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Romeo and Juliet Are Failed by Their Parental Figures, Discuss

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Romeo and Juliet Are Failed by Their Parental Figures, Discuss
Within the story of Romeo and Juliet the parental figures with responsibility over the children are not just the biological parents, however in the time when the play was written, this would have been normal for the rich, upper class families that the Montague’s and Capulet’s were. The parental figures over the two children change as their relationship between the two lovers develops and other events occur within their family lives. Juliet is the main focus of the changing in parental figures and this may be down to the failing of her by her nurse, at the start of the play the nurse is a vital role in her life, and Shakespeare shows this though Juliet confiding in the nurse. However, this is how the change occurs as we see Juliet feeling as she has been failed by nurse in these secretive chats. However Romeo remains with one strong figure in his life thought the play, Friar Lawrence, and although the outcomes of dramatic events this appears to remain the same thought out.
Juliet and nurse have a strong bond at the beginning of the play, due to the relationship nurse agrees to help Juliet marry Romeo as nurse feels it is what Juliet really wants. However when lady Capulet wants Juliet to marry another man, late on in the play, the nurse advices Juliet to forget about Romeo and this is where the main start of Juliet feeling failed occurs. Juliet confides in her nurse for advice about Paris’ marriage proposal, but the trust between them breaks down when nurse says ‘I think you are happy in this second match, for it excels your first’ Juliet is angry at nurse for saying this as she wants the nurse to help her continue her love for Romeo. Feeling failed by Nurses lack of help she decides to go to Friar Lawrence for help, breaking her relationship with nurse. In this situation the Nurse may not have failed Juliet, as she only did what she thought was best for her, however through Juliet’s eyes, the nurse failed her by helping her with Romeo at the start but stopping

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