The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

1207 Words3 Pages

The vial brushes fingertips, one snatching the glass bottle. Contained within the crystal clear barrier dances the liquid with the property of fleeting death, and enchants two naïve lovers to an early parting in "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare. Two star crossed lovers take the stage, bound by their endless love but separated by the ancient hate of their two families. In desperate endeavors to be able to spend their days together, terrible communication distorts their arrangements, and the horror of living without the other ends the lives of Romeo and Juliet. The characters of this play all contribute to the deaths of the two young lovers. Amongst the characters, Friar Laurence stands as the most to blame for the deaths of Juliet and her Romeo because of the secret the Friar keeps, his knowledge of the inevitable, and the encouragement and plotting of pitiable decisions. Deciding to solve the complexity of Romeo and Juliet's love without consulting anybody else makes Friar Laurence the most to blame for their deaths. The Friar tries to resolve all problems with his ego, and he thinks he possesses the capability and credit to forgiveness’' mercy, "But look thou stay not till the watch be set, For then thou canst not pass to Mantua, Where thou shalt lie till we can find a time To blaze your marriage, reconcile your friends, Beg pardon of the prince, and call thee back With twenty hundred thousand times more joy Than thou went'st forth in lamentation" (III. 4. 148-154). At night, Romeo is to bid goodbye to Juliet and flee to Mantua while the Friar tells the prince and two families Juliet and Romeo are officially husband and wife. Following Romeo's leave comes even more obstacles, preventing Romeo and Juliet to... ... middle of paper ... ...es toward the forbidden love, acting against his consciousness of formidable fate, and the reassurance and scheming of pitiable decisions points fingers at Friar Laurence as the most to condemn for the deaths of the gentleman Romeo and the beautiful Juliet. Yet, Shakespeare's original play retains tremendous levels of twists and turns that spiral to the tragic finale of Romeo and Juliet's end. Consequently, the blame cannot be assigned so simply to one figure amongst many characters who fed the flames, strangling the existence of the young lovers. But, when the question of blame plagues of onlookers of this play, the Friar's name lingers in the thick air polluted by the toughs of slithering lips. Works Cited Shakespeare, William, Louis B. Wright, and Virginia A. LaMar. The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. New ed. New York: Washington Square Press, 1959. Print.

Open Document