“Give me, give me! Oh tell me not of fear! (Act 4 Scene 1)
The Friar is a man with good intentions but is persuaded to make risky decisions by Romeo and Juliet, such as agreeing to marry them without their parents’ consent. I think he gets too involved and it is then left up to him to ensure that everything goes smoothly as planned.
He goes behind the backs of Juliet’s parents by agreeing to marry Romeo and Juliet but he has a good reason for this. “To turn your households rancour to pure love”, to reconcile the two feuding families. Though the Friar is concerned about what he is doing, “These violent delights have violent ends”, the plan to reconcile the families soon comes to grief as Romeo is banished. This time he makes another plan that is as risky as the first. Romeo is to go to Mantua where he will then try to arrange a meeting between Romeo and Juliet. The plan goes wrong and he accuses fate, “Unhappy Fortune”.
Juliet, who now faces the rest of her life with Paris turns to the Friar for a solution, he supplies her with a “sleeping potion” which she uses to make it look like she is dead so she does not have to marry Paris. I think it is fair to say that Friar Laurence is one of the main people to blame for the tragedy, as it was his plans that went wrong. But from Romeo and Juliet’s view he was very helpful and always had a solution for their dilemmas
The Nurse is one of Juliet’s closest friends, apart from Romeo. She is not particularly clever or sensitive and does nothing to warn Juliet of how an involvement with a Montague might cause problems to Juliet and her family. In Act 1 Scene 3 when Lady Capulet is discussing the possibility of marriage to Paris she makes jokes and finds it very amusing, “A bump as big as a young cockerel’s stone”. Even though the Nurse may be very simple minded and talkative she is very loving and fond of Juliet
“Well sir my mistress is the sweetest lady” (Act 2 Scene 4)
The Nurse appears to have got too carried away with the situation with Romeo and is eager for Juliet to marry, but she offers no advice or caution to what Juliet is doing, although she clearly knows that Juliet is young and inexperienced. She makes no effort to suggest that this will be a problem. Like Friar Laurence she goes behind her employers’ backs acting as Romeo and Juliet’s messenger, such as when she is asked by Juliet to discover Romeo’s identity. At first the Nurse admires Romeo, “Why he’s a man of wax” (Act 1 Scene 3), but warns him not to lead Juliet into a “fools paradise” (Act 2 Scene 4), mostly because Juliet is young.
After Tybalt’s death she turns against Romeo “Will you speak well of him that killed your cousin” (Act 3 Scene 2), “Shame come to Romeo” (Act 3 Scene 2). Finally when Juliet needs the Nurse most “Comfort me, council me” as her parents tell her that she must marry Paris, the Nurse lets her down by simply telling her to forget Romeo and marry Paris. It is at this point that Juliet dismisses the Nurse, ending their friendship. I think that the Nurse was partly, to blame. I don’t think she seriously realised what could happen if things got out of hand. The Nurse was well intentioned but in her concerns for Juliet’s welfare she became very excitable and could not hold her tongue.
Benvolio is one character who seems to realise the potential dangers such as when he tries to dissuade Mercutio from starting another street brawl. He also urges Romeo to leave the scene of the fighting as he has a good idea of the Prince’s reaction, the prince enters the scene after the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt, he shouts angrily,
“Romeo slew him; he slew Mercutio.
Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe?” (Act 3 Scene 1)
I think Benvolio is not at all to blame, if anything he actually tried to help the situation; he is a peacemaker.
Tybalt is a hot tempered and aggressive person. His view of the Montagues and his part in the play is summed up in one sentence “What, drawn and talk of peace! I hate the word /As I hate hell, all Montagues and thee” (Act 1 Scene 1). Again at the ball when he overhears Romeo he is angered and looks for his sword but is luckily stopped. Tybalt is always looking for trouble and will not back off, he tries to make fun of Romeo by saying things like,
“Romeo, the love I bear thy can afford
No better term than this - thou art a villain.” (Act 3 Scene 1)
Lastly, he challenges Romeo to a duel. Mercutio steps in but Tybalt is happy to fight him as well. Romeo attempts to sort out the situation peacefully but Tybalt is uninterested. In his anger over the death of his dear friend Mercutio, Romeo takes revenge and in his anger kills Tybalt. I think Tybalt should take some blame in the tragedy as it was his actions that killed Mercutio which in turn led to his own death and Romeo’s banishment.
Mercutio is a lively character who tries to resolve Romeo’s problems and advise him in a light-hearted way, he says to Romeo,
“Thy wit is a very bitter sweating; it is a most sharp sauce.”
He is loyal to Romeo in the way he steps in when Tybalt challenges Romeo. His death is a turning point in the play as Romeo, and then avenges his death by killing Tybalt. All these deaths add more fuel to the fire. I think maybe that Mercutio should not have intervened, but being that type of person he did. I do not think he can be to blame for the tragedy as neither Tybalt nor Mercutio new of Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other. Also Tybalt would probably have fought Romeo anyway and one of them could have been killed.
The Prince is the ruler of Verona. He tries quite hard to keep the peace, but not enough to stop the tragedy, he is big in his threats but does not carry them out for - he has the chance to enforce the death penalty on Romeo. For example after the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt the Prince tells the citizens of Verona “who now the price of his dear blood doth owe?” (Act 3 Scene 1) in other words he seeks justice for these murders. If he had tried harder to prevent the quarrelling and carried out more of his threats the feud might not have got as bad as it did. However at the end of the play he accepts some of the responsibility for what has happened by “Winking at their discords” (Act 5 Scene 3). He also tries to bring the two sides together by, “What a scourge is laid upon your hate, /that heavens finds means to kill your joys with love” (Act 5 Scene 3).
I do not think there is one single person who is wholly to blame but Friar Laurence plays a large part in the tragedy, mainly through his complicated plans, which require accurate timing, and in the end simply did not happen. Romeo did not receive the letter, so when he heard the bad news from Balthasar, he thought Juliet was really dead. Friar Laurence need not have granted the requests of Romeo and Juliet without carefully considering the consequences. I do not think fate played a part in the play as there were too many mistakes made by the main characters.
Mercutio
Mercutio's character stands out from the rest because of his energy in everything he does and says. He is always living his life on the edge and always looking for something new and exciting to do. He is constantly playing on words, using two or more meanings. Romeo once describes him as, "A gentlemen…who loves to hear himself talk." As displayed in his Queen Mab speech in Act I Scene IV, he is very imaginative. He describes in intimate detail everything about a little world he has imagined. He creates this miniature society which he uses to explain how we get our dreams. In that same scene, Mercutio how he believes you should chase after what is desired. He tells Romeo to not be afraid to take charge saying, "If love be rough with you, then be rough with love." Mercutio teases Romeo, in Act I Scene IV: "Romeo! Humours! Madman! Passion! Lover! Appear though in the likeness of a sigh."
This shows how Mercutio simply cannot understand Romeo's love for Juliet, and that he sees his love as simply a confusion of emotions. Mercutio is very independent and free and does not understand how someone could want or need anyone or anything else in his life to fulfil it. Mercutio wants to live his life on the spur of the moment. He is not interested in being dependent on anyone.
There are two main reasons Mercutio's character is important to the actual plot of Romeo & Juliet. First of all, Mercutio convinces Romeo to attend the party at the Capulet's house, where he met Juliet. Romeo was very reluctant to go to the party and even expressed a feeling of insecurity about what the night may bring. However, after Mercutio advises Romeo and teases him a little, Romeo decides to go. It is solely because of Mercutio's persuasions that Romeo attends the gathering. The second way Mercutio's character is vital to the plot is it is Mercutio's death that sets off the chain of events that leads to Romeo's banishment. First, Tybalt murders Mercutio. Romeo is so enraged by this that he kills Tybalt. As a consequence, Romeo is banished from Verona and therefore from seeing Juliet. During the first scene of Act III, Mercutio is being his regular, quick-witted self. He is very sharp in his language, but perhaps too sharp.
He deliberately annoys Tybalt, by doing things like purposely mistaking meanings of words, like in Act III Scene I, Tybalt begins addressing Mercutio about the relationship between Romeo and Juliet and Romeo takes the word 'consort' as related to playing music, instead of being friends with Romeo. Instances like this simply make the argument more and more heated, until Mercutio takes Tybalt's final blow, while Romeo is standing between them actually trying to stop the fight. This symbolises how Romeo may try as he will to end the fighting between the Montagues and the Capulets, but he cannot.
Mercutio's death is a major event in this play. When Tybalt kills Mercutio, the attributes of a comedy die with him. From now on, this play becomes a Tragedy. This demonstrates how Mercutio is a strong representation of all that is youthful and carefree in this play. Mercutio does not change dramatically in this play. The only slight change a reader may see is when he is about to die, he yells: "A plague on both your houses!"
This may be regarded as a change because Mercutio has never been so serious before. He has never expressed any disagreement of the relationship between the Montagues and the Capulets. Now, he seems to realise the damage the fighting is capable of doing; unfortunately, it was too late for him.
In conclusion, Mercutio's character is obviously very complex and vital to the plot of this play. He represents independence, youth, and freedom, and makes the story line a lot more interesting. He is apparently a vital role to this play and its success. Mercutio's character stands out from the rest because of his energy in everything he does and says. He is always living his life on the edge and always looking for something new and exciting to do. He is constantly playing on words, using two or more meanings. Romeo once describes him as, "A gentlemen…who loves to hear himself talk." As displayed in his Queen Mab speech in Act I Scene IV, he is very imaginative. He describes in intimate detail everything about a little world he has imagined. He creates this miniature society which he uses to explain how we get our dreams. In that same scene, Mercutio how he believes you should chase after what is desired. He tells Romeo to not be afraid to take charge saying, "If love be rough with you, then be rough with love." Mercutio teases Romeo, in Act I Scene IV: "Romeo! Humours! Madman! Passion! Lover! Appear though in the likeness of a sigh."
This shows how Mercutio simply cannot understand Romeo's love for Juliet, and that he sees his love as simply a confusion of emotions. Mercutio is very independent and free and does not understand how someone could want or need anyone or anything else in his life to fulfil it. Mercutio wants to live his life on the spur of the moment. He is not interested in being dependent on anyone.
There are two main reasons Mercutio's character is important to the actual plot of Romeo & Juliet. First of all, Mercutio convinces Romeo to attend the party at the Capulet's house, where he met Juliet. Romeo was very reluctant to go to the party and even expressed a feeling of insecurity about what the night may bring. However, after Mercutio advises Romeo and teases him a little, Romeo decides to go. It is solely because of Mercutio's persuasions that Romeo attends the gathering. The second way Mercutio's character is vital to the plot is it is Mercutio's death that sets off the chain of events that leads to Romeo's banishment. First, Tybalt murders Mercutio. Romeo is so enraged by this that he kills Tybalt. As a consequence, Romeo is banished from Verona and therefore from seeing Juliet. During the first scene of Act III, Mercutio is being his regular, quick-witted self. He is very sharp in his language, but perhaps too sharp.
He deliberately annoys Tybalt, by doing things like purposely mistaking meanings of words, like in Act III Scene I, Tybalt begins addressing Mercutio about the relationship between Romeo and Juliet and Romeo takes the word 'consort' as related to playing music, instead of being friends with Romeo. Instances like this simply make the argument more and more heated, until Mercutio takes Tybalt's final blow, while Romeo is standing between them actually trying to stop the fight. This symbolises how Romeo may try as he will to end the fighting between the Montagues and the Capulets, but he cannot.
Mercutio's death is a major event in this play. When Tybalt kills Mercutio, the attributes of a comedy die with him. From now on, this play becomes a Tragedy. This demonstrates how Mercutio is a strong representation of all that is youthful and carefree in this play. Mercutio does not change dramatically in this play. The only slight change a reader may see is when he is about to die, he yells: "A plague on both your houses!"
This may be regarded as a change because Mercutio has never been so serious before. He has never expressed any disagreement of the relationship between the Montagues and the Capulets. Now, he seems to realise the damage the fighting is capable of doing; unfortunately, it was too late for him.
In conclusion, Mercutio's character is obviously very complex and vital to the plot of this play. He represents independence, youth, and freedom, and makes the story line a lot more interesting. He is apparently a vital role to this play and its success.
