In what way is Mercutio responsible for his own death

While reading Shakespeare's play “Romeo and Juliet” it is easy to see that everybody in the story is at fault for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Personally however, I believe that three of the main characters are more at fault then the other characters. First is Mercutio, Romeo’s best friend. Next is Benvolio, nephew of Lord Montague and Romeo’s other friend. Last is Friar Lawrence, Romeo and Juliet Franciscan Priest. In a story of unorthodox love, family feuding, and violence, many are at blame for the deaths.
One of the people I think is responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s death is Mercutio. Mercutio had evoked a fight with his enemy Tybalt.During the fight, Mercutio was killed by Tybalt and Mercutio put a curse on both of their families.…show more content…
In Act 1 Scene 1 lines 228-229 Benvolio tells Romeo “By giving liberty unto thine eyes.Examine other beauties.” This is Benvolio tells Romeo that he isn’t in a commitment any more so he can look at other women. I personally think he should have left Romeo alone and let him work through his emotions for a little longer, because it takes more than a day to get over someone. Then, at the Capulet party, Romeo experiences love at first sight when he sees Juliet, the enemy.Benvolio had encouraged Romeo to go to the party at the Capulets houses, through challenging his saying that Romeo could find someone better than Rosaline at the party. Since it was a Capulet house, Romeo was not supposed to be there. If Romeo had not gone to the party, he would have never met…show more content…
The marriage eventually let to the setting up Juliet's fake death.There was also Benvolio who took Romeo to the party to meet women even though he had just broken up with someone. Lastly, there is Mercutio who caused Romeo banishment by dying in a fight. If none of these problems had occured, then Romeo and Juliet could have had a happy marriage...eventually. Shakespeare doesn't idealize Romeo and Juliet. He is careful to remind us that their love is destructive partly because it fails to see life as it really is. Romeo and Juliet do not act with caution, patience, or wisdom. They act on impulse and in haste--and they get bad advice. Answer the following questions for this argument: a. What should Romeo and Juliet have done, instead of what they actually did, at two or more points in the play? b. Could Romeo and Juliet have triumphed--if they'd had good advice? c. Would Mercutio have helped them had he

. Firstly, Tybalt is to blame for Mercutio’s death as he actually gave him the wound that killed him. Also, Tybalt provokes Mercutio by insulting Romeo, ‘Thou art a villain.’ This is one of the biggest insults that Tybalt can give and would usually be followed by a duel. However, Romeo calmly replies by saying ‘Villain I am none / Therefore farewell. I see thou know’st me not.’ Because Romeo is not defending his honour, Mercutio is provoked by Tybalt’s insults and starts insulting Tybalt himself. This is what leads to the two of them fighting and Mercutio getting his fatal wound. So, if Tybalt didn’t insult Romeo or fight Mercutio, Mercutio wouldn’t have been killed. Romeo is also to blame for Mercutio’s death because he…show more content…
This also means that Benvolio is to blame for Mercutio’s death because he persuaded Romeo to go to this party where he met Juliet ‘Go hither, and with unattained eye / Compare her face with some that I shall show.’ If Benvolio hadn’t persuaded Romeo to go to Capulet’s party, he wouldn’t have met Juliet. I think that one of the biggest causes of Mercutio’s death is the ‘ancient grudge’ between the ‘two households’, the Capulet’s and Montague’s. This is a massive cause because this alone was what started off all the fights. After Mercutio has been mortally wounded, he sees that this is why he is dying, which is why he says ‘a plague o’ both your houses!’ If the Montague’s and Capulet’s weren’t fighting, Tybalt wouldn’t have gone up to Romeo and insulted him. If that never happened, Mercutio would have never fought Tybalt and died. Also, all of the other reasons for Mercutio’s death would have never happened if the Capulet’s and Montague’s weren’t fighting. In conclusion, there are many people to blame for the death of Mercutio, and if any one of these reasons didn’t happen, Mercutio might not have died in Act 3 Scene 1. However, I think that the most important cause of Mercutio’s death and who should take the biggest responsibility for his death is the grudge between Montague and Capulet. This is because all of the fights, including the one between