In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, a play set in the fourteenth century, two young lovers experience the fluctuations of love as they fend off all the obstacles that their families and friends create.
Friar Laurence plays a part in their deaths due to his lack of urgency and his inconsiderate decisions.The Nurse is also responsible for their deaths because of her betrayal and her dishonesty. Finally, Capulet is also responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s deaths because of his selfish and ignorant actions. The irresponsible actions of Capulet, Friar Laurence, and the Nurse lead to the tragic suicide of Romeo and Juliet.
Friar Laurence’s rash action in marrying Juliet, his hasty plan to avert Juliet from an unwanted marriage with Paris, and his failure to get his message delivered to Romeo in time all contribute to the death of Romeo and Juliet. When Romeo goes to see Friar Laurence after his new found love, they immediately begin to talk about marriage. Friar Laurence sees the opportunity to unite the two disputing families by marrying them.
When Friar Laurence and Romeo are discussing a possible marriage, he tells Romeo ” wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast” (Shakespeare.2.3.95-96). Friar Laurence agrees to marry them knowing the danger in making such an immense commitment in just 24 hours.
Yet, he allows Romeo and Juliet to put herself in a risky situation without encouraging them to confront their families about their love for each other. Playing a father-figure role, Friar Laurence should have taken the opportunity to address the right thing to do. Even after the banishment of Romeo and Tybalt’s death, Friar Laurence still could not see the destructiveness of their marriage. When Juliet wants to find a way to avoid marrying Paris she says “Tell me not, friar, that thou hear’st of this, / Unless thou tell me how I may prevent it./ If, in thy wisdom, thou canst give no help, /do thou but call my resolution wise…” (4.
1.51-53). Juliet is desperately looking for an answer on how to avoid the marriage. Friar Laurence responds to her desperation by commencing the arrangement of another risky plan. Just like with Romeo, Friar Laurence is put in a position to step up and make a wise decision on what to do with Juliet, but once again he fails to show any maturity which leads to Juliet drinking the potion. Friar also fails to get his message to Romeo in time after leaving his fellow franciscan with all the weight on his shoulders. After Friar John is stopped to check for any signs of the plague, he heads back to Verona.
When he returns with the letter still in his hand, he says “I could not send it,-here it is again,/- nor get a messenger to bring it thee,/ so fearful were they of infection”(5.2.14-16). Friar Laurence should have never given this extremely important message to someone who does not understand the gravity of the situation. He should have given the letter to a trusted friend and servant of Romeo, such as Balthasar. After the original plan of sending Friar John does not work, Friar Laurence has 3 hours to deliver the message, but he fails again therefore causing Romeo to think Juliet is dead. His careless behavior gives Romeo no chance of receiving his message. Friar Laurence’s impulsive and careless decisions, similar to the Nurse’s, lead to the death of Romeo and Juliet.
The Nurse also plays a role in the death of Romeo and Juliet by abandoning her when she needed her advice, and by deceiving Capulet and Lady Capulet. When Juliet asks The Nurse for advice, The Nurse betrays her and takes Capulet’s side. When the Nurse is talking to Juliet in her room, she declares that “Romeo is banish’d; and all the world to nothing,/ that he dares ne’er come back to challenge you;/ or if he do, it needs must be by stealth.
/ Then, since the case so stands as now it doth,/ I think it best you married with the county” (3.5.215-219). The Nurse acknowledges Juliet’s love for Romeo, yet she abandons her. She chooses to agree with Capulet and tries to convince Juliet to marry Paris, which goes against Juliet’s will. The Nurse is supposed to support their love for each other by encouraging Juliet to follow her heart by not marrying Paris.
However, her persistence in trying to convince Juliet to marry Paris when Juliet needs her the most, results in Juliet taking the potion to be with Romeo. The Nurse also influences Juliet to deceive her parents by keeping her love with Romeo a secret from them. The Nurse suggests that Juliet brings Romeo over by saying “Hie to your chamber.
/ I’ll find Romeo to comfort you;/ I wot well where he is. Hark ye,/ your Romeo will be here at night./ I’ll to him; he is hid/ at Laurence’s cell”(3.2.138-144). The Nurse recognizes that the Capulets hate the Montagues, Romeo’s family, and that they intend Juliet to marry Paris. Yet, she helps Juliet deliver secret messages to Romeo, rather than informing her parents about their love so that they could try to pursue their dreams of being together for ever.
In making this love a secret it creates confusion and various miscommunications throughout the play. The Nurse’s lack of loyalty and honesty ends up killing Romeo and Juliet, while also making Capulet’s job harder.Finally, Capulet is to blame for Romeo’s And Juliet’s death because of his forceful and unsupportive actions towards Juliet, as well as his impatience. After the death of Tybalt, Capulet begins to enforce his authority by demanding that Juliet marries Paris. He voices his opinion on Juliet’s possible marriage with Paris by saying “Soft! Take me with you/ take me with you, wife.
How! /Will she none? Doth she not count her blest,/ unworthy as she is, that we have wrought a/ gentleman to be her bridegroom?”(3.5.142-146). As the play goes by, Capulet changes from a calm and laid-back person, to all of sudden an irritable and anxious character. His change in behaviour causes Juliet to resort to more dangerous solutions in taking the potion in order to avoid marrying Paris. If it was not for Capulet’s forcefulness, Juliet would have felt more in control of her future. After Capulet tries to tell her to marry Paris, Juliet refuses leading to a string of hateful words. He says “Hang thee, young baggage!/ Disobedient wretch! I tell thee what:/ get thee to church o’thursday,/ or never after look me in the face…”(3.
5.180-183). Capulet immediately turns his back on Juliet after she does not agree to marry Paris. Being a father, he should be able to show compassion and empathy for her because she is the one getting married. Even if he does not agree with her, he should have approached the situation with more delicacy and he might have been able to get what he wanted. Instead Juliet resorts to extreme measures out of fright that Capulet will banish her from the family. Capulet also moves the wedding to Wednesday, which gives less time for Friar Laurence to get his message to Romeo. Capulet tells Juliet to “Send for the county.
Go tell him this./ I’ll have this knot knit up tomorrow morning” (4.2.23-24). Capulet does this for the better of his family, but he still should have never rushed this marriage upon Juliet. This brings in a theme that is evident throughout the play, which is that rushing things adds complications to simple problems. Overall, Capulet ends the lives of the two lovers by being so persistent in getting Juliet to marry Paris, and by being too anxious.
In Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet the two star-crossed lovers experience many different emotions throughout their love story set in Verona during the fourteenth century. Friar Laurence is responsible for their deaths because of his lack of determination and careless decisions. The Nurse acts untrustworthy and unloyal causing the death of Romeo and Juliet. Finally, Capulet is to blame for their death because of his mindless and anxious behaviours.The immature actions of Capulet, Friar Laurence, and the Nurse, all play a role in their tragic end. Works CitedShakespeare, William. Romeo And Juliet.
Nelson, 1999.
