Play: Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare

“Some shall be pardoned, and some punished, for there was never a story of more woe than of Juliet and her Romeo.”

Romeo and Juliet: the story and characters that define “teenage love” and tragedy. But were the tragic misunderstandings and mishaps truly their fault? A question that has risen many a time has now been made the topic of this essay; who is really at fault for the unfortunate death of the 2 most deep lovers? Through pathetic fallacy for effect, foreshadowing, and an insightful prologue, Shakespeare gives us a preview of what was going to become of the two troubled lovers. Many characters can be held guilty for their death in various indirect ways, such as the Nurse, Capulet, Tybalt or even Romeo himself. However, can Friar Lawrence be counted in as well? In Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence plays a very significant role as a priest of the St. Francis Church and who the children trusted completely. Shockingly, in this play of tragedy, Friar Lawrence has the bigger hand in the death of the two star-crossed lovers through means rash and hasty decisions. There are many sources of evidence proving the Friar indirectly responsible for the fate of the children, through the “much appreciated” help he has provided to the children to finally be together. However, without the Friar the children would have nobody to support their love and decisions, due to the deadly family feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. In hopes of solving the decade old dispute with no meaning, the Friar, without giving his decisions much thought, helped the children in their desperate spirit to be married and live a happy life together. Would someone consider him unaware of the intensity of the present family conditions? Or...

... middle of paper ...

...alt would not have been slayed by the hands of Romeo and he would not have been banished, hence avoiding the potion plan in all. Instead of giving saintly advice and help them to confess their love to their families, which might have taken more effort but would definitely result in a more content and less tragic ending for all characters, he took the easy way out and carried on with the underground marriage. Therefore, in the play Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence has been shown as the character that is most responsible for the death of the two young lovers. “…they stumble that run fast”; it’s surprising how he could not apply his own insight to his decisions. Yes, in the end as he had envisioned, the families did reunite and end the long and disastrous feud, however let us ask ourselves: Love can counted as blissful wrath; but was it really worth all of this?