Daveler English 9 8 May 2012 In the time it was written, an era of no movies, no internet, and no television, plays were a persons main form of entertainment. For a play that was created to entertain the masses, and to take them away from the burdens of everyday life, Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet was very morbid and sad play. While this is characteristic of Shakespeares works, one may question why so many characters died at the end of the play, especially its star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet. Their deaths were a direct result of Romeo and Juliets tragic flaws. The deaths of Romeo, Juliet, and three other characters were caused by Romeo and Juliets tragic flaw, their immaturity. Romeos immaturity is the reason for his death. A mature person would not have agreed to Friar Lawrences plan for Romeo and Juliet to run away together. Had he been more mature, Romeo would have done something more rational, perhaps explaining the situation to Juliets father and slowly earning his trust. In fact, a mature person wouldnt declare themselves in love so shortly after meeting someone new. While Romeo is simply infatuated with Juliet, he mistakes his lust for love when he says, But soft What light through yonder window breaksIt is the East, and Juliet is the sunArise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,Who is already sick and pale with griefThat thou her maid are far more fair than she. (2.2. 2-6) Romeo declares that his love for Juliet has already replaced his love for Rosaline. Clearly, a person could not be in love with someone, then all of a sudden forget them and be in love with someone else all in the same day. Because of his immaturity, Romeo cannot see that he is simply infatuated with Juliet and he needs much more time with her to be able to tell if he is really in love with her. This mistake leads to his acceptance of the Friars plan, which leads directly to his death. Because the Friar fails to deliver Romeo the message of the full plan in time, he is shocked to see Juliet dead in her grave, so he kills himself. A wiser, more adult person would not kill themselves just because the person they loved died. However, Romeos life may have been spared had Juliet not been just as immature. Juliet also acts very childish in the play. She too lustfully declares she is in love with Romeo, and she is willing to make stupid mistakes and ruin her blessed life to be with him, a man she hardly knows. After learning Romeo is a member of the hated Montague family, she is unable to grasp the importance of that and carefully find out a way to make their relationship work. Instead, she says My only love, sprung from my only hateToo early seen unknown, and known too lateProdigious birth of love it is to meThat I must love a loathed enemy (1.5.139-142) Here she complains that the one man she loves is a member of her familys rival. If she was more mature, she would not consider herself in love with a boy she had not known for even a week. This typical teenage infatuation was mistaken as love, and this contributes to her death as well. Like Romeo, if she was more careful with her decisions she would have chosen to consult someone she could trust, like her parents, instead of Friar Lawrence. Also, she would not have followed Friar Lawrences drastic plan of pretending to kill herself to be with Romeo. This is her tragic flaw, if she had only been more mature she would not have died. Even at the very end of her life, after seeing Romeo dead, she should have acted more adult, and moved on. Instead she chose to really kill herself. She chose to end her life over Romeo, the ultimate immature act. This tragic flaw of Romeo and Juliet not only contributes to their respective deaths, it also takes the life of three other innocent people. Romeo is widely regarded as the more reckless of the couple, and for good reason. His immaturity causes him to kill two people, Tybalt and Paris. When Romeo learns that Tybalt has