Romeo and Juliet literary essay All young people need guidance and advice when facing hardships, but often times adolescents tend to favor finding another source other than their parents to revere as a mentor. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the titular characters have troubled relationships with their families, and look instead to Friar Lawrence and the Nurse as confidants. The lovers decision to look to Friar Lawrence and the Nurse as advisers is troublesome, as Friar Lawrence acts hastily when dealing with Romeo and Juliet’s predicaments, giving them dangerous advice that demonstrates the preacher’s inability to be an adequate mentor. Likewise, though the Nurse cares deeply for Juliet she does not take future consequences into …show more content…
In many instances Friar Lawrence acts with haste rendering Romeo and Juliet to make the wrong decision. Henceforth when Juliet goes to Friar Lawrence seeking advice and support on how to avoid a marriage with Paris, Friar Lawrence suggests lying to escape her problem rather than encouraging Juliet to confront her parents with the truth, by creating a plan that even he acknowledges is dangerous; “Hold, daughter, I do spy a kind of hope, which craves as desperate an execution as that is desperate which we would prevent” (4.1.68-70). Despite knowing the dangers of his plan, Friar Lawrence still offers it to Juliet. When using a word like, ‘execution’, Friar Lawrence is suggesting the nature of the plan involves death. Being Juliet’s only current source of support, Juliet listens to him, therefore the Friar should consider the possible consequences before mentioning such a risky plan. By acting hastily and giving Juliet this risky plan, Friar Lawrence immediately affects Juliet’s state of mind, as many things about his plan could easily go wrong, “What if this mixture do not work at all? Shall I be married then tomorrow morning… What if it be a poison?” (4.3.21-24). Juliet begins to question Friar Lawrence’s plan and considers all the different scenarios that could awry, but she still eventually goes along with the plan, as she has no one to guide her and tell her that there is another way out of …show more content…
Upon Romeo and Juliet’s first meeting, the Nurse fails to guide Juliet towards a good moral decision, instead she heeds Juliet’s requests, “And there she shall at Friar Lawrence’s cell Be shrived and married… This afternoon, sir? well, she shall be there” (2.4.86-91). The Nurse’s fixation with Juliet’s happiness hinders her role as an effective role model. Losing her common sense through this fixation directs her towards giving Juliet poor advice. Thus, the Nurse’s initial choice to bring Romeo and Juliet together results in several subsequent conflicts. Based on the support from the Nurse, Romeo and Juliet meet in secret to be wed so that they can be together and embrace their love for one another, “but come what sorrow can, It cannot counterveil the exchange of joy that one short minute gives me in her sight” (2.6.3-5) Due to a lack of moral grounding, Romeo and Juliet become too distracted by their love and therefore become very vulnerable. By giving Romeo and Juliet her approval, the Nurse greatly influences their decision to immediately be wed. The Nurse does not act morally and in this case does guide Romeo and Juliet towards the correct decision. Furthermore, lacking the guidance Romeo is need of from an adult, he meets Tybalt, Mercutio and Benvolio, which results in a major conflict: “Romeo, away, be gone!
While weeping over what Juliet would think of him after finding out he killed Tybalt, he was relieved to know that Juliet still loved him, “Go before, Nurse commend me to thy lady,/ And bid her hasten all the house to bed,/ Which heavy sorrows make the apt unto./Romeo is coming” (Shakespeare 3.3.155). Friar knew about Romeo and Juliet’s secret romance from the beginning, but he did not do anything to stop it, in fact, it was Friar who married the two. Friar Lawrence knew what could happen, but his only advice was to take slow. In addition, Friar Lawrence also gave Juliet the potion to put her into a fake death so she could avoid marrying Paris. After putting in serious consideration about drinking the potion Juliet decided to take the chance. “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
The Nurse and Friar Laurence both try to protect Romeo and Juliet. When Juliet’s father, Capulet was outraged with Juliet not wanting to marry Paris, he said many awful things to Juliet and the Nurse instantly acted to Juliet’s defense and said ‘God in heaven bless her! You are to blame, my lord, to rate her so.’ As for Friar Laurence, he shows fatherly acts towards Romeo by protecting him when he was banished. Friar Laurence said to Romeo ‘I’ll give thee armor to keep off that word— Adversity’s sweet milk, philosophy— to comfort thee though thou art banished.’ The Nurse protecting Juliet from her own father and Friar Laurence hiding Romeo when he was banished shows their deep concern for the children, the protectiveness they possess for Romeo and Juliet and it also shows the importance of the Nurse and Friar
The loving, compassionate, and wise Nurse in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is not at all the one expressed in Brooke's The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet. In this version, the Nurse's motive behind her involvement is not due to a wish to see Juliet h...
One of the main themes in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is the relationship between the young and old. It is a story of two generations failing to understand each other. There is a contrast between the behaviours of both, young and old characters throughout the play, although at times there are similarities. There’s a struggle between the young lovers and their parents, because of this, Romeo and Juliet each need to have an older confidant to guide them and to help them handle their parents. Juliet confides in her Nurse and Romeo confides in Friar Lawrence.
The Role of the Nurse in Her Relationship with Juliet in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
In many pieces of literature, younger characters seek advice and assistance from their parents. However, this does not occur in Romeo and Juliet, with the characters instead opting to seek for guidance from outside of their families. Juliet’s Nurse and Friar Lawrence are the primary advice givers for Juliet. The need for this counsel largely stems from the structure of 16th century families. In these families, the children mantain more formal relationships with their parents, rather than intimate, day to day, connections. In general, children and parents conversed less often than they do now. This often led to parents lacking sufficient empathy for their children, in large part because they did not understand the experiences of a younger generation. For example, in Act 3, after Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished, Lord Capulet observes an upset Juliet. He incorrectly assumes that this comes from about the death of Tybalt, rather than her love for the now banished Romeo. Thus, he decides to arrange a marriage between Paris and her. When this fa...
Juliet is later forced to marry Paris so she asks the Nurse for a resolution, the Nurse indulges her in poor guidance and reply’s saying that Juliet is ‘.better in the second match’. The nurse helps Juliet to marry Romeo then encourages Juliet to marry Paris as well as Romeo, the Nurse then dismisses Juliet when she asks for a resolution for the situation; she provides poor guidance by doing so. The nurse provides Juliet with no advice, so Juliet visits the Friar whose plan needs a ‘desperate. execution’. Guidance plays a massive role in Romeo and Juliet‘s relationship, the guidance that is provided to them is poor and further complicates their situations, the deaths of Romeo and Juliet occur due to the deceptive guidance they are provided with.
The Nurse and Friar Laurence are kind but powerless characters who inadvertently contribute to the tragic ends of Romeo and Juliet. The Nurse is ignorant and unthinking as she enjoys and sets up the secret marriage, but she does not think about the consequences or take responsibility for them. The Nurse helps Juliet to marry Romeo when the Nurse knows it is forbidden. The Friar is wise and insightful when he marries Romeo and Juliet, but he simply does not have the power or the foresight to stop the tragic events that come after the marriage. Friar Laurence agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet, even though it is risky. These two characters share good intentions and love for Romeo and Juliet, and share the responsibility for their deaths.
The Nurse usually does what she believes is right or what Juliet wants, like secretly meeting with Romeo and arranging the wedding of Romeo and Juliet. ‘Hence to Friar Laurence' cell;
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare introduces an immense amount of diverse characters, the Nurse and Friar Lawrence being two of many. Both these characters react to Romeo and Juliet’s situation out of the goodness of their hearts. For the Nurse, helping Romeo and Juliet meant that “her child” (in a sense since she raised Juliet since birth) would be happy and that’s all she could ever want. However, for Friar Lawrence, helping Romeo and Juliet with their marriage meant that he could help end the feud between both the Montague and Capulet families. Although, they both had good intentions, these goals could not be accomplished without the suffering of consequences. Furthermore, much controversy is seen throughout the play. Friar Lawrence and the Nurse both begin to contradict their original feelings towards helping Romeo and Juliet as they find themselves in difficult predicaments. Therefore, Friar Lawrence and the Nurse did not do the right thing as issues came about: the Nurse tells Juliet to marry Paris after hooking her and Romeo up, Friar marries Romeo and Juliet, and Friar leaves Juliet’s tomb when he hears trouble.
In Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet the characters Nurse and Friar Laurence are to blame for Romeo and Juliet’s Problems.
Ultimately because of the young and reckless lovers, an unwise but trying to be wise Friar Laurence and an unsupportive so called best friend, there can be countless reasons why Romeo and Juliet’s relationship ends tragically. Even though many events could have been avoided or taken to a different route Friar Laurence, the nurse and the two lovers themselves are undoubtedly the biggest reasons why these star crossed lovers from the beginning ended
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a story placed in Verona, Italy of two star-crossed young lovers whom families they belong to are bitter enemies. Romeo and Juliet are then bound to a journey filled with impulsive decisions spurred by their hormonal teenager desires that will ultimately lead to their deaths. Juliet, one of the lovers, is a girl of the Capulet family that is often present with her helper, the Nurse. The Nurse is Juliet's parental figure while her actual parents are people to please. Romeo, the other lover, is a Montague boy that seeks wisdom and advice from the holy man, Friar Lawrence. Likewise, the Friar's role is to act like a helping adult to assist Romeo with problems While the adults in Romeo's and Juliet's life play a role in the teens' demise, the young lovers are ultimately responsible for their own deaths because of the choices they make as teenagers. Shakespeare uses the death of his two protagonists to suggest that the passion of love can be so intense that it can lead to impulsive violence and self-abandonment.
There are many people who listen to others in this world. Parents, siblings, and friends are all trustworthy people. But, there are some people who listen always and who people end up telling their deepest secrets to. These people are very important. When no one else will listen, these people will. Everyone should have at least one extremely trustworthy person in their life. Likewise, in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the main characters, Romeo and Juliet, also have these people in their life. For Juliet, it is her Nurse, and for Romeo, it is Friar Laurence. The Friar is very serious, whereas the Nurse can easily make a joke. Because of the age-old feud between Romeo and Juliet’s parents, the Montagues and the Capulets, both the characters
Parenting is a process of encouraging and aiding the aspects of development of a child from infancy to adulthood. But the style of parenting also a reflection of culture, and its expectations in a role as a parent, the person who raises and cares for a relatively inexperienced being. Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, the Nurse and Friar Laurence are similar characters, as they are both confidants and surrogate parents to Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. They provide advice to guide the star-crossed lovers, and relieve obstacles in Romeo and Juliet’s path in becoming a couple. However, their styles of parenting often do not comply with the laws and expectations of Marriage and Parenting of Shakespeare’s time period. The