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Romeo & Juliet
Analysis of Friar Lawrence
Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's plays about
tragedy. It is about two lovers who commit suicide when
their feuding famillies prevent them from being together.
The play has many characters, each with its own role in
keeping the plot line. Some characters have very little to
do with the plot but some have the plot revolving around
them. Friar Lawrence does not have very much time on stage
but the time he does have is crucial to the plot line.
Through his words Friar Lawrence demonstrates the he is a
good intentioned, yet sometimes short-sighted, man who is
not afraid to take risks to help others
One of Friar Lawrences most favourable traits is how good
intentioned he is. He may do something out of the ordinary
if he thinks the outcome will help someone he cares for.
For example, when he says "In one respect I'll thy assistant
be; for this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your
households rancour to pure love."(Act 2, Scene 3), he is
saying that the only reason he will marry Romeo and Juliet
is because he hopes that the marriage will end the
hostilities between the two houses. When he says "Shall
Romeo by my letters know our drift, and hither shall he
come; and he and I shall watch thy waking, and that very
night shall Romeo bear thee to Mantua." (Act 4, Scene 1), he
tells Juliet how everything will be all right.
Unfortunately, for all his good intentions the play still
ends in tragedy.
Friar Lawrence is a man who is not afraid to take risks when
he feels it is neccesary to help someone. For example in
Act 2, Scene 6, when he marries Romeo and Juliet, he is
risking his reputation as a Friar so he can help the two
lovers. Also, when he says "Take thou this vial, being then
in bed, and this distilled liquor drink though off;" (Act 4,
Scene 1), he is suggesting that Juliet drink a potion so
that she might feighn her own death and avoid marrying
Paris. This is an extremely risky thing to do because
anything might happen to Juliet while she unconscious.
Even after all Friar did to help Romeo and Juliet the play
still ended in tragedy because of Friar Lawrences' short
sightedness.
When the Friar married Romeo Juliet in secrecy, he did not
think of all the complications that would arise but instead
went on with the marriage because at that time he thought it
was the right thing to do. In Act 4, Scene 1, he gave
Juliet a sleeping potion without thinking of the possible
outcomes of such an outrages plan. He admits that much of
the fault of the tragedy lies in his hands when he says "And
her I stand both to impeach and purge myself condemned and
myself excused", and when he say "Her nurse is privy; and,
if aught in this miscarried by myself..." (Act 5, Scene 3).
Although Friar Lawrence does not have an especially large
role, his role is none the less important. It is because of
his good intentions that he was willing to help his friends
that Romeo and Juliet were married - a key event in the
play. It is because of his willingness to take risks for
his friends that Juliet aqquired the sleeping potion -
another key event in the play. Finally, it was the
shortsightedness of his actions that in part led to the
deaths of the two lead characters. This demonstartes that
Friar Lawrence was a man who was a man with good intentions
who was willing to take risks to help his frieneds. If he
had been any other way, the play might not have turned out
the way it did.
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Analysis and Summary of the Play
Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet, is a story of two young lovers, whose love was destined for destruction. They did not imagine that their love would lead to the tragedies that it did. These two young people did nothing wrong except fall in love. Three aspects of their destruction included the feud between the two families, the nurse and her betrayal of Juliet and the most important aspect of all is fate. The feud between the two families was one factor that contributed to the love of Romeo and Juliet being destined for destruction. "From ancient grudge break to new mutiny". (Romeo & Juliet, Prologue, pg.2 l.3) The two families, Montagues and Capulets, had many problems. There was hate between the two families so much so that even the servants hated each other. This feud would have caused many problems for Romeo and Juliet: These two young lovers knew this and this is why they kept their marriage a secret. If their parents discovered their secret, they would have made their children's lives miserable. Romeo and Juliet would not have been able to see each other. Both of these families were very stubborn and there was hardly any thing that would have made them become friends. In the prologue we learn that the only way the "strife" could be ended was by the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. "Doth with their death bury their parent's strife". (Romeo & Juliet, Prologue, l.8) Neither the Montagues or the Capulets would have accepted the marriage. Keeping the marriage a secret caused Romeo and Juliet to turn to other people for help. Sometimes these people gave them the wrong advice or just betrayed them. The Nurse was one of these characters who betrayed the young couple. The Nurse who was also Juliet's friend turned against her at a very crucial time. The Nurse told Juliet that it would be best if she married Paris. "I think it best you married with the county". (Romeo & Juliet, pg.101, III, v, l.219) This betrayal by the Nurse left Juliet alone. She was a wise young woman but it still would have been beneficial for her to have the help of the Nurse. Juliet was left on her own to make some very important decisions. I believe that if the Nurse had been around to help Juliet things may have turned out differently. Juliet had no one to turn to and ask for help. She could not have gone to her parents because they would not have understood. The Nurse was supposed to be one of Juliet's best friends. Now when it was important for Juliet to have someone there, for her she was betrayed. When considering the destruction of Romeo and Juliet the most sifnificant fact you must think about is fate. Fate, above all, destroyed Romeo and Juliet. Many instances in the play reveals that the love of Romeo and Juliet would end in death. "A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life". (Romeo & Juliet,pg.2, Prologue, l.6) From the very beginning it is evident that they were destined by the stars to bad fortune. Some people may think that there is no way to control fate or change what is in the stars. It could be that the love of Romeo and Juliet was destined for death so that their parent's feud would be over. Also, in the prologue it states that the dreadful course of their love was destined for death. "The fearful passage of their death marked love". (Romeo & Juliet, pg.2, Prologue, l.9) Both of these quotes show us that the love of these two was destined to end tragically. The masquerade party was above all the most important aspect of fate. The fact that Romeo was wearing a mask and his face was hidden allowed juliet to fall in love with him before she saw who it was. If Juliet had known who Romeo was she would probably have not fallen in love with him. Fate could not have been changed whatever was meant to be would happen and no one could change that. In conclusion, from the very beginning, the love of Romeo and Juliet was destined to be destroyed. It is tragic that both these people had to die. There were circumstances throughout the course of their lives that led up to their deaths. If their parent's had not been feuding and if the Nurse had not betrayed Juliet, the outcome of this story would have been different, although fate could not be changed. This was the most important factor in the lives of Romeo and Juliet. In my opinion the quote that accurately summarizes this play is, "For never was there a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo." (Romeo & Juliet, V, iii, p. 138, ll.309-310)
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(glad you didn't have to do all this crap huh?)Analysis of how Prejudice Leads to Violence
Romeo and Juliet - ViolenceRomeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare, is a play which shows how prejudice leads to escalating violence. Prejudice leads to violence shown in the play when the feuding families, the Montagues and Capulets fight. In each case, disruption, fighting, injuries and death occur. Also, the prejudice against the two families never got resolved because they were enemies. The prejudice started in Act one Scene one, when the Capulets and Montague servants confronted each other. Then the Capulets servants insult the Montagues. Which lead to a street brawl of the two feuding families. Furthermore in Act three Scene one, the prejudice between the families get worse. When Tybalt wanted revenge with the Montagues, he then confronted Romeo and Mercutio and started a duel. In addition the prejudice between families got even worse, when Tybalt kills Mercutio. Also, in Act five Scene three, Tybalt challenges Romeo to fight and Romeo kills him. Which lead to prejudice between the families. The street in Verona, a public place, is where the prejudice starts between the two families. In Act one Scene one, Sampson and Gregory servants for the Capulets, insulted the Montagues servants Balthasar and Abraham by biting his thumb at him. This leads to a fight, which involves the Lord’s of both families and the Prince. No death occurred, but the families attitudes against each other were worse then before. Which caused a lot of prejudice against the families that lead to violence. In like manners, another duel between the two feuding families start up again in the street of Verona in Act three Scene one. When Mercutio and Benvolio friends of Romeo, are confronted by Tybalt, who is still prejudice against the Montagues. Tybalt thinks that they crashed the Capulets ball and know he wants revenge. Mercutio and Tybalt fight between each others. Now Romeo arrives trying to stop the arguments. Tybalt draws his sword and challenges Romeo. Romeo refuses to fight and Mercutio stops in to meet Tybalt challenges. Romeo again, steps in to stop the fighting, but Tybalt stabs Mercutio under Romeo’s arm. Mercutio from this action dies from his injury and this caused disruption between the families which lead to prejudice. Instead of a Capulet killing a Montague, in Act five Scene three, a Montague kills a Capulet as prejudice leads to violence. In the Capulets Tomb at night, Paris, a young nobleman, kinsman to the Prince has come to pay his respect to his "lost" Juliet. When he hears the footstep of his enemies Romeo and Balthasar. Paris thinks Romeo has come to desecrate Juliet’s grave in act of the prejudice against them. While young Romeo was only trying to see his only love dead.. But Paris didn’t know so he challenges Romeo to a fight and Romeo kills Paris. This event was caused due to prejudice that lead to violence which included injuries, death and disruption. From examining Romeo and Juliet, it is evident that the play shows how prejudice leads to escalating violence when the opening brawl started by the servants, the duel between Mercutio and Tybalt and Romeo and Paris. So it is evident that Romeo and Juliet, is a play that shows how prejudice leads to escalating violence between the feuding families.
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