Romeo and Juliet Analysis

When we, as a species, are in need of help and advice, we tend to turn to authoritative figures’ opinions, such as a doctor, teacher, or specialist, for help, in fear that our own decisions reveal to be dissatisfactory. In the play, Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare (1564–1616), this can be seen from Romeo’s and Juliet’s numerous pleas and demands of the Franciscan Friar Lawrence’s help and guidance; however, the outcomes of the Holy Friar’s plans were not advantageous, in fact, it was what directly led to their tragic ends. One oughtn’t to gamble so much on advisors since these authoritative figures are human too; therefore, they are also subject to mistakes and such pressures, as nobody is perfect. They can (are able to) convince society and individuals of their ways by using their title and supposed wisdom, consciously and not, to manipulate, mislead, deceive, and take advantage of others. Lastly, it is ethical to pursue second and third opinions, as opposed to simply relying on one source, because one’s autonomy may be suppressed when engaging with so-called “superiors”. Due to the previous reasons, it must be recognized that when seeking valuable guidance – no matter physical, mental, or emotional – one ought not to rely solely on the advice and feedback of one or few seemingly knowledgeable adults and even respected members of the specific expertise.

Excessively trusting and placing many expectations on advisors is a precarious choice, since they are human too, and are also subject to making mistakes, honest ones and not. A simple miscalculation can lead to disaster, as shown in Romeo and Juliet as Friar Lawrence’s flimsy and poorly thought out plan of Juliet’s fake death regarding the “sleeping potion”. The message...

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...ursue second and third opinions because one’s autonomy is very easily suppressed when engaging with supposed “superiors”. Seeing to the reasons argued in this essay, one must realize that when seeking constructive counselling, of all sorts, it is injudicious to depend solely on the recommendations and criticism of purportedly knowledgeable, moral, and righteous consultants. Nevertheless, this absolutely does not mean to avoid seeking professional help of any kind, it means frankly the opposite. The more opinions and constructive criticism that is received, the better it is for the beneficiary, as one can then make more autonomous decisions. So, in conclusion, the next time you seek guidance and fair opinions, the more people confided in the better, because of course, you don’t want to be the next Romeo or Juliet!

Works Cited

Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare