Romeo And Juliet Who's To Blame Analysis

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There is a multitude of characters that are to blame for Romeo and Juliet’s tragic deaths. The domino effect plot twists end with fingers pointed at both the Capulets and the Montagues along with a few supporting characters displayed as culprits. However, the one that should be found most guilty is the supposed “friendly” Friar Laurence. He was the young lover’s advisor, the master planner, he secretly wed them, and took responsibility in the finale. Friar Laurence’s purpose in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is to advise them in their life decisions and offer them guidance with reassuring words of wisdom. A Friar is a religious member which means he automatically holds an aura of respect and trustworthiness. He is supposed to know …show more content…

The only souls that knew about it were the nurse, the Friar, Romeo and Juliet. Without knowing this secret, Juliet’s father arranged for her to marry Paris. This caused an assortment of problems along with Romeo’s banishment being an issue. The Friar concocted a plot to get Romeo and Juliet together at last and able to live happily ever after. It involved an extremely dangerous, life threatening move. Friar Laurence told Juliet, “Take thou this vial, being then in bed, and this distilled liquor drink thou off; when presently through all thy veins shall run a cold and drowsy humour, for no pulse shall keep his native progress” (Act IV, Scene I). Basically, he would give Juliet a poison to make her seem dead, but it was really just a deep slumber for a long enough time to stop the wedding and inform Romeo of the actions to take place. However, yet another piece of the plot was unwillingly altered. Friar Laurence wrote to Romeo about the plan, but it was never delivered to him. It was the Friar John that said “I could not send it, here it is again, nor get a messenger to bring it thee” (Act V, Scene II). So far, the plan was going every which way but the intended way. In the end, Romeo killed himself because he saw Juliet dead when she was to wake up any minute. In turn, Juliet stabbed herself to death because he was no longer alive. This portrays that they would both be alive if the Friar had …show more content…

In the ending scene, after both Romeo and Juliet have killed themselves, the whole truth is let out by the Friar. He stretched himself thin and took the blame at long last. He told everyone “and, if aught in this miscarried by my fault, let my old life be sacrificed, some hour before his time, unto the rigour of severest law” (Act V, Scene III). The Friar is aware of his actions now and what they have led to. People were murdered and precious lives were lost. The families and friends were devastated. Friar Laurence accepted his punishment by saying he would sacrifice himself to the simple laws pertaining to murder. His plan did in fact bring peace to the Capulet and Montague families like he wanted. They set aside their feud to mourn over the loss of their children

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