What Is The Cause Of The Death Of Romeo And Juliet?

“O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust and let me die” Juliet expressed before stabbing herself and dying over Romeo’s dead body (Shakespeare). “Romeo and Juliet” a love story written by William Shakespeare is a bitter tragedy that has touched the hearts of many avid readers and audiences today. The tragedy is partially caused by Juliet’s inability to make her own decisions during that time period. The tragedy raises the question of whether the death of Romeo and Juliet could be avoided or postponed. If Juliet had the rights of women today, it is possible that neither of them would have had to commit suicide. Women in “Romeo and Juliet” had minimal say in their lives, which contributed to the death of Juliet since she had to follow her parents’ orders, she had few rights, and she was treated as property.
Juliet had little say in her …show more content…
Women’s rights today protect both women and girls from being forced into marriage and becoming the property of their husband. Juliet was only fourteen years old, however fourteen was a customary age for women to get married, as seen by Lady Capulet “Well, think of marriage now; younger than you, here in Verna, ladies of esteem, are made already mothers: by my count.” (Shakespeare 820). Also it was customary for women to get married at a young age all which led Juliet to her rash decision to marry Romeo the next day. Young age marriages explain the reasoning behind Juliet's quick decision to have Romeo prepare for their wedding the next afternoon. Having minimal say and no access to rights women in western countries have today, gave Juliet very little control over her destiny, causing her to rebel and eventually commit