ABSTRACT
Probably since the play was first performed in the mid-1590s, debates over who is the most to blame for Romeo’s and Juliet’s tragic ends have proliferated, from the theater public to literary scholarship to secondary English language arts classrooms. Some argue for the feud between Lords Montague and Capulet, some point to the hotheadedness of Mercutio and Tybalt, and some look to the weakness of Prince Escalus. However, an oft cited argument places the responsibility squarely on the decisions and actions of Juliet and Romeo themselves. In particular, the argument relies upon the age of the protagonists as the underlying reason, namely that they were simply too young for such reckless and forbidden love. In other words, their tragic end is based upon “adolescent” indulgence and immaturity (cf. Cox, 1976).
