The Nurse and Friar Laurence are responsible for Romeo and Juliets death

In Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet the characters Nurse and Friar Laurence are to blame for Romeo and Juliet’s Problems.

The way Friar Laurence encouraged Romeo and Juliet to get Married, The way the Nurse is contradictory in her views of Romeo and Paris, When Friar Laurence secretly married them, the way the Nurse is secretive about the affair and does not tell the Capulet’s or the Montague’s, when Laurence gave Juliet the sleeping potion, the way Laurence believed he was doing the right thing without thinking of the consequences, and the way Laurence leaves Juliet’s Tomb when he hears the watch coming, all combine to result in the lovers death.

In act II scene III, Romeo goes to see Friar Laurence to tell him that he no longer loves Rosaline, but has fell in love with Juliet. This amazes Friar Laurence, but he promises to marry them,

“O, she knew well

Thy love did read by rote, that could not spell.

But come, young waverer, come, go with me.

In one respect I’ll assistant be.

For this alliance may so happy prove

To turn your household’s rancour to pure love.”

(Friar Laurence, Act II Scene III, sentence 87-92)

By doing this, Friar Laurence has gone behind Capulet and Montague’s back, and started the momentum behind the lover’s tragedy.

In a few parts of the play, the Nurse speaks of Romeo and Paris with Juliet, each time she has a different view on who Juliet should be with,

LADY CAPULET

“Marry, that ‘marry’ is the very theme

I came to talk of. Tell me daughter Juliet,

How stands your dispositions to be married?”

JULIET

“It is an honour that I dream not of”

NURSE

“An honour! Were not I thine only nurse,

I would say thou hadst sucked wisdom from thy

Teat.”

LADY CAPULET...

... middle of paper ...

...p; Exit Friar

What’s here? A cup, closed in my true loves hand?

Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end.

O churl! Drunk all, and left no friendly drop

To help me after? I will kiss thy lips.

Haply some poison yet doth hang on them

To make me die with a restorative.

She kisses him

Thy lips are warm!”

WATCHMAN ‘within’

“Lead, boy. Which way?

JULIET

“Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger!

She snatches Romeos dagger

This is thy sheath, there rust, and let me die

She stabs herself and falls”

(Act V Scene III, sentence 144-176)

In this act, Rome and Juliet die. This is brought about by the Friars plan to help Romeo and Juliet escape to Mantua, which failed.

Without the meddling from the Nurse and Friar Laurence, Romeo and Juliet might not have died. Friar Laurence and the Nurse are responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s death.

Bibliography

William Shakespeare - Romeo And Juliet - Complete Edition