Unlike Arthur Brooke’s narrative poem The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet, which starts with a moralizing preface, Shakespeare’s version of the story does not dwell on moral behavior. The play does not make it sound like the act of falling in love against the families’ wishes is a sin. Shakespeare makes it clear in the prologue to act I that Romeo and Juliet are not to be blamed for their tragedy, which is caused partly by fate:
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
The only moralizing in this play comes from Friar Laurence, who is portrayed as a flawed and imperfect man who cannot follow his own advice despite being a trusted man of faith. He tells Romeo that a hasty love will end in tragedy, but then he goes on to perform Romeo’s secret and hasty marriage to Juliet:
These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Friar Laurence makes other hasty decisions such as giving Juliet the sleeping potion, which ultimately causes the tragedy at the end. By not condemning Romeo and Juliet and revealing Friar Laurence’s shortcomings, Shakespeare shows that real humans are flawed and make mistakes. The only overt moralizing that the audience can take away from this play is that the feud between the Capulets and Montagues is unnecessary and is responsible for the tragedy. The Prince notes that the ongoing feud has resulted in tragedy:
See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate,
That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love.
