At this point in the play, Romeo and Juliet's dead bodies have been discovered
and the Prince has just read the letter Romeo wrote to his father.
Starting with the extract, explain how Shakespeare presents responsibility and blame in Romeo and
Juliet.
Write about:
-how Shakespeare presents responsibility and blame in the extract
-how Shakespeare presents responsibility and blame in the play as a whole
Prince: This letter doth make good the friar's words -
Their course of love, the tidings of her death.
And here he writes that he did buy a poison
Of a poor 'pothecary, and therewithal
Came to this vault to die and lie with Juliet.
Where be these enemies? Capulet! Montague!
See what a scourge is laid upon your hate,
That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love;
And I, for winking at your discords too,
Have lost a brace of kinsmen. All are punished
Capulet: O brother Montague, give me thy hand.
This is my daughter's jointure, for no more
Can I demand
Montague: But I can give thee more
For I will ray her statue in pure gold,
That while Verona by that name is known,
There shall no figure at such rate be set
As that of true and faithful Juliet.
Capulet: As rich shall Romeo's by his lady's lie;
Poor sacrifices of our enmity.
Prince: A glooming peace this morning with it brings,
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head
Go hence to have more talk of these sad things
Some shall be pardoned, and some punished.
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo
[Exit)

In this work we can observe the death of two young people who loved each other very much, and because they could not be together, a tragedy occurred that ended their lives.

The hatred of both families is reflected from the beginning of the play, and although Romeo and Juliet did not feel that hatred and if it were up to them they would end it just to be together, their environment led to it not being so.

We know that Romeo did not seek war, but that nevertheless he was involved in an altercation that ended his exile.

This led to a plan being formed where Juliet would fake her death to be with him, but eventually both end up ending their lives.

The blame is definitely the hatred that older people had in their lives and that they could not solve.