Furthermore I think Lord Capulet could also be partly blamed for his daughters death but there are some points that I’d like to refer to as he isn’t a bad father. One point I would like you to consider and is what any other parent would want is that to do what’s best for his daughter. Lord Capulet also deserves to be punished. Throughout the play, he is constantly pressuring Juliet to live her life the way he wants it. Lord Capulet wants to see Juliet married off to the County Paris, who he believes would make a fine husband. But Juliet does not want to marry Paris. She is deeply in love with Romeo and would not even consider marrying another man. The persistent pressuring by Capulet is what eventually leads to Juliet and Romeo’s death. Had Lord Capulet just accepted the young couple’s love, they could have been married publicly and lived together in Verona without fear. But instead, lord Capulet tries to manage Juliet and punish her severely when she disagrees with him. This gives off a very negative impression of her father to Juliet, who will still stop at nothing to be with her love, Romeo. So, he decides the best man for Juliet to get married to, his name is Paris and he is a good looking, wise, honorable and wealthy man, however, he does not discuss this matter with his daughter and wife.
Also as you know Juliet has already fallen in love with someone. I mean you can’t force someone to fall in love with you! Similarly, I understand the concept that she is young and her father has to choose the rightful decisions for her. But he thinks that he is in control over her. And her duties belong to him as he is in control over her and her duties as he states in the story “ I think she will be ruled in all respects by me!”
He believes Juliet is totally loyal and dutiful also dedicated towards him and the Capulet family. When really rebellious to her father about Paris as she isn’t concerned about Paris as she states that “ I’ll look to like, if looking liking made.” Which means that she’ll agree to look at him and if she likes him the she will agree to her father’s verdict, not very love like is it?
In my opinion Lady Capulet is more to blame for her daughter’s death than her husband as I think she isn’t that close to her daughter and doesn’t pay her a lot of attention. I know that the nurse has a good bond with the nurse ( The nurse is like a maid in the Capulet family is an influence on Juliet’s death later) but not with her mother as Lady Capulet is a very powerful and busy woman. So the Nurse looks after Juliet and she shares her feelings with the nurse not her mother and the nurse makes her make the right decisions for her. However, lady Capulet isn’t supportive by disagreeing with her by saying “ I would the fool were to married to her grave.” But later on in this play she actually stands up for Juliet by saying to Lord Capulet “Are you mad?” However, she backs down again so to sum up she isn’t that supportive. As a woman in the days I feel sorry or Juliet’s mother as she is ordered and over-ruled by her husband, so she can’t make her own decisions. So in other words she has to obey Lord Capulet’s every command! Overall, I would confide that Lady & Lord Capulet do not have any interest in their daughter whereas Lord and Lady Montague also do not care about Romeo as they hardly talk to him in the play even when he looks confused Benvolio helps him! As he was very upset at the beginning of the play and they did little much to aid him.
In their crisis, Romeo and Juliet seek guidance and consultation from the local Franciscan friar in their town of Verona, Friar Lawrence. Many people consider Friar Lawrence to be a wise and intelligent man and offer good advice, but it may not be that way. Friar Lawrence instead ends up contradicting his own advice with his actions. Whether he is talking to Romeo about whether he and Juliet should marry, or whether Juliet should take the poison.
In my opinion I would like to state the fact that there is a right for Friar Lawrence to get involved between the conflict of Romeo and Juliet because he is well aware of what he is doing as he is a religious teacher and it is his duty to help those in need or any kind of dilemma. Alternatively, his involvement in Romeo and Juliet’s lives eventually cause more problems to arise. On the other hand, friar Lawrence himself would like to make peace in Verona and put a stop to this feud once and for all and as he says “turn their households rancour to pure love”; even though he is using Romeo & Juliet as an alliance. As he is well aware that these families are both violent. As Friar Lawrence states that is for alliance may so happy to “turn your households rancour to pure love.” This means if he marries the both the feud will come to an end and they would stop fighting.
Friar Lawrence is continually offering advice that he himself does not follow. While Friar Lawrence’s advice is helpful in many cases, he still contradicts it with his actions, even if not purposely. This shows that, in the end, Friar Lawrence is merely a hypocrite offering his distorted option. However, Friar Lawrence doesn’t know what the consequences will be but is hoping it would come to the best. He uses them both as pawns in his game stringing them along, and not to mention they are very young! But further along the play (near the end) we find out Friar Lawrence gave some advice to Juliet without Romeo knowing about it because remember at this point of the play Romeo has been banished from Verona. So he makes as if Juliet is dead where as soon as Romeo find’s out and causes even more chaos allowing both of the couples to commit suicide. He says that Romeo is being too hasty and unwise in marrying Juliet, and that he will eventually move on to someone else. But despite his own advice, the Friar marries the couple. In fact, right before he marries Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence says this at the end of a small speech to the couple: “Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.” This line basically means that doing something too fast can be just as bad as doing it too slowly. This clearly contradicts the very act that Friar Lawrence is doing at that moment, which is marrying Romeo and Juliet. While the advice that Friar Lawrence is offering may be helpful, he is still contradicting it, proving that Friar Lawrence is a hypocrite.
Another time when where Friar Lawrence offers his hypocritical advice is when Juliet consults him on finding a way to get out of marrying Paris. After her dear love, Romeo, has left for Mantua, Juliet is told that she is to be married to the county Paris. Horrified by this, as she loves Romeo and is already married to him, Juliet goes to Friar Lawrence to hear his advice on how she should handle the situation. Friar Lawrence tells Juliet that he has a solution (which turns out to be taking a poison), but she should only go along with it if she’s fully confident and ready. In the end, though, he gives the poison to Juliet, thus contradicting his own, cautionary words. While, based on Juliet’s reaction, she seems ready, Friar Lawrence should have known from beforehand that Juliet would not be up to the task. After all, she’s only 13, and has just gotten flung into a marriage with the enemy. That’s a lot of pressure for such a young child. As an adult and seemingly wise and intelligent man, the Friar should have known that Juliet would not be up to the task of taking the poison. And it turns out that later on, Juliet actually is hesitant and worried about taking the poison. So even though Friar Lawrence knew that Juliet wasn’t ready to take the poison, he still advises her to take it. This contradiction was very important because it lead to the eventual death of Romeo and Juliet. This clearly shows that Friar Lawrence is hypocritical and offers advice that he does not follow.
Not only does Friar Lawrence offer hypocritical advice to others, but he even contradicts his own personal ideas and philosophies. While he seems to be focusing his entire speech to himself on this idea, Friar Lawrence so easily contradicts it only a few scenes later, when he marries Romeo and Juliet. By marrying the young couple, Friar Lawrence is not even following his own ideas, because even though marrying Romeo and Juliet is a good act, doing it so hastily makes it a bad one. This ties in to another, closely related one of Friar Lawrence’s ideas, which is that a good action done in a bad way can form a bad action, as he says: “Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied”. This again shows that the good act of marrying Romeo and Juliet, if done wrong by doing it too quickly, can become bad act. The things that Friar Lawrence is saying could be helpful to Romeo and Juliet, but the Friar is still contradicting them with his actions only a few scenes later. Whether or not he is doing this consciously, Friar Lawrence is still not putting his own advice into action.
So, even Friar Lawrence the religious teacher is partially to be blamed for Juliet’s death. I mean pretending that Juliet’s dead and Romeo thinking she is really dead. I mean what kind of method is that to stop two families fighting?
Throughout the entire play, he has been helping Romeo and Juliet find happiness together and get through the troubles that come in the way of their love. Friar Lawrence frequently offers his council on issues that Romeo and Juliet have, such as their marriage and Romeo’s banishment. Each time the star-crossed couple comes to him, the Friar always offers advice to the best of his ability and tries to do whatever he can. Even when his suggestions turn out to cause more problems, such as Juliet taking the potion, this is not because of Friar Lawrence’s doing, but simply the work of fate. Friar Lawrence also does not deserve to be punished because he is not an antagonist in the play. This means that Friar Lawrence does not keep the play and the protagonists, Romeo and Juliet, from not moving forward, as he helps progress the story and tries to ensure a happy ending for the couple. The fact that Friar Lawrence frequently offers advice to Romeo and Juliet is extremely helpful to the young lovers. Neither Romeo nor Juliet seem to have close relationships with their parents, and Friar Lawrence becomes someone that they can trust. That trust and guidance allows Romeo and Juliet’s doomed relationship to last longer than it would have without him.
The Nurse in my opinion deserves to be pardoned. The Nurse functions as a maternal figure for Juliet, as she is very intimate with her and offers her advice frequently. For almost all of the play, the Nurse helps Juliet’s cause. She seeks out Romeo for new on marriage, hides the secret relationship from Lord and Lady Capulet, and tries to calm Juliet in her times of trouble. Without the Nurse, Juliet would be lost, without anyone except the difficult to visit Friar to offer her helpful advice. In this tricky situation, Juliet would be without guidance and assistance, and her death could have come sooner. Even towards the end when the Nurse tells Juliet to marry Paris, her advice is still well meaning. The Nurse simply wants Juliet to be happy, and to her that means giving up what seems to be a chaotic and mismanaged marriage with Romeo for a stable one with Paris.
Another mysterious part that plays a part in both of there death is fate in the play it contradicts that
“ A pair of two crossed lovers take their life.”
Meaning that fate is against them, and these to lovers could not be together no matter how much they give up or try.
Overall In my opinion I would say that not only one person should be blamed but the main characters in the play all contributed in the death of Juliet Capulet apart from the caring nurse. From reading the play I remember the love scene more than the hatred ones as their love story was so unusual and thrilling to see weather they can make it together. My favourite scene from the play is act 3 scene 5 the death scene as this scene shows how much they did love each other as they would die for each other this scene was very dramatic with the use of language with helped the feeling towards the scene.
Another comment I would like to state is that I really feel sorry for Juliet.
After all, she’s only 13, and has just gotten flung into a marriage with the child of her enemy, has had her love taken away from her, and has now been engaged to someone else. That’s a lot of pressure for such a young child.
By Khalid Dalal
