In the opening paragraphs, it’s important to quickly answer some key questions related to the title in an SEO-friendly way. Who is Paris? Paris is a fictional character from Shakespeare’s famous play Romeo and Juliet. He is a relative of Juliet and was supposed to marry her. Why is he at her grave? Juliet died tragically by suicide after her love Romeo was banished. Paris went to visit her grave to mourn her death, still intending to marry her even after she passed away.
Who is Paris in Romeo and Juliet?
Paris is a kinsman of Prince Escalus in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. He is the man that Juliet’s parents have arranged for her to marry. Paris is portrayed as a well-meaning, respectable young nobleman. He politely woos Juliet and seeks to marry her with her parents’ blessing. Juliet’s father likes Paris and refers to him as a “gentleman of noble parentage” who will make a good husband for Juliet. However, Juliet does not return Paris’ affections because she has already fallen in love with Romeo.
In Act 1 Scene 2 of the play, Paris talks to Lord Capulet, Juliet’s father, about his wish to marry Juliet. Capulet responds favorably and says Paris has his consent to marry his daughter. Capulet notes Juliet’s young age – she is not yet 14 years old – but he still agrees to the match and invites Paris to attend a feast that night so that he can begin courting Juliet. However, Juliet has no interest in Paris and has already met and fallen in love with Romeo by that point in the play.
Paris’ Courtship of Juliet
When Paris arrives at the Capulet feast that night, he politely converses with Juliet and Capulet speaks approvingly of him to Juliet as a husband. However, Juliet does not reciprocate Paris’ interest. After the party, Juliet’s mother and nurse try to convince her to like Paris, since the match has been arranged by her parents, but Juliet refuses. She says she will only marry Romeo, as the two have already been secretly married at this point in the play.
Later, after Romeo is banished for killing Tybalt and Juliet’s parents arrange her marriage to Paris to take place very soon, Paris continues to act respectfully towards Juliet. He believes she is still grieving over Tybalt’s death and tries to comfort her. He politely gives her time and space but remains determined to marry her. Juliet’s parents, especially her father, continue pushing for her immediate marriage to Paris to get her mind off Romeo.
Paris at Juliet’s Tomb
After Juliet takes the sleeping potion that fakes her death, Paris goes to Juliet’s tomb under the impression she has died. He brings flowers and mourns her death, telling the musicians with him to play sad music. Paris still plans to go through with marrying Juliet, saying he will make his bridal bed in the tomb with the seemingly dead Juliet. When Romeo arrives, Paris tries to stop him from entering the tomb, resulting in Romeo killing Paris in a duel. With his dying breath, Paris asks to be laid near Juliet in the tomb.
This is the tragic end of Paris – killed by the man Juliet truly loved and never able to marry Juliet as her parents had arranged. His presence at her tomb symbolizes his commitment to marry Juliet even after her faked death. It also demonstrates the sadness and tragedy of his failed courtship, as he was a well-meaning young man who cared for Juliet but was never able to win her heart.
Juliet’s Apparent Death
Juliet’s fake death is central to the plot of Romeo and Juliet. Juliet takes a sleeping potion prepared by the Friar that makes her appear dead for 42 hours. This is done in an attempt to prevent her from having to marry Paris after Romeo is banished from Verona for killing Tybalt.
Juliet Seeks the Friar’s Help
After Romeo is banished by the Prince for killing Tybalt, Juliet is distraught over losing her new husband. Her parents, unaware of her secret marriage to Romeo, arrange for her to marry Paris in just a few days. Desperate, Juliet seeks the Friar’s advice, threatening to commit suicide if she has to marry Paris. The Friar hatches a plan – he gives Juliet a potion that will make her sleep so soundly that everyone will think she is dead for 42 hours. The Friar explains that after she is laid to rest in the family tomb, Romeo will come and rescue her when she wakes up. Then the two can elope and live together in secret.
Juliet Takes the Sleeping Potion
The night before her wedding to Paris, Juliet follows the Friar’s plan. After saying goodnight to her parents, she drinks the potion. It makes her fall into a deep sleep, slowing her breathing and pulse until she appears dead. Her nurse discovers her limp body in the morning and screams in grief. The family is devastated by what appears to be Juliet’s suicide. As planned, her family lays her body in the tomb so Paris can come visit and mourn her death.
The Plan Goes Awry
Unfortunately, the message explaining the plan does not reach Romeo. He hears only that Juliet is dead. In despair, Romeo buys poison so he can go to Juliet’s tomb and commit suicide by her side. When Paris tries to stop him from entering the tomb, Romeo kills Paris in a duel. Romeo then takes the poison and dies next to Juliet. When Juliet finally awakens, she discovers Romeo’s dead body and kills herself with his dagger. So the Friar’s plan goes tragically wrong, resulting in even more deaths.
The Feud Between the Capulets and Montagues
The feud between the Capulet and Montague families is the underlying conflict that drives much of the tragic action in Romeo and Juliet. Their bitter hatred of one another makes Romeo and Juliet’s secret marriage extremely difficult and dangerous.
The Origins of the Feud
The play never states exactly what started the violent feud between the Capulets and Montagues. The grudge is described as an “ancient” one that has continued through many years and generations of the two families. There have been many fights over trivial matters both between the Capulet and Montague servants and nobles. The two families are so opposed that their hatred has become ingrained into their very identities.
How the Feud Drives the Tragedy
Romeo and Juliet must keep their love and marriage secret because their families would never approve of their relationship. Juliet’s parents threaten to disown her if she refuses to marry Paris. The feud makes Romeo’s banishment after killing Tybalt even more devastating, as the couple can never be together in Verona. It even causes more violence and death when Tybalt kills Mercutio and Romeo seeks revenge. The two lovers go to extreme lengths, including faking death and suicide, because the feud makes it impossible for them to have a public relationship.
The End of the Feud
After Romeo, Juliet, Paris, and Mercutio all die as a result of the feud and the secret marriage, the Capulets and Montagues make peace at last. The grieving fathers realize that the ongoing hatred between their families led to the tragic deaths of these young people. They vow to end the feud and erect gold statues of each other’s departed children as a sign of reconciliation.
Romeo’s Exile and the Tragedy It Incites
Romeo’s banishment from Verona is a key turning point in the play that leads to the tragic outcomes for Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, Tybalt, and Paris. His exile for killing Tybalt sets in motion a series of disastrous events.
Why Romeo Is Exiled
After Mercutio is killed in a duel by Tybalt, Romeo is overwhelmed with grief and anger. He seeks vengeance and kills Tybalt in a duel. The Prince of Verona announces Romeo is hereby banished from the city for taking Tybalt’s life. If Romeo is found in Verona, he will be executed. Romeo is forced to flee immediately to Mantua.
The Consequences of His Absence
Once Romeo is banished, a series of tragic events unfold that lead to the deaths of the young lovers. Juliet faces being married off to Paris by her parents. Desperate to escape this fate and reunite with Romeo, she takes the Friar’s potion to fake her death. The message explaining her plan never reaches Romeo, who believes his beloved is truly dead. Romeo buys poison so he can commit suicide by Juliet’s tombside. When Paris confronts Romeo at the tomb, they duel and Romeo slays Paris. Romeo then takes the poison and dies next to Juliet. Upon awakening and seeing Romeo dead, Juliet stabs herself with his dagger.
Could the Tragedy Have Been Avoided?
If Romeo had not been exiled from Verona, the string of tragic deaths may have been avoided. Juliet would not have had to fake her own death and Romeo would not have reacted by immediately killing himself. However, Tybalt likely still would have sought revenge against Romeo. With Romeo still in Verona, Mercutio still may have jumped between the dueling men and gotten himself slain. So while exile was the specific event that precipitated the tragedy, the violent feuding was inevitable with or without banishment.
Mercutio’s Death and Its Significance
The death of Mercutio is one of the most pivotal events that spurs the tragic outcome of Romeo and Juliet. Mercutio is killed in a duel by Tybalt when Romeo tries to stop their fighting. This drives Romeo to take revenge and kill Tybalt, leading to Romeo’s exile.
Mercutio’s Role in the Play
Mercutio is a beloved friend of Romeo and the Prince’s kinsman. Known for his biting wit, Mercutio is bold, talkative, and often makes crude jokes. He tries to convince Romeo to view love lightly and not take it too seriously. When Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt, Mercutio is incensed and challenges Tybalt himself. This loyal friendship proves fatal when Tybalt mortally wounds Mercutio.
Mercutio’s Death Scene
When Tybalt encounters Mercutio and Romeo in the street, he and Mercutio exchange insults. Tybalt tries to stab Romeo, but Romeo will not fight back because Tybalt is now his kinsman through marriage. Enraged, Mercutio duels Tybalt instead, saying “A plague o’ both your houses!” He is fatally wounded when Romeo tries to intervene. As he dies, Mercutio curses both the Montagues and Capulets for causing his death.
The Aftermath
Romeo is overcome with guilt after Mercutio’s death. He cries out that Mercutio’s “soul/Is but a little way above our heads/Staying for thine to keep him company.” Romeo then furiously attacks and kills Tybalt to avenge his friend. This leads directly to Romeo’s banishment. His absence from Verona then precipitates the suicides of the young lovers and Paris. So Mercutio’s untimely death is the catalyst for the tragic end of Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, and Paris.
Conclusion
In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the characters of Paris, Juliet, Romeo, and Mercutio all perish as a result of the bitter hatred between the Capulet and Montague families. Juliet’s fake suicide, undertaken to avoid marrying Paris, goes terribly wrong when Romeo does not receive word of the Friar’s plan. Exiled for killing Tybalt after the murder of his friend Mercutio, Romeo’s absence allows the sequence of tragic misunderstandings. If not for the ancient feud that drives the secret marriage and forces Romeo’s banishment, these deaths could have been avoided. This bloody conflict causes immense grief to both houses in the end, finally ending their feud but at tremendous cost. The tragic events underscore how entrenched hatred between rivals can lead to innocent lives being destroyed.