Frequently labelled as one of the greatest and most tragic, love stories of all time, Romeo and Juliet features two youths from dueling families whose abrupt, yet robust, love ultimately resulted in their deaths. However, it was not just their whirlwind romance that led to their demise, but also the actions of many characters who had tried to aid the two lovers. One such character is the Nurse, who acted as a messenger to arrange Romeo and Juliet's wedding. Despite the Nurse’s interference, which helped fester Romeo and Juliet infatuation for each other, which eventually led them to killing themselves; Friar Lawrence bears the most responsibility for Romeo and Juliet’s death because he was the one who married them in the first place, sent …show more content…
At the end of Act 2 the Friar warns the Romeo about falling in love too quickly, especially in their situation, through the quote: “These violent delights have violent ends/ And in their triumph die, like fire and powder.”(Shakespeare 2.6.9-10). This states that he knew the risks of marrying them, yet he was too blinded by his own ambitions, of uniting the two families, that he didn’t act responsibly. Instead he married them at the end of Act 2 after saying, “Come, come with me, and we will make short work./ For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone/ Till holy church incorporate two in one.” This seemingly insignificant lapse in judgement ultimately led to Romeo and Juliet’s demise, through the events that …show more content…
By my brotherhood, The letter was not nice but full of charge, Of dear import, and the neglecting it May do much danger... (Shakespeare 5.2.17-20) Demonstrating how the friar failed to complete the one action that may have saved both Romeo and Juliet’s lives, these lines further prove his guilt as it portrays him complaining to the inefficient messenger, Friar John, about his negligence. The following lines further cement his guilt as it states that he had not one but two chances to deliver the letter to Romeo, and yet again disappointed: “ But I will write again to Mantua,” (Shakespeare 5.2. 27). As briefly explained above, Friar Lawrence was the one who produced and mobilized the plan which directly led to Romeo and Juliet’s suicide. Once Juliet heard the news of the engagement she fled to the friar’s cell, and once again, he informed her of the rapidly formed plan as follows: Hold, daughter. I do spy a kind of hope, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Take thou this vial, being then in bed, And this distilled liquor drink thou off, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sha1l, stiff and stark and cold, appear like
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Beside Lord Capulet and Romeo, Friar Lawrence is also directly responsible for Juliet’s death. He makes not only one, but three major mistakes that all results in death of Juliet. To begin with he gives a potion to Juliet. At this time, Friar Lawrence is the only person that Juliet will fully trust, however, Friar Lawrence shows his irresponsibility by saying, “If…thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself…take thou this vial” (). In this circumstance, Friar’s plan is very risky for unstable Juliet. He decides to take risk rather than thinks for a better plan. Juliet’s fake death does fools all the people, however, Juliet will never lie on the monument if Friar Lawrence does not give Juliet the potion, and Juliet will not die at last. Next mistake that Friar Lawrence makes is he let Friar John to send the letter, who does not know how important the letter is. It is inexcusable to let someone else to do this urgent thing. Friar John shows his incompetence when he says “I could not send it, here it is again” (). The letter is one of the most crucial symbol in the play. To a certain extent, Friar John fails send the letter to Romeo foreshadow the play will have a tragedy ending. If Friar Lawrence delivers the letter by himself, the plan may proceed perfectly. The quotation
In this quote Friar Laurence is telling Juliet to take the vial and to drink it when she goes to bed. This fluid (while going through her veins) will make her cold and drowsy and make it appear as if she does not have a pulse. However, her blood will continue moving naturally and will not stop. If the Friar had not given her the vial, Romeo would not have heard the news that she was dead and therefore would not have killed himself in Capulet’s tomb. Another basis of accusing Friar Laurence of the deaths of the two, is the fact that Romeo did not receive the information about the plan. The Friar tells Juliet, “In this resolve. I’ll send a friar with speed/To Mantua, with my letters to thy lord” (IV.i.1123-124). The Friar is telling Juliet that he will send a friar to Mantua with a letter, saying their plan. He should have sent the letter personally and not relied on another friar to deliver such an urgent and important message. Since the entire plan was his idea he should have followed through with it, making sure the information was
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The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays, published in 1597. It is a story about how, “A pair of star-cross’d lovers [Romeo and Juliet] take their lives…/The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love…” (Prologue of Romeo and Juliet, 6-9) as they are forbidden to be together due to a long lasting and ongoing feud between the Montague and Capulet families. Their deaths are the results of many characters’ actions and fate, and there is not one distinctive person that can be blam¬ed for the young lovers’ deaths. Friar Lawrence is not to blame for these deaths as fate played a major role in their demise, he warned Romeo of his impulsive and unwise decision making, and his intentions were to abolish the ongoing feud between the two families. Further examination will prove that Friar Lawrence is innocent and his intensions were far from the passing of the two lovers.
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Another example on page 252 lines 255 to 256 it states “was stayed by accident and yesternight returned my letter back”. Friar Lawrence had the letter and did not try to go give it to Romeo because he killed himself. The last example on page 252 lines 228 to 229 friar Laurence states “yet most suspected as the time and place doth against me, of this direful murder”. So how killed Romeo and
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He continued his attempt to keep Romeo and Juliet together. Friar Lawrence began conducting a plan, it was very risky, poorly thought out and weak. The plan he concocted was devised in haste and in desperation because of Juliet’s confession to committing suicide rather than marrying Paris. “Unless thou tell me how I prevent it. / If, in thy wisdom thou canst give no help, / Do but call my resolution wise, / And with this knife I’ll help it presently.” Friar Lawrence gave Juliet a vial to consume that would enable a sleep like death, thereby averting the marriage to Paris. Meanwhile, Romeo would receive a letter informing him to meet Juliet at the graveyard. The message was never received. “I could not send it, here it is again / Nor get a messenger to bring it thee.” Friar Lawrence had obviously not informed the messenger of the letters importance. If the Friar had kept his original agreement to Romeo, “Sojourn in Mantua; I’ll find out your man, / Every good hap to you that chances have”, Balthasar could have delivered the letter and their deaths would not have occurred. Unfortunately, Friar Lawrence’s shortsightedness and lack of a contingency plan, he failed those he tried to help, which resulted in the deaths of Romeo and
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