterly. Shakespeare Quarterly is a highly respected journal. Articles found in this journal have been thoroughly selected and peer-reviewed, making them reliable. “...others maintain that Romeo and Juliet are in the throes of young love and come to ruin because of their intemperance” (1). This opinion supports the interpretation that Juliet creates her own downfall through her lack of self control and her obsession, and allows her obsessive love for Romeo to guide her actions throughout the play. This major flaw in Juliet’s character would be even more obvious to the audience of Shakespeare’s time. The society of the time valued obedience in women, so Juliet being so unloyal to her family’s wishes would be seen as a more serious offence. This is also what was taught to women in their education, and Juliet being of a wealthy family would have been more likely to be educated, and therefore the audience would expect her to behave appropriately.

How far would one go to feel loved? The intense loyalty within the two families, as well as their treatment of their children, intensifies Romeo and Juliet’s downfall. The families, especially the Capulets, do not seem to show much love for Romeo and Juliet, pushing them to turn to each other and encourage each other’s obsession with love. In Act One, Tybalt says the following: “As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee” (1, 1, 64). This is expected behaviour for the men of both families. They are expected to treat “all” people from the rival family as enemies, demonstrating how strictly the families abide by their family loyalty. Romeo, however, is soft and does not participate in the rivalry, and is therefore less valued in his family. Because of this lack of belonging he searches for love elsewhere. Similarly, Juliet searches for love due to the cold treatment she receives from her parents. “An you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets” (3, 5, 193). This is what Juliet’s father says to her when she refuses to marry Paris, illustrating why she would choose Romeo over her father’s wishes. They found support and passion in their relationship with each other. Romeo and Juliet encourage each other’s downfall, and validate each other’s obsessive actions. Romeo does have the Friar to provide him with some parental guidance. Throughout the play, the Friar advises Romeo’s actions. “Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, so soon forsaken? Young men's love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes” (2, 3, 66). During this dialogue between Romeo and Friar Lawrence, Friar Lawrence is providing Romeo with guidance that is expected from a parental figure. He provides an opinion on the haste with which Romeo moved on, advising him to think things through. The dialogue allows readers to understand how characters treat each other, giving a deeper insight into their bond. Additionally, Friar Lawrence has witnessed Romeo’s obsession with love in the past, so his character communicates to readers that Romeo’s behaviour with Juliet is not new. He does this with a rhetorical question, reminding Romeo that Juliet is not the only girl he could ever love. However this support from such a figure did not stop him from giving in to his obsessive desires. In Shakespeare’s time, marriages were often for the benefit of families, as opposed to love. Romeo and Juliet’s actions were not the norm for the time, putting into context why the act of being in love with each other made them less loyal to their families. Especially because their parents would likely not allow them to be married, had they had a say, due to the hate between the two families. All of these aspects of their surroundings alienate them and encourage their downfall. This interpretation is supported by the article 'We were born to die': "Romeo and Juliet," by William C. Carroll. Carroll has many journal articles on literary works, including some found in Shakespeare Quarterly. This suggests a level of reliability in the author’s work. The article was published in Comparative drama, an academic and peer-reviewed journal that is well respected internationally. “Everything in the play, it seems, works to isolate the lovers in both love and death” (61). The behaviour and views of both Romeo and Juliet’s families play a significant role in pushing them to make the decisions that lead to their deaths. A lack of support and love from family members, creates a desperation for any love that they can receive. This desperation works to rationalize the rash decisions that Romeo and Juliet make, including killing themselves.

In conclusion, Romeo and Juliet create their own tragic downfalls through their hamartia, anagnorisis, and peripeteia. They love each other obsessively, and their failure to change following their realization of this flaw, allows the love to lead to their death. Romeo is characterized as someone that goes from one intense love to the next, placing these loves above all other responsibilities and loyalties. When confronted with the damage that this causes, after Mercutio’s death, he attempts to change his behaviour. However, when it comes down to Juliet’s death, he still prioritizes her and enacts his downfall. Juliet becomes obsessed with Romeo and her love for him from the time of their first meeting. This is her hamartia. Throughout the events of the play she consistently prioritizes her relationship with Romeo, and is even willing to die to be with him. Romeo and Juliet both go against their expected behaviours, and turn to each other instead. The lack of support due to these behaviour pushes them to turn to each other and encourages their obsession. Shakespeare creates a narrative where these young characters are deeply flawed, pushing themselves to their deaths.

Work Cited

Carroll, William C. “‘We Were Born to Die’: ‘Romeo and Juliet.’” Comparative Drama, vol.

15, no. 1, 1981, pp. 54–71. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41152929. Accessed 5

June 2023.

Kottman, Paul A. “Defying the Stars: Tragic Love as the Struggle for Freedom in ‘Romeo and

Juliet.’” Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 63, no. 1, 2012, pp. 1–38. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/41350167. Accessed 5 June 2023.

Mainar, Luis M. García. “SHAKESPEARE’S ‘ROMEO AND JULIET’, AND MALE

MELODRAMA.” Atlantis, vol. 20, no. 2, 1998, pp. 27–42. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/41055511. Accessed 2 June 2023.

Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Edited by John C. Crowther, Spark Pub., 2003.