FREE ESSAY ON SUMMARY OF ROMEO AND JULIET

SUMMARY OF ROMEO AND JULIET

Romeo & Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's plays about tragedy. It is about two lovers who
commit suicide when their feuding famillies prevent them from being together. The play
has many characters, each with its own role in keeping the plot line. Some characters
have very little to do with the plot but some have the plot revolving around them. Friar
Lawrence does not have very much time on stage but the time he does have is crucial to
the plot line. Through his words Friar Lawrence demonstrates the he is a good
intentioned, yet sometimes short-sighted, man who is not afraid to take risks to help
others
One of Friar Lawrences most favourable traits is how good intentioned he is. He may do
something out of the ordinary if he thinks the outcome will help someone he cares for.
For example, when he says In one respect I'll thy assistant be; for this alliance may so
happy prove, to turn your households rancour to pure love.(Act 2, Scene 3), he is saying
that the only reason he will marry Romeo and Juliet is because he hopes that the marriage
will end the hostilities between the two houses. When he says Shall Romeo by my letters
know our drift, and hither shall he come; and he and I shall watch thy waking, and that
very night shall Romeo bear thee to Mantua. (Act 4, Scene 1), he tells Juliet how
everything will be all right. Unfortunately, for all his good intentions the play still
ends in tragedy.
Friar Lawrence is a man who is not afraid to take risks when he feels it is neccesary to
help someone. For example in Act 2, Scene 6, when he marries Romeo and Juliet, he is
risking his reputation as a Friar so he can help the two lovers. Also, when he says Take
thou this vial, being then in bed, and this distilled liquor drink though off; (Act 4,
Scene 1), he is suggesting that Juliet drink a potion so that she might feighn her own
death and avoid marrying Paris. This is an extremely risky thing to do because anything
might happen to Juliet while she unconscious.
Even after all Friar did to help Romeo and Juliet the play still ended in tragedy because
of Friar Lawrences' short sightedness.
When the Friar married Romeo Juliet in secrecy, he did not think of all the complications
that would arise but instead went on with the marriage because at that time he thought it
was the right thing to do. In Act 4, Scene 1, he gave Juliet a sleeping potion without
thinking of the possible outcomes of such an outrages plan. He admits that much of the
fault of the tragedy lies in his hands when he says And her I stand both to impeach and
purge myself condemned and myself excused, and when he say Her nurse is privy; and, if
aught in this miscarried by myself... (Act 5, Scene 3).
Although Friar Lawrence does not have an especially large role, his role is none the less
important. It is because of his good intentions that he was willing to help his friends
that Romeo and Juliet were married - a key event in the play. It is because of his
willingness to take risks for his friends that Juliet aqquired the sleeping potion -
another key event in the play. Finally, it was the shortsightedness of his actions that
in part led to the deaths of the two lead characters. This demonstartes that Friar
Lawrence was a man who was a man with good intentions who was willing to take risks to
help his frieneds. If he had been any other way, the play might not have turned out the
way it did.
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