Romeo and Juliet

ESL E Culminating Activity
Romeo and Juliet
By Hsinju Pao The play of Romeo and Juliet is one of the famous story written by William Shakespeare. It is considered by many people to be one of the world’s greatest love stories, a story about two young star-crossed lover from two enemy families, who took their lives not only because of the feud, but also their fate. However, as the love story ended up with the untimely death, who is responsible for their death might be a common question. In many ways, since Friar Lawrence is the only one who knows everything and kept the secret relationship between Romeo and Juliet, he is most responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s death. His bad choices such as secretly married the couple, made up the plan for Romeo and Juliet to escape, and arrived the tomb late when Juliet awakes result to the story ended up with a tragedy. The mistakes started from the beginning. Friar Lawrence made a awful decision by secretly married Romeo and Juliet that are from two enemy families. After Romeo and Juliet met and reclaim their love for each other in one night, Romeo soon decided to ask Friar Lawrence for help and perform their marriage. As being a kind and holy man, he was willing to help even though he knows their families would be strongly against them. Undoubtedly, he also warned Romeo not to be hurried about his relationship with Juliet. “These violent delight have violent ends, and with their triumph die, like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume. The sweetest honey is loathsome in his own deliciousness, and in the taste confounds the appetite.” (act 2, scene 6) Before he married Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence certainly knew that this quick marriage might have a violent end. He married the couple was mostly not because of their love for each other but more of hoping to end the feud of two foe families. But he also forgot about the consequences he may have to face when people is against their secret marriage. To the audience, this is a very unwise decision. However, if he didn’t marry them, this whole love tragedy would not happen. He made a mistake that led to the second serious trouble, which ended up with the untimely death. The second main mistake made by Friar Lawrence is the potion plan. He gave the idea of fake dead potion to Juliet for her to escape with Romeo. This led to many accidents and finally ended up as a failure. Since Juliet was very upset about the marriage plan with county Paris made by her father Capulet, she decided to ask Friar Lawrence for help. Eventually, because Juliet is already a wife of Romeo, Friar Lawrence gave her the potion to avoid the marriage. “If, rather than to marry county Paris, thou hast the strength of will to stay thyself, then is it likely thou wilt undertake a thing like death to chide away this shame, that copest with death himself to ‘scape from it; and if thou darest, I’ll give thee remedy.” (act 4, scene 1) Juliet decided to drink the potion and wait for Romeo to come. Friar Lawrence knew there is a very high risk the potion plan might not succeed, but still determined to give her the potion. Romeo soon be affected by the wrong news given from his servant when Friar John failed to deliver the message from Friar Lawrence, Romeo suicided when Friar Lawrence went late to the tomb. However, they died because Friar lawrence did not think through that something may possibly make this situation worse, and the terrible consequences he would need to deal with after. If he didn’t make up a plan to cover the mistake he had done before, he would have easily avoided the situation. The third mistake happened when Friar Lawrence arrived the tomb late, and couldn’t stop the death of Romeo, Juliet and Paris. An accident happened when the letter for Romeo could not be sent, so Friar Lawrence decided to go by himself, take Juliet back to the cell and wait for him to come. But he was still too late to save Romeo when when he saw the bloody body of him and Paris. Moreover, he ran away when Juliet needed him the most, and in leaving her alone, she killed herself. In the tomb scene, Friar Lawrence attempted to help Juliet before running away. “Stay not to question, for the watch is coming, come, go, good Juliet, I dare no longer stay.” (act 5, scene 3) If Friar Lawrence stayed, he could have at least attempted to wrench the dagger from her hand, or comforted her. Instead of staying to help Juliet he chose to run away from the watchman for his own safety. This shows that even though he is responsible for anything that happened in this plan, he still chose to put his safety before Romeo and Juliet’s. If Friar Lawrence had not given the plan and failed to deliver the letter, they would have never been put in this situation. If Friar Lawrence came earlier to the tomb, he may even be soon enough to save Romeo and Paris’s from fighting each other. Unfortunately, because of his final, terrible choices, the story ended with an disaster. There are many other people involved and some small accidents that led to this tragedy, but most of the poor decisions were made by Friar Lawrence. He secretly married Romeo and Juliet, made up the potion plan and arrived the tomb late, these bad choices are inexcusable, therefore he is guilty for their death. But in the other way, this big-hearted man that was hoping to help them also saved many lives of the innocent Capulets and Montague from fighting each other, because of Romeo and Juliet’s love story, it ended the feud. This is a very outstanding story and a noticeable lesson.