Whodunnit?

Death struck in an instant. But who was to blame? Even the witnesses of the scene came out of it confused and in shock. Many people could have acted differently to keep this tragedy from happening. For example, whoever in the world started this feud between the Montagues and Capulets started the conflict initially. Without it, Tybalt would have had no reason to challenge Romeo. Also, if Romeo had defended his family's honor rather than leaving that to Mercutio, the fight might have ended in a more civilized way. It would have been very unlikely, but possible. In the end, however, the cause of bloodshed cannot be contributed to any one person other than Mercutio. He had no reason to challenge Tybalt other than the fact that he was a hot-headed, violent young man. A peaceful response from Mercutio could have spared his life and everyone else the trouble.