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... still ends in tragedy. He has a different vision upon the feelings of the Romeo and Juliet. He understands the fact that considering the two main characters age they are very disposed to such feelings as love and passion in its best presentation. Friar Laurence is also a man willing to take risks for the happiness of others. He realizes the fact that such feelings may appear between any two people despite their social ranks.
He risks his reputation as a friar in the following quote by suggesting to Juliet that she drink a potion to avoid marrying Paris so that she can marry Romeo. Take thou this vial, beeing then in bed, and this distilled liquor drink thou of (Romeo and Juliet, Act 4, Scene 1, Line 93) Friar Laurence's dramatic function as a helping character who will assist the star-crossed lovers of Romeo and Juliet is established even before we see the Franciscan brother at work in his garden. At the conclusion of the balcony scene (Act II, scene ii), Romeos mind turns from the reverie of repeated farewells with Juliet to the practical issue of how they can overcome parental opposition to the lovers union and tells us that he will ask his spiritual father for direction. (Herford) Thereafter, we see Friar Laurence gathering herbs and are kindly disposed toward him. Friar Laurence is sometimes presented as a bit of a fool; but sometimes he is presented as a man of dignity. His speech on the healing and harmful properties of plants is another bit of foreshadowing. Just as healing herbs can kill, so love can also lead to death.
We can take a note also on the scene of death in a grave at ll. 83 - 84. What justification does Laurence offer for agreeing to this highly improper marriage? (Granville-Barker) The nurse is a part of the house of Montague. She is a very down to earth woman, who will be sure of Juliets happiness at all costs. That is actually a pretty common thing in the situation when mother loves her child, which is a very good and challenging situation. The following quote is an example of this.
But first let me tell ye, if ye should lead her in a fools paradise, as they say, it were a very gross kind of behavior, as they say; for the gentlewoman is young; and, therefore, if you should deal double with her, truly it were an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very weak dealing (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 4, Line 107). The nurse is very loyal to Juliet as shown in the past quote. The nurse is taking a chance at talking to Romeo for she knows that he is of the house of Montague and god knows the penalty for the interaction between. (Granville-Barker) The Nurse loves Juliet like her own daughter, but when she helps Juliet, she contributes to the tragic outcome. Friar Laurence is an intelligent and loving man who wants to end the fighting and help the two young lovers be together. Friar Laurence knows the danger of physical love when he tells Romeo, ... young mens love, then, lies/ not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes (II.
iii. ) After careful thinking, Friar Laurence agrees to conduct the marriage of Romeo and Juliet, although he knows it is dangerous. He chooses to marry Romeo and Juliet because he hopes this marriage could stop the war between the families: In one respect Ill thy assistant be; / For this alliance may so happy prove, / to turn your households rancor to pure love (II. iii. ). He marries them in secret and doesnt tell Montague or Capulet about the marriage immediately. Friar Laurence does everything he can to make the right decision about the marriage, and does not give up when things go wrong. Friar Laurence believes in what he is doing, and does not abandon Romeo and Juliet when the trouble starts, but his plans accidentally lead to their deaths.
When Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished, he gets very upset and feels that he cannot live without Juliet. Friar Laurence is smart; he convinces Romeo that he is lucky to be only banished and not put to death for killing Tybalt: Thy fault our law calls death; but the kind prince, / Taking thy part, hath bush aside the law/... This is dear mercy, and thou seest it not (III. iii. ). When there seems to be no way for Juliet to escape marriage to Paris, Friar Laurence gives Juliet the drug to make her look dead.
He plans for Romeo and Juliet to escape and live in Mantua. However, Friar Laurence could not control everything enough for his plans to work. (Bullough) The Friar also plays a major role in the actual deaths of Romeo and Juliet. The Friars carelessness in his actions leads to the suicide of both Romeo and Juliet. The Friar arrives in the tomb to see Juliet awake with Romeo and Paris by her side.
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. (Act 5, Scene 3, 156 - 159). (Herford) Friar Laurence's selfishness made him leave the tomb in fear that he could end up in trouble; if he stayed longer he could have kept Juliet from committing suicide. After he leaves the tomb the Capulets and the Prince confront him. And I here stand both to impeach and purge/ myself condemned and myself excused. (Act 5, Scene 3, 226 - 227) Friar Laurence feeling shameful for the carelessness of his actions confesses what has happened and blames himself for the tragedy.
Again Friar Laurence failed to take action when Friar John tells him that Romeo did not receive the message... But he which bore my letter, Friar John, / Was state by accident, and yesturnight/ Returned my letter back... (Act 5, scene 3, 250 - 251). If the Friar had acted sooner, he had several options. He could have warned Romeo of what had happened, or gone to Juliets tomb sooner, however he failed once again to succeed in his plans.
If the Friar would have taken action sooner when he heard news of his message not being delivered, the tragedy could have been avoided. (Herford) The Friar is suspicious of Romeos sudden change of heart. He knows that Romeo has been pining for Rosaline and he tells Romeo that Rosaline did not return his love because she could tell that it did read by rote, that could not spell (2. 3. 88). Basically, he tells Romeo that he was never really in love with Rosaline and that he was just repeating empty words he didnt really understand. After such a quick turnabout, the Friar has good reason to be suspicious of Romeos new love. The Friar is suspicious of Romeos sudden change of heart. He knows that Romeo has been pining for Rosaline and he tells Romeo that Rosaline did not return his love because she could tell that it did read by rote, that could not spell" (2. 3. 88).
Basically, he tells Romeo that he was never really in love with Rosaline and that he was just repeating empty words he didnt really understand. After such a quick turnabout, the Friar has good reason to be suspicious of Romeos new love. (Van Doren) The Friar is suspicious of Romeos sudden change of heart. He knows that Romeo has been pining for Rosaline and he tells Romeo that Rosaline did not return his love because she could tell that it "did read by rote, that could not spell (2. 3. 88). Basically, he tells Romeo that he was never really in love with Rosaline and that he was just repeating empty words he didn't really understand. After such a quick turnabout, the Friar has good reason to be suspicious of Romeos new love.
The rushed marriage, the ill planning and carelessness of Friar Laurence lead to the death of Romeo and Juliet. Several references are made to the fate of Romeo; however, this tragedy could have been avoided if the Friar had given a little more thought to the course of his actions. There will be much controversy over what or who was responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, but Shakespeare leaves many clues, which point in the direction of Friar Laurence. The responsibility of their deaths will continue to be debated for many years to come. For never was a story of more woe/ than this of Juliet and her Romeo (Act 5, scene 3, 309 - 310) (Granville-Barker) Unfortunately, Romeo does not receive the news that Friar Laurence sends to him because of a plague on the road to Mantua. This causes Romeo to think that Juliet is really dead and kill himself before Friar Laurence can get to the monument.
When Juliet wakes up, she also does the same thing. Friar Laurence tries to help Romeo and Juliet, but he knows that he doesnt have the power to change their fate. Friar Laurence does his best for Romeo and Juliet after the trouble starts, but his plans actually contribute to their tragic ends. Even though they try to help, the Nurse and Friar Laurence help cause the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet. They help cause their deaths in different ways. The Nurse does not think about what will happen when she helps them marry, and does not help Juliet or take responsibility after the marriage.
Friar Laurence is very careful before the marriage, and tries his best to help after the marriage, but it is not enough. His plans actually hurt them. (Granville-Barker) The nurse is also a very comical character at times. She provides comedy at serious points in the play to amuse the reader. The following quote is when the nurse returns to the Capulet house with news of Romeos intention towards Juliet. She is pretending to be in need of a massage for her aching body when she very well knows that Juliet is dying to know what Romeo has said. I am away, give me leave awhile: Fie, how my bones ache!
What a jaunt have I had! (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 5, Line 25) Not only does the nurse provide as a messenger for Juliet but also she is needed around for Lady Capulet to speak with Juliet. Lady Capulet is not comfortable being alone with Juliet and she needs the nurse in the room to feel more comfortable. The following quote illustrates my point. Nurse, give leave awhile; We must talk in secret- Nurse, come back again (Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 3, Line 7). The nurse seems to serve as a mediator. (Van Doren) Both the nurse and Friar Laurence affect the whole outcome of the play immensely. Had the friar not wed Romeo and Juliet, the tragedy would never have occurred.
Also, even if he had wed them, had he not given Juliet the sleeping potion, Romeo would have had no reason to kill himself, then Juliet wouldnt have either. The nurse also affected the outcome of the play. Had she not agreed to meet Romeo to speak with him, Juliet would not have known Romeos intentions and they would not have been able to get married. (Herford) In conclusion, I believe that the Friar and the Nurse both affected the outcome of the play a great deal. Friar Laurence with his risk taking and numerous ideas and the nurse with her watchful eye over Juliet.
Alas, had the nurse and the friar not made the choices they did, there could have been a different ending. For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and he Romeo (Romeo and Juliet, Act 5, Scene 3, Line 308). Bibliography: Bevington, David. Ed. , The Necessary Shakespeare, New York: Longman, 2002. Bullough, Geoffrey, Ed.
Narrative and Dramatic Sources of Shakespeare, New York: Columbia University Press, 1957. Herford, C. , Ed. The Works of Shakespeare, New York: The Macmillan company, 1904. Muir, Kenneth. The Sources of Shakespeare's Plays, Great Britain: The University Press, 1977.
Granville-Barker, Harley. Prefaces to Shakespeare, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1965 / 1978. Pitt, Angela. Shakespeare's Women, London: David & Charles, 1981. River, Irving, Patterns in Shakespearean Tragedy. London: Methuen, 1960.
Seward, James H. Tragic Vision in Romeo and Juliet, Washington, DC: Consortium Press, 1973. Stauffer, Donald A. The School of Love: Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare the Tragedies, a Collection of Critical Essays Ed. Alfred Herbage.
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1964. Van Doren, Mark. Shakespeare. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1939. Wells, Stanley. (Ed. ).
The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1986.
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Research essay sample on Romeo And Juliet Friar Laurence
