What evidence is there in the first part of the play

"No better term than this: thou art a villain", It could be that Tybalt here is trying to stir up trouble for another fight.

Friar Lawrence seems to be an educated man. He thinks situations through and always acts for the best. This is shown when he marries Romeo to Juliet even though he knows Romeo has just met her, he also knows how fast Romeo can change his opinion of girls for he had forgotten about his true love Rosaline as soon as he met Juliet. He says

"Is Rosaline that thou didst love so dear

So soon forgotten?"

He marries them though for he thinks it may have a chance of stopping the Capulets and the Montagues from endless war. The Friar also knows how, "These violent delights have violent ends". This shows he has the courage to marry them, but can also only be acting for the best. The Friar is willing to help those who ask, for he devises a plan for Juliet to leave her own family in order to be with Romeo despite his reservations of the marriage. He gives her a "vial" to fake her own death to her family. He is prepared to sadden to the Capulets for Juliet's benefit. The Friar plays a very important role in this play.

Juliet considers Romeo her own, she says, "Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo". This shows her passion for Romeo. She proves her love for Romeo when she refuses to marry Paris. She risks being rejected from her family and home just to be with him. She, just like Romeo was smitten at first sight for she said, "Go ask his name. If he be married my grave is like to be my wedding bed", meaning that if he was married she might never marry. Juliet is also a very strong character for she has the nerve to leave her family.

Romeo, the main character in this play is desperately in love. This is revealed for as soon as he sees Juliet he is besotted. A line in the play declares,

"A pair of star crossed lovers take their life:" which indicates their marriage was doomed from the start. Romeo feels,

"Some consequence is hanging in the stars", this maybe proves Romeo feels his life is in the hands of the stars and his marriage was never meant to be. Romeo, after he has met Juliet sees her as, "as a teacher of torches, which burn bright". He also considers her a "true beauty", which he thought about Rosaline before she was forgotten. As Romeo grows up he might meet even more beautiful women. This could suggest he would part with Juliet just like he had with Rosaline. This is what the Friar was worried about. Romeo must have been desperately in love with Juliet for after the party he goes to see Juliet again even though he is risking his own life by doing so.

This whole play revolves around "fate". For example, it was just luck that Romeo and Benvolio bumped into an illiterate servant man handing out invitations to the Capulets party. It was also a complete coincidence that Romeo fell in love with Juliet at this party and she happened to be a Capulet. Romeo always seems to be at the wrong place at the wrong time in respect to fighting. By trying to stop the fight between Tybalt and Benvolio, Romeo succeeded in contributing to the death of both and consequently was banished from the city. Instead of killing Tybalt he should have gone to the Prince and Tybalt would have been killed without Romeo being banished.

"Haste" is also a major issue in the first sections of this play. Romeo rushes into nearly everything he does. He falls in love with Juliet and forgets Rosaline in a matter of seconds. He tries to kill himself when he is banished, because he hasn't thought the situation through enough and thinks that life is not worth living when he isn't close to Juliet. He also kills Tybalt without even realising what he is doing. Friar Lawrence also acts in haste. He marries Romeo and Juliet even though he knows their relationship could come to a violent end. The Friar also devised a plan for Juliet to escape from her family. He didn't think it through enough and therefore it failed. Once again Capulet, Juliet's father tries to marry her to Paris extremely hastily. When Juliet exclaims, "Paris will not make me a joyful bride, I will not marry yet" Capulet gets very angry. He has obviously rushed into it to quickly.

These are some of the points that indicate why the play "Romeo and Juliet" is heading towards tragedy right from the beginning.

Stuart Milne 3A