the feud between the two families was a longstanding one, it had been laid to rest for years, but the present generation Lords Capulet and Montague had decided to rehash the old grudge. Therefore, the hatred they feel for each other is a perfect example of irrational, intense, passionate emotions, and as we see, it causes fights, whole-city brawls, duels that lead to deaths, and even the need to marry secretly, which leads to further deaths. Hence, Prince Escalus is perfectly right to place the blame for all the tragic deaths in the play on Lords Capulet and Montague.

If we juxtapose the irrational behavior of the two lords in the play against more sensible dramatic foils, like Benvolio, we further see Shakespeare's point to refer to uncontrolled emotions as immoral. Unlike other more emotionally driven characters in the play, Benvolio is much more calm, sensible, and rational; he is especially even a peacemaker. We see an example of his rationalism and peacekeeping intentions in the very first scene in which he tries to break up the fight between the two households' servants, saying, "Part, fools! / Put up your swords. You know not what you do" (I.i.59-60). We also see his rationalism when he tries to advise Romeo to forget about Rosaline; although, Romeo refuses to listen. Since Benvolio is both one of the few rational characters in the play and one of the few characters that do not die, we can clearly see how Shakespeare used this dramatic foil to underscore his point that irrational, uncontrolled emotions are immoral and lead to severe consequences, such as tragic death. And if this point is investigated further, you might see that the deaths, including Mercutio's, Romoe's, and Juliet's, at least for the most part, are a result of these characters' own irrational, violent, passionate, uncontrolled emotions.

One interesting fact about the play is that violent death is not treated as something unusual but rather as a part of the culture surrounding the play. In part, this reflects the English view of Italy but also reflects the realities of Shakespeare's own society, where feuds, even among the upper classes, could erupt into violence at any time. In the play, all ranks of society are drawn into this culture of violent tribalism. What makes the Prince of Verona a good ruler in the play is the way he is striving to end this cycle of violence and establish a rule of law.

Although risking one's life in fights was considered acceptable for men, suicide was absolutely forbidden by the Roman Catholic Church and considered a mortal sin. Thus Romeo could use the threat of suicide as a way to manipulate Friar Lawrence. Although the deaths of young men are not treated as unusual, they are unfortunate and evoke pity and sadness, and the death of a young girl (Juliet) does evoke shock and horror.

In the most general sense, death is treated very liberally in Romeo and Juliet. Many characters die in the play, including Mercutio, Tybalt, Romeo and Juliet. The characters come from both families, including the extended families of the Capulets and Montagues. As a literary device, death works in many ways in Romeo and Juliet. By the end of the play, death brings about a reunification between the two families. However, the initial death of Mercutio is a catalyst that fuels the fights that cause the subsequemt deaths in the play. Death is a test that presents the characters with options, as if asking them, "Will you fight or will you make amends?" In each instance, until Romeo and Juliet's deaths, the characters choose to escalate the conflict between the families. In a way, death is a plot device that questions the feud, asking the family if the fight is worth the outcomes. Ultimately, death does not unite the families. It is not until the love of Romeo and Juliet is discovered that the families choose a new tactic.