What is an alternative ending for the play, Romeo and Juliet?

Perhaps another ending would show Juliet waking up from her death-like state just a minute or two sooner, so that Romeo could see her awaken before he has a chance to drink the poison that kills him in the original play. He is already amazed that Juliet is still so beautiful, even in apparent death; she has not acquired the pallor associated with the dead, and he speculates that Death keeps her to be his own lover. Maybe Romeo just spends another few moments considering how it is possible that she retains her beauty, giving her time to wake up and prevent him from taking his life. With Paris dead, the lovers can make their escape, with the help of Friar Lawrence, and begin life together in Mantua or some other place.

A possible alternative ending would be a happy one. It would go something like this: the misunderstandings that, in the original tragedy lead to Romeo and Juliet's deaths, would be cleared up in the nick of time. Realizing how close their beloved offspring had come to an untimely, tragic demise, the Montagues and the Capulets see the error of their ways, and realizing just how much Romeo and Juliet love each other, the warring families agree at long last to put aside their differences and give their blessing to the star-cross'd lovers.

Of course, this would mean that the play's Prologue, which tells us in advance of the title characters' tragic demise, would also have to be rewritten. Or perhaps it would be necessary to get rid of it altogether. At any rate, a happy ending would be entirely appropriate, and it would send home the audience with a song in their hearts.

Could there be an alternate ending to Romeo and Juliet?

I actually think part of the scariness and brilliance of "Romeo and Juliet" is that there absolutely could be an alternative ending where it all ends happily. It's certainly true that in the two prologues (one at the start of Act 1, one at the start of Act 2) we're pointed toward fate as a factor which might mark the lovers with death. Yet that goes against the happy-go-lucky tone of the first half of the play: until Mercutio dies, "Romeo and Juliet" feels just like an Italian rustic version of "As You Like It" or any of the other of Shakespeare's comedies.

It's actually a completely different set up to any of Shakespeare's other tragedies. In "Macbeth", "Othello" and "King Lear", the protagonists all do something which brings about the tragic events and eventually their own tragedy - and it's something bad. Macbeth kills Duncan, Othello believes Iago and smothers Desdemona, and Lear rashly banishes Cordelia from his kingdom, weakening his own power. In "Julius Caesar", the tragedy is again about something Brutus and Cassius do.

Romeo and Juliet fall in love. And they end up dead? Is it because of their parents feud? No. It's because of a series of accidents: Mercutio's death, Friar John's letter not being delivered, and finally, Romeo arriving at the tomb about 5 minutes too late - otherwise he'd have foudn her alive and they could have escaped together. There is no reason why it all happens. It just happens to happen. That's life. That's tragedy.

What is a good alternative ending for the play "Romeo and Juliet"?

Romeo and Juliet could end in a variety of ways. Many would make sense. It would still be a tragedy if Romeo died while Juliet lived or vice versa. You could have an alternative ending in which Juliet is forced to marry Paris and Romeo leaves Verona a broken and lonely man. You could also have the play not end in tragedy and go the Disney route. Romeo and Juliet lived happily ever after. It is entirely up to you how you want an alternative ending to play out.

The question states that your response will be in an essay format. That is a bit unique because the source material is a play, and your alternative ending format is a prose essay. I'm not entirely sure what your essay has to contain, but I would begin by giving a generalization about how Shakespeare's play actually ends. Then I would narrate what your alternative ending would encompass. Finally, I would spend some time explaining why that alternative ending would work with the overall context of the play. I would also spend some time justifying why the alternative ending is a superior ending. Perhaps your new ending would resonate better with modern day audiences, or maybe you believe that your rewrite allows the play to be even more tragic.