How is Friar Lawrence Responsible for Romeo and Juliet's Death?

The marriage between Romeo and Juliet was done too quickly by Friar Lawrence which led to their deaths. He should have took his time with the plan and helped Juliet instead of running away.

Who Is Responsible For Romeo And Juliet's Death Essay

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Who Is Responsible For Romeo And Juliet’s Death Essay

Introduction

In the tragedy play of Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet undergo horrible situations for the love of one another . Even though it may look like that they died because of their own poor choices. A few characters have affected the death of our couples like Friar Lawrence, the nurse and especially the big ongoing feud of both families.. Despite the similarity of both families, Montague and Capulets, they are the one who made the outcome of the story become so dramatically. For example, since both families hate each other, Romeo and Juliet married secretly hoping that they could keep their true love. Another example is when Tybalt died, it caused more tension to build up between the families and Romeo and Juliet. The Nurse and Friar Lawrence’s, personalitys are the same ,such as both of them support Romeo and Juliet throughout the play to the benefit of themselves and the opposing families.

The Role of Family Feud

For instance, Friar Lawrence and the Nurse helped them to get married because they believed that this would end the feud between the opposing families the Montegues and the Capulets.Many blame Romeo for the suicides of both himself and Juliet, who couldnt live without the other. Many readers believed that the two could have been together if Romeo had not reacted to Juliets death so dramatically. However there’s someone else who could be blamed for the destiny of the young couple, which is Friar Lawrence. The man who seems as if he tried his best to make the two a happy couple. Friar was the one who got the two married in secret, and gave Juliet an incredibly powerful potion that allowed her to fake her own death. Also failed to deliver and important letter to Romeo, and abandoned Juliet when she needed Friar the most. When Romeo sees Juliet at her family’s masquerade party, he immediately falls in love with her, and unlike his first love, Rosaline, Juliet feels the same. Soon, they are both head over heels for each other. This is where readers believe that Friar Lawrence made his first mistake.

Friar Lawrence’s Involvement

When Romeo comes to Friar for advice, he has fallen in love with Juliet. The Friar advises Romeo to not rush into things and think through his decision. He is shocked Romeo got over Rosaline so quickly, but later rethinks his thought and decides the two should marry.’ Holy Saint Francis, what a change is here! Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, So soon forsaken? Young mens love then lies Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes. Jesus Maria, what a deal of brine Hath washed thy sallow cheeks for Rosaline! How much salt water is thrown away in waste to season love that it doth not taste! The sun not yet thy sighs from heaven clears, Thy old groans ring yet in my ancient ears.'(2:3:65-72)Friar can even tell Romeo is too young to understand true love. He can see that their love is really just intense passion that is likely to end.These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder’ (2.9:10). Yet, he still agrees to get the two of them married in secret by the next day. In Catholicity, it is required for a couple to be engaged for at least six months, but Friar completely ignores that rule even though he is a very wise man. He gets the two married so quickly, their own families dont know.

Although Friars intentions were harmless, he hopes the marriage would end the fued between the families, but their families not knowing only made things worse. Capulet decides to get Juliet married to Paris, and tells her the day after her marriage to Romeo. Maybe if the families knew of the marriage, or even just that the two were in love and planned on getting married, the families couldve worked their differences out and came through for the sake of their children. Also, if Tybalt might not have reacted so violently about Romeos unwanted appearance at the Capulet familys party. He might have understand why Romeo said that he loved him, because he loves his cousin and wants to bring peace among the two families. Disgracefully Romeo refrained from telling Tybalt and showed the wrong attitude. We must remember that Romeo and Juliet are both very young and naive. Although the roles of these ages were much different than todays typical teens, they are still very young and have not quite matured yet, so they might have not understood how getting married so quickly could cause a phenomenon. Friar was the matured adult in this situation and instead of telling the two to wait and opening up the idea of marriage to the two families, he agrees to get the two married, in secret. Since the two were married and no one knew, it lead to greater problems in the future.

Why Is Friar Laurence To Blame For The Deaths Of Romeo And Juliet

Friar was the one who gave Juliet a powerful potion that would make her appear as if she were dead, which only lead to her actual death. Of course, Juliet was threatening to kill herself, as shed rather be dead than be married to Paris and be a disloyal wife to her husband, Romeo.’Be not so long to speak. I long to die If what thou speakst speak not of remedy.'(4:1:68-69). Juliet was putting Friar under the pressure of giving her a solution for her terrible situation. Friar must have felt that he had to think effectively to help Juliet, but the solution he gave her was very extreme and did not promise to work perfectly, and surely enough it didnt.

The Friar made a very uneducated decision when he decided to give an unstable girl a potion so powerful it will put her in such a deep sleep that it will fool everyone around her that she is dead. Even Juliet has multiple fears before she drinks the potion. She fears she will wake up too soon before Romeo can get to her, and that she will wake up and suffocate in the tomb. She also fears having to see her dead ancestors, including Tybalts corpse, and that she will go crazy from the memory of waking up in a tomb. All of these doubts Juliet has are not impossible to happen, possibly even likely. Yet, Friar Lawrence takes that grand risk and gives her the potion anyway.

Friar gives a young girl such a powerful potion and makes very careless actions to ensure Romeo gets the letter explaining the strategic plan he has come up with. Friar Lawrence gives the letter to Friar John to carry to Mantua without even explaining to him how greatly important it is that Romeo receives this letter. So when Friar John faces obstacles along his journey and has to return to Verona without having delivered the letter. He doesnt try to make sure the letter gets sent to Romeo because he doesnt think it is so urgent and vital. Friar Lawrence would have taken the letter to Romeo himself, so he could make sure that Romeo is aware of the plan. Friar also could have told Balthasar, Romeos loyal and trustworthy servant, the plan and have asked him to deliver it to Romeo. Since Balthasar, the only other person Romeo truly trusts in Verona, witnesses the funeral of Juliet, he runs off to inform Romeo. Due to the undelivered letter, Romeo believes Balthasar and immediately thinks Juliet is dead. In multiple ways, Friar Lawrence could have prevented this from happening.

The Tragic Consequences

Lastly, Friar Lawrence shows an act of visible selfishness when Juliet wakes up out of her sleep and both find Romeo dead, as he has killed himself. When Juliet awakens, she asks Friar where Romeo is. When they discover Romeo is dead, he tells Juliet to leave. Come, come away. Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead, And Paris too. Come, Ill dispose of thee Among a sisterhood of holy nuns.Stay not to question, for the watch is coming. Come, go, good Juliet. I dare no longer stay.(5:3:166-171). Of course, Juliet is not willing to abandon her lovely Romeo. In a cowardly and selfish move, Friar Lawrence flees from the tomb yelling I dare no longer stay, knowing that what he has done is illegal. By abandoning Juliet, he gives her the chance to make her dramatic move of using Romeos dagger to kill herself. If Friar had stayed with her, he could have prevented this from happening. If Friar had showed up to Juliets tomb before Romeo did, knowing that Romeo had no idea of the plan, he could have prevented both deaths from happening.

Conclusion

Many readers are often left stunned by the dramatic ending of Romeo and Juliet when hearing about the story for their first time. People choose to blame multiple people and many of the idiotic decisions and actions that took place. Friar Lawrence always seems to be loved by many, as Shakespeare presents him as a caring, loving and wise character who did whatever he could to save Romeo and Juliet. However, if you take a deeper look into the story, you realize many of the major mistakes are to be blamed by Friar Lawrence. He rushed the young couple’s marriage, gave Juliet a powerful potion to drink, failed to communicate to Romeo his plan and abandoned Juliet when she needed him most. Was Friar really as caring as Romeo and Juliet trusted him to be? Well there isnt anything anyone can do now, for never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo.The story of Romeo and Juliet is one with actions that took place, that lead to many tragic deaths, including the lives of the two young protagonists of the story.

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