How are the deaths of Romeo and Juliet a series of "missed opportunities"? Explain. Be specific.

The deaths--and even, ultimately, the love--of Romeo and Juliet can be chalked up to missed opportunities. If we first look at the meeting of Romeo and Juliet, this, too, was a matter of missed opportunity! At the beginning of Act One, Romeo is madly, foolishly in love with Rosaline, a niece of Lord Capulet. Romeo, however, has also missed his "opportunity" to engage in an actual relationship with Rosaline; she has "forsworn to love," or taken a vow of chastity. Romeo's over-emotional reaction to this rejection and the urging of his friends is what ultimately leads him to the Capulet's ball, where he spots Juliet and promptly abandons his feelings for Rosaline.

You could argue that the next "missed opportunity" occurs when Tybalt (a cousin of Juliet) challenges Romeo to a duel. Romeo's refusal, which is perceived by his friend Mercutio as "vile submission," ultimately leads to two duels (Mercutio versus Tybalt, Tybalt versus Romeo) and two deaths (Mercution and Tybalt). Had Romeo and and Mercurio handled this situation in a non-confrontational manner, no conflict would have ensued. Instead, this missed opportunity for peace results in the Prince exiling Romeo from Verona on threat of death. 

Of course, here's where it gets juicy: had Romeo never been banished from Verona, he and Juliet would never had to have dreamt up their bait-and-switch plan for reunion. Juliet visits Friar Laurence, who agrees to help the frantic couple by providing Juliet with a potion that would give her the appearance of death without actually dying--an act that would effectively allow her to stave off her impending nuptials to Paris. Laurence and Juliet agree that Juliet will take the potion, fake her own death, and be played to rest in the family crypt... where she will then meet up with Romeo so that they may run off together. Friar Laurence sends a messenger to Romeo to tell him the plan, but the messenger fails to reach him in time. Instead, Romeo learns incorrectly that Juliet is dead from his servant. Romeo rushes to the crypt of Juliet, drinks a poison he has bought from an apothecary, and dies next to her body... which leads us to the greatest missed opportunity of the entire play: Juliet's awakening. Just moment's after Romeo's suicide, Juliet awakens from her slumber to discover her dead beloved. Talk about bad timing! Devastated at the sight, Juliet throws herself upon Romeo's dagger, resulting in her own death.

Although heralded as a story of classic love, Romeo and Juliet is ultimately a tale of rash behavior, ill-timing, and miscommunication.