Who is Responsible for Romeo and Juliet's Death Essay?
Romeo and Juliet one of the most infamous, popular plays written in 1594 by the poet and the greatest writer in English language William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet were two star-crossed lovers who fall in love in the beautiful city of Verona. It is well known that these teenagers did suicide and without any doubt that is true, but is not Friar Lawrence the originator of this death? Clearly Friar Lawrence acted so recklessly, carelessly and dangerously. He married the two immature youngsters impulsively even though he knew how perilous it was; he knew of the massive feud between their families and he knew that this wedding will end up in a tragedy but, preposterously, he still put them in this huge danger. Friar Lawrence acted imprudently and gave Juliet the vial and he was extremely irresponsible when he did not convey that crucial letter to Romeo. He should have never married them hastily in the first place.
Obviously, Romeo and Juliet were a naive, inexperienced young couple, who were in a plight. They really needed someone to advise them and Friar Lawrence was the only responsible adult who could direct the blinded lovers on the right track. Instead he went ahead and married them. In short, as a priest he was supposed to discuss the situation with The Montagues and The Capulets, not to violate the parents’ right and marry their adolescent children without permission. Friar Lawrence was foolish and fatuous. He agreed to marry Romeo and Juliet very rashly, unwisely and foolhardily, this is discernible when he uttered “But come, young waverer, come, go with me, In one respect I’ll thy assistant be, For this alliance may so happy prove To turn your households' rancor to pure love.” (Act 2 Scene3). He married the lovers very hastily, predicting that the marriage would end the feud between the families, however if he contemplated a little more, he would recognize that this marriage was extremely dangerous for the star-crossed lovers. Also, how was the couple spouse to reveal the marriage for their parents sooner or later (eventually)? That clearly demonstrated how outrageous this ‘criminal’ was, carelessly putting these youthful love birds in huge jeopardy without thinking things through from which their death stemmed. Furthermore, there is unequivocally no hesitation that giving Juliet the vial was a huge catastrophe that Friar Lawrence did.
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Astonishingly, The Friar’s ludicrousness did not stop. He was even more ignorant when he devised a reckless, ill-considered and audacious plan for Juliet to run away with Romeo. He gave her the vial to fake her own death, this vial that undoubtedly led to the teenagers’ suicide. Who would give a juvenile this risky vial? Friar Lawrence thoughtlessly did in act 4, scene 1 where he boasts, 'Take thou this vial, being then in bed, and this distilled liquor drink thou off...No warmth, no breath, shall testify thou livest...Thou shalt continue two and forty hours, and then awake as from a pleasant sleep'. Some people would argue that he gave her the vial so she does not commit suicide, but honestly only unenlightened people would think that. If Friar Lawrence really considered Juliet’s safety, he would not let her take this precarious vial and follow a thoughtless plan to run away with Romeo. Juliet was an immature teenager who was blinded by love. If she really wanted to kill herself at that time she would not go to The Friar. She went to The Friar to get help and trusted him as an adult to give her the right advice but unfortunately, he was untrustworthy and uninformed; he killed her and her soulmate. At the very least he should have ensured that Romeo confirmed this reckless plan before poisoning Juliet.
Irresponsible is the word that described Friar Lawrence through the entire play, but specifically when he did not deliver the pivotal message to Romeo. Juliet trusted him with her, and her husband’s life. Juliet trusted him and took the potion. Juliet trusted him in delivering the crucial letter. He gave Juliet the vial telling her to drink it and to rely on him to get the message to Romeo. This is evident in act 4 scene 4 when he promised, “In the meantime, against thou shalt awake, Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift, And hither shall he come, and he and I Will watch thy waking, and that very night.” This cold-blooded murderer toyed with these young lovers’ lives and Romeo the young sweet gentleman did not get the message. The Friar was careless in delivering the message and gave it to Friar Johan without explaining how enormously important and dangerous this message was. This is palpable in their conversation:
- Suspecting that we both were in a house
Where the infectious pestilence did reign,
Sealed up the doors and would not let us forth.
So that my speed to Mantua there was stayed” (Friar Johan)
- Who bare my letter, then, to Romeo? (Friar Lawrence)
- I could not send it—here it is again—
Nor get a messenger to bring it thee,
So fearful were they of infection. (Friar Johan)
- Unhappy fortune! By my brotherhood,
The letter was not nice but full of charge,
Of dear import, and the neglecting it May do much danger. (Friar Lawrence) (Act 5 scene 2)
He knew how much danger not delivering this message would cause and how it could create turmoil, but he still was insensitive in delivering it. If he was little more responsible and made sure that Romeo got the message before Juliet drank the vial, or at any rate, made sure that Romeo get the message at all; this tragedy would not happen, Romeo and Juliet would be living together submerged with joy, intimacy and love. Friar Lawrence was awfully negligent and had them both killed because of his rashness, recklessness and ruthlessness.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Friar Lawrence killed the star-crossed lovers. He made not one not two but three enormous mistakes that unquestionably lead these young love birds to their death. Friar Lawrence could counsel the two blinded lovers, Friar Lawrence could discuss the situation with their parents prudently, Friar Lawrence could act a little more carefully and the lovers would not have perished. Instead he married them very prematurely and on the top of the rash, dangerous and erroneous decision to marry them he gave Juliet the vial and induce her to follow an unreliable plan to run away with Romeo. He was treacherous and irresponsible with his dangerous promise to Juliet and did not deliver the message to Romeo. Would not everything be peaceful in the exquisite city of Verona if The Friar did not act foolishly? It is untenable, Friar Lawrence must hold the blame for the death of these young teenagers. It is because of his ignorance, carelessness and irrationality Romeo and Juliet had to pay the price of death.
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