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Importance of death in Romeo and Juliet
The friar in romeo and juliet
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Recommended: Importance of death in Romeo and Juliet
Essay for Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare
The character in the play, Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, that I think has the largest impact on the audience is probably the Friar. Although the Friar might not have that big of a role, he was the one with the plan that got Romeo and Juliet killed. Some people might say that it was Juliet’s fault because she was the one that was so desperate for a plan to get her and Romeo together, the Friar had no choice but to go along. But still, the Friar was the one that came up with a plan. That plan might not have worked for many reasons, but the Friar didn’t think ahead.
Hold, then. Go home, be merry, give consent
To marry Paris. Wednesday is tomorrow.
Tomorrow night look that thou lie alone;
Let not the nurse lie with thee in thy chamber.
(4.1.89-92)
This part of the plan already might not work. For example, the nurse could insist on sleeping in Juliet’s sleeping chambers or Juliet’s’ parents could insist on it. If this was the matter, Friar should have an excuse that Juliet could use just in case.
Take thou this vial, being then in bed,
And this distilling liquor drink thou off;
When presently through all thy veins shall run
A cold and drowsy humor; for no pulse
Shall keep his native progress, but surcease;
(4.2.93-97)
In this part of the plan, Juliet could drink the liquid but not drink all of it, or the potion might not work at all. Friar should make it clear to Juliet to drink the whole vial and tell Juliet that there is a chance that it might not work.
No warmth, no breath, shall testify thou livest;
The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade
To wanny ashes, thy eyes’ windows fall
Like death when he shuts up the day of life;
Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death;
And in this borrowed likeness of shrunk death
Thou shalt continue two-and-forty hours,
And then awake as from a pleasant sleep.
(4.2.98-106)
This part, the Friar is just describing what will happen to Juliet. He says that although she’ll appear dead, she really will just be in a deep sleep. Looking more closely at this description, it does seem like how a dead person will look like. There will be no breath coming out, they’ll become paler, they’ll lose their body heat and their eyes will be shut. Supposedly this ‘death’ will continue for 42 hours and then she will awake.
When Juliet goes to the friar and threatens to kill herself if he doesn’t help her get out of marrying Paris he agrees to help her. He gives her a potion to temporarily stop her breathing so she appears dead. The friar says, “Take thou this /vial, being then in bed,/And this distilling liquor drink thou off;/When presently through/all thy veins shall run/A cold and drowsy humor; for no pulse/Shall keep his native progress, but surcease.” (Act IV.i 95-99) “In the meantime, against thou shalt awake,/Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift,” (Act IV.i 115-116) He is saying that Juliet doesn’t have to worry about Romeo freaking out about her death because he will tell Romeo about her fake death and they will be there to dig her up once she wakes up from her sleeping potion. Juliet is 100% on board with this plan because she really does not want to marry Paris. She is even willing to make her family think she is dead to be with
“Take this vial, being then in bed,/ And this distilling liquor thou off,/ When presently through all thy veins shall run/ A cold drowsy humour” (4.1.90-91). Friar gave Juliet the potion because she said she would rather kill herself than marry Paris and after saying that Friar came up with the idea to give her the potion and put her into a fake death, while he contacted Romeo to come and rescue her. The idea that they had in their minds did not go according to plan because Romeo got the news that Juliet actually died, not that she was put in a fake death. As Juliet fell in love with Romeo, The Nurse went behind the backs of Juliet’s parents and was sending messages between the two.
Then friar comes up with the worse idea ever, "Take thou this vial, being then in bed. And this distilling liquor drink thou off."(4.1.94-95). Which means drink this potion and you will fake your death and not wake up for forty- two hours with a pale skin tone and no pulse and heart beating. The friar thinks that to make Romeo and Juliet mess end she pretend to die on her bed the day of the wedding which is a risky move to do as the audience can see the Friar hopeless and come up with a outrageous idea to save two "star-crossed lovers" be happy which is a 13 year old i know that because old Capulet says " My child is yet a stranger to in the world , she hath not seen the change of fourteen years"(1.2.8-9) which Capulet's trying to say that she is to younger and not even fourteen yet which means she is 13 and Romeo is 16 when William Shakespeare cut three years off of her. As the reader is reading this play he/she see how much things the Friar did so far in this play but there is more of what the Friar
The reason why the Friar gave Juliet the vial is because Juliet was forced by her father to marry a man named Paris. Lord Capulet says to Paris “A’ Thursday let it be –a’ Thursday tell her, she shall be married to this noble earl.” (Act III.iv.20-21). What her family does not know is that she is secretly already married to Romeo. Juliet decides to go to the Friar for advice on what to do about her situation, and one thing leads to another and the Friar tells her to drink a poison. “Take thou this vial, being in bed, And distilling liquor thou off;” (Act IV.i.93-94). The poison will make it seem as if she is dead. If the poison works as it is supposed to then after forty two hours she will wake up. “Thou shalt continue two-and-forty hours, And
After Juliet freaks out after knowing that Romeo has been exiled from Verona, so she ends up going to the friar for advice therefore when she reaches the friar in sadness he has a plan to give Juliet a potion that will make her sleep for 3 days like she is ¨Dead” and by the time of her awaking Romeo will be there waiting for here to awake, in this he says, “Take thou this vial, being in bed and this distilled liquor drink thou off,when presently through ull veins shall run a cold and drowsy humour: for no pulse.” Without know what could happen or if the letter will ever reach romeo juliet agrees to do it as the friar clams “I'll send a friar with speed to Mantua, with my letters to thy lord.” And Juliet agrees, believing that Romeo will actually receive the letter and be waiting for by the time of her awaking, These all concluding personal choice, Questioning should've Juliet actually taken this potion or just moved on?
“Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, still-waking sleep, that is not what this is” (Shakespeare 1.1. 179-180). A string of contradictions explain the love story of Romeo and Juliet, a contradiction. Some critics consider this story a tragedy because Shakespeare once wrote; “the fault is not in our stars but in ourselves”. While others say it does not follow the standard Aristotelian form of tragedy (Krims 1). Romeo and Juliet can not be a tragedy because no flaw causes them to fall, the lovers, could not have controlled fate, and family and friends assisted them to their deaths.
“A thing like death to chide away this shame,/ That cop’st with death himself to scape from it;/ And if thou darest, I’ll give thee remedy.”(4.i.89-120) In short, Friar is telling Juliet what he is going to give her for her planned ‘death’. This is important because this is the main problem that leads to both Romeo and Juliet’s death. This proves that in the story, Romeo ends up seeing Juliet ‘dead’ it makes him want to kill himself. Of course he made a hasty decision at that point in time. In the story Friar tells Juliet the entire plan. “Take thou this vial being then in bed/ And this distilling liquor drink thou off;.../ And then awake as from a pleasant sleep.”(VI.ii.89-120) In other words, Friar is telling Juliet to drink the distilling liquor and she’ll be fast asleep for the plan to go as planned. This is important because the the dialogue proves that Friar planned Juliet’s ‘death’. As an educated adult, he shouldn't have made the decisions he
The Friar is responsible for many problems as well, as assisting Juliet with her "death" plan. When Romeo and Juliet realize they can’t be together, and Juliet is expected to marry Paris, she needs an escape plan. Juliet pays a visit to the Friar, who creates a plan for Juliet to fake her death with a sleeping potion. When Juliet asks the Friar to help her break free from her wedding with Paris, he replies that:
(IV, I, Lines 90-119). This bad advice, to give a girl a drink like death and tell her to run away, is only one of many immature actions Friar takes. Finally, Friar did not stay with Juliet after she frantically woke up, in a tomb, next to another diseased husband who was supposed to run away with her to Mantua. Instead he left saying, "Thy husband in thy bosom lies dead.... ...
Despite his conscience, Friar Lawrence reveals a potion that will put Juliet to a false death, in the “Potion Plan” scene. His motivation was caused by the weeping and tears of Juliet who was in the hands of a twisted marriage against her will. She had already been married to her love, but now that promise was in danger of being broken. From the few lines that the friar speaks, the audience realizes that this friar is certainly not the stereotype friar that goes around trying to live an impossible life of perfection.
He tried to please everyone so nobody would point a finger towards him. He gave Juliet the potion even when he knew it could kill her, either way he would be safe. If Juliet died there would be no sign that is was his fault… nobody would find out about how he secretly married Romeo and Juliet. Also, if the plan worked Juliet and Romeo would be happy and thankful for the Friar. He let Juliet take the potion even when he knew the risk, “Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself, Then is it likely thou wilt undertake A thing like death to chide away this shame, That cop’st with death himself to scape from it; And, if thou darest, I’ll give thee remedy,” (Shakespeare 452). He was only ever out for himself in the
Days following, Juliet will awaken and Romeo will be there to help her run away. The Friar hopes for the best in the situation, but does not consider the drawbacks that could and will suddenly occur in his plan. He continuously tells Juliet what she wants to hear in this situation because she sees him as a fatherly figure and he sees her as his daughter. Before Juliet leaves the Friar, he tells her, “ ‘Thou hast the strength of will to sly thyself,/ Then is it likely thou wilt undertake/ A thing like death to chide away this shame,’ ” (Mackenzie 1).
Juliet receives a vial containing a potion from Friar Lawrence, who has a plan that will make Juliet appear as if she is dead, so that when she awakens, she will unite with Romeo. Juliet considers several consequences before drinking the potion, such as losing her sanity or being buried alive. Despite her reasoning, she summons the courage to drink the potion, exclaiming “Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Here’s to a drink.
Here in this scene Juliet had just found Romeo’s pale body lying with a dagger pierced in his heart. But what did the Friar say.? He asserted, trying to run away from the tomb, that they should leave. What more is there I ask? .. T-o-.
I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday, Or never after look me in the face.” (3.5.160-163). By forcing Juliet into marriage, she becomes desperate and causes her to begin considering death as a way out. "I'll to the friar, to know his remedy; If all else fail, I have power to die." 3.5.241-242.