Catastrophes that Plagued Characters in Romeo and Juliet Many characters in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet invite the catastrophes they experience. These characters are Mercutio, Romeo, and Friar Laurence. Mercutio because he never thinks before he acts. He has a very big mouth and will say anything to create a joke. Romeo because of this fight with Tybalt. If this fight never occurred then the outcome of the story could have been better for Romeo and Juliet. Maybe there families could have set aside