Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Romeo & Juliet

Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy, but it did not have to be. Many things could have been done to prevent their deaths. Many characters contributed to their deaths. The sole character that was responsible for their deaths is Friar Lawrence. Friar Lawrence is responsible for the deaths of the lovers because he was secretive with their relationship, he was unable communicate effectively, and he had a cowardly persona.

Friar Lawrence thought it was a good idea to keep Romeo and Juliet’s relationship a secret. He was unaware that this would be a cause of their deaths. Friar Lawrence said to Romeo when he gave consent to marry Romeo and Juliet, “come, young waverer, come, go with me, in one respect I’ll thy assistant be, for this alliance may so happy prove to your households’ rancor to pure love” (II. iii. 83-93). Friar Lawrence believed that he was doing the right thing. He believed that if he married and Romeo and Juliet he would be ending the feud between the two families. Instead of saying no that he won’t marry them and they should wait Friar should’ve warn both of their parents about what the lovers were planning. He just decided to marry them even though they had known each other for only a couple hours and without their parents consent. Another time that Friar Lawrence was secretive about Romeo and Juliet’s relationship, which then led to their deaths, was after Romeo killed Tybalt and was banished and then later on Lord Capulet decided to accept Paris’ request to marry Juliet. Juliet went to Friar Lawrence and he told her this after she threatened to kill herself “ Hold, daughter. I do spy a kind of hope, which craves as desperate as an execution as that is desperate which we would prevent… if Thou hast the ...

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...ents and taken the potion. If the Friar had done that both Romeo and Juliet would have most likely been alive. It was that decision that caused the deaths to happen. If the Friar used his wits and thought things though and stood up to his mistakes Romeo and Juliet wouldn’t have died.

Friar Lawrence is responsible for the deaths of the lovers, because he was secretive, did not communicate well, and he was a coward. He had the potential to stop everything and prevent the deaths. If he only had thought things through Romeo and Juliet would’ve survived. The deaths of Romeo and Juliet solely rest on the Friar’s shoulder. The Friar set up everything that happened and created a huge mess that could have been prevented. Sure other character contributed to the deaths but Friar Lawrence is the biggest contributor.

Works Cited

Romeo and Juliet By William Shakespeare