Role of secondary characters in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

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Social conscience and responsibility are key attributes that define a human being. There has always been a severe lack of these characteristics in the society we live in which has lead to immense consequences. The impact of the people in everyday-life is enormous on young individuals. This is best demonstrated in the classic play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare in which there are several key secondary characters whose decisions contribute to the tragic demise of the play's protagonists, Romeo and Juliet. The outcome of the play could have been significantly altered and the tragedy could easily have been averted if only the characters of the Capulets, the Nurse, and Friar Lawrence were more responsible and made better decisions relating to young lovers. Juliet?s parents, Lord and Lady Capulet, play an important role in Juliet?s tragic end. Lord Capulet insisted on Juliet marrying Paris and got angry at her when she refused, telling her to ?go with Paris to Saint Peter?s Church, or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither ? out, you baggage!? (III, iv, 154-156). This forcefulness demonstrated by her father has surely contributed to Juliet making rash decisions without thinking them through as her sense of isolation grew. Lord Capulet also never makes any attempt to end the generations of feuding between the Capulets and the Montagues. A peaceful relationship between the two families would have given Romeo and Juliet no reason to hide their love for each other. Most importantly, the Capulets were traditional parents, strictly adhering to the society around them. Lady Capulet compared Juliet to other girls by saying ?younger than you, here in Verona, ladies of esteem are already made mothers? (I, iii, 69-71) whi... ... middle of paper ... ...been a lot more responsible and made better decisions concerning Romeo and Juliet. In this play, ironically, it is the role models of the young lovers that are largely responsible for the tragedy. The Capulets should have cared more about what Juliet wanted instead of forcing their own will while the Nurse ought to have been a better counsel and motherly figure to Juliet, especially in difficult times when she was needed the most.. But mostly, the Friar needed to be more responsible and make better judgements regarding the young couple whom he influenced a great deal more than he imagined at the time. These faults are merely part of human nature but are nonetheless avertable. Shakespeare does a great job of showing that no one, from respectable upper-class parents to holy priests, is perfect and anyone can heavily influence the lives of those around them.

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