Romeo was in love with Rosaline until he attends the party with Mercutio. When he arrives at the party, he stares at Juliet and Juliet stares right back at him. It was love at first sight. Romeo feels that Juliet is the one for him.
Act 1 Sc 5
Romeo – “My lips two blushing pilgrims ready stand”
Juliet - “My only love sprung from my only hate”
Act 2 Sc 2
Romeo – “O speak again, bright angel”
Juliet – “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
These quotes from Romeo and Juliet show Shakespeare using the language of love.
After they meet, Juliet wants to get married and the nurse and Romeo arrange the marriage the next day. So they meet Friar Lawrence about getting married. He believes it will end the feud.
Act 2 Sc 3
Friar Lawrence – “They stumble that run fast”
This tells us that Friar Lawrence is telling them that they should get married but should beware as things done quickly often end badly.
When Paris asks Juliet’s hand in marriage, she refuses as she is already married. So she goes to see Friar Lawrence about it.
Act 4 Sc 1
Juliet – “O bid me leap, rather than marry Paris. From off the battlements of any Tower.”
This shows that she is desperate and alone
Friar Lawrence – “Take thou this vial, being then in bed, and this distilling liquor drink thou off.”
Juliet – “Give me, give me! O tell me not of fear.”
Friar Lawrence gives Juliet a sleeping potion pretending that she has died.
Hate – The Feud
Hate also plays an important party in the development of the play’s action. The Montagues and the Capulets are looked in a power struggle in Verona and Romeo and Juliet are caught in the middle.
Prologue
“From forth the fatal loins of these two foes. A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life.”
This shows that we know that the lovers are doomed right from the beginning.
The code of honour makes the young men spring to violent, bloody action. Act 1 sc 1 shows the young men brawling in the streets of Verona. Tybalt and Mercutio feel that they must fight.
Act 3 Sc 1
Mercutio – “Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk!”
“ A plague a’ both your houses! They have made worms meat of me.”
This shows that Mercutio blames the feud for his death.
Then, when Mercutio and Tybalt fight, Tybalt kills Mercutio by stabbing him. Romeo is provoked to revenge the death of his friend, so he kills Tybalt.
Act 3 Sc 1
Romeo – “This day’s black fate on moe days doth depend this but begins the woe others must end.”
At the end of the play Romeo thinks that Juliet is dead when she is still in her “sleep”, so he drinks poison and that kills him, Juliet then wakes up to realise that Romeo has drank the poison so she kills herself.
When both families and the prince find out that they are dead, they are deeply upset.
The prince in Act 5 Sc 3 blames the feud
“ See what a scourge is laid upon you hate, that heaven finds means to kill you joys with love.”
Section 3 - Characters
Friar Lawrence and the Nurse
In the play, the nurse’s relationship with Juliet is very strong, because the nurse has been looking after her ever since Juliet was very little.
Friar Lawrence has a trusting relationship with Romeo and Juliet. The nurse and Friar Lawrence act like confidantes by arranging a marriage for Romeo and Juliet.
Act 2 Sc 3
Friar Lawrence – “For by your leaves, you shall not stay alone till holy church incorporate two in one.”
This shows that Friar Lawrence acts like a servant to Romeo and Juliet and he agrees to marry them.
After Romeo kills Tybalt, the nurse changes sides because she thinks she might lose her job or get into trouble with the Capulets.
Act 3 Sc 5
“ I think it best you married with the country. Be shrew my very heart, I think you are happy in this second match for it excels your first.”
But Juliet wants to stay married to Romeo, so Friar Lawrence offers Juliet some sleeping potion, to pretend that she is dead. The reason why she is taking the potion is that people will think that she is dead, therefore she can’t marry Paris, but when she wakes up from the potion she could meet Romeo and marry. However the plan doesn’t work because a friend of Romeo’s tells him that Juliet is dead, which results in Romeo taking poison to kill himself after realising that Romeo took the poison.
Act 5 Sc 3
Juliet – “I will kiss thy lips, haply some poison yet doth hang on them, to make me die with a restorative.”
Juliet
“ O happy dagger, this is thy sheath, there not, and let me die.”
Tybalt
Throughout the play, Tybalt has fiery nature, showing that he is a violent and hates all Montagues. At the start of the play Tybalt starts a fight with the servants.
Act 1 Sc 1
Tybalt – “What drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues and thee.”
This shows that he hates all Montagues, as well as the word peace.
In Act 3 sc 1, Tybalt shows his fiery character when he fights with Mercutio. During the fight Tybalt stabs Mercutio and kills him. This angers Romeo fiercely and this leads to Romeo killing Tybalt.
Mercutio
In the play Mercutio is Romeo’s best friend and he is a member of the court. In Act 3 Sc 1 he incites Tybalt and fights him.
Mercutio – “Tybalt, you rat catcher, will you walk?”
This results in Mercutio’s death and he blames the feud for his death.
Act 3 Sc 1
“ A plague a ‘ both your houses! They have made worms’ meat of me.”
Lord and Lady Capulet.
In the play their attitude towards Juliet changes. At first, they are typical parents for this age who expect their daughter to be dutiful. Then they threaten to disown her if she will not marry Paris and therefore she takes the sleeping potion.
Act 3 Sc 5
Lady Capulet – “Ay, sir, but she will none, she gives you thanks. I would the fool were married to her grave.”
Capulet – “ Hung thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch! I tell thee, what, yet thee to church a ‘ Thursday, or never after look me in the face.”
This shows that they are very serious it Juliet does not marry Paris, which forces her to take the sleeping potion.
The Prince
Throughout the play the Prince tries to take control of the situation and end the fighting. In Act 3 Sc 1 he banishes Romeo after he has killed Tybalt, but this has made the situation worse. This results the death of both Romeo and Juliet.
Section 4 – Fate or Accident?
At the beginning of the play the Prologue tells us that Romeo and Juliet are doomed to die because of the feud.
Prologue
“From forth the fatal loins of these two foes. A pair of star – crossed lovers take their life.”
There are many examples of accidents within the play.
Act 1 Sc 5 – Romeo meeting Juliet at the party.
Act 3 sc 1 – The death of Mercutio.
Friar Lawrence’s letter not reaching in time.
There are many references throughout the play that show us they are doomed to die for example Juliet in Act 3 Sc 5 or Act 4 Sc 1 Lady Capulet. Shakespeare uses images of death to show us that they are doomed.
Conclusion
In my opinion, I think that the Nurse and Friar Lawrence are to blame for the tragedy because they encourage both Romeo and Juliet to marry. When Romeo is banished, Friar Lawrence offers Juliet sleeping potion to escape the marriage to Paris. When Romeo returns he thinks that Juliet is dead so he drinks poison to kill himself. When Juliet wakes up from the ‘sleep’ she is distraught when she finds out that Romeo has drank poison, so she kills herself. There are many ways that could conclude who is responsible for the death of Romeo and Juliet but I think the Nurse and Friar Lawrence are to blame.
