Balthasar In William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

“Some shall be pardon’d, and some punished;/ For never was a story of more woe/ Than this of Juliet and her Romeo” (V.iii.320-323). Prince Escalus of Verona speaks these pitiful yet truthful words as the last lines of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare’s most famous piece and in it he tells tale of two star-crossed lovers whose death is inevitable. Romeo and Juliet were born into families whom have been feuding for a very long time. Without knowledge of the other’s heritage they fall in love. The two try to keep their love throughout the story yet they encounter many obstacles that keep them apart. They turn to Friar Lawrence to wed them in secret. Romeo soon gets banished from Verona and against her will

First of all, he went from Verona to Mantua to report to news of Juliet’s death therefore spoiling the plan in place. After hearing the news he races to Mantua only to tell Romeo: “Then she is well, and nothing can be ill/ Her body sleeps in Capuls’ monument” (V.i.17-18). Balthasar goes out of his way to tell Romeo. He wasn’t close to Juliet so he had no business spreading the news of her death. After her death was announced, he wasted no time to tell Romeo. If Balthasar were to waited, let the city mourn and let the buzz about Juliet quiet down and then gone, Friar’s message about Juliet not actually being dead would have reached Romeo. By telling Romeo, Romeo makes another hasty decision to rush back to Verona but if Balthasar minded his own business Romeo never would have known about Juliet dying and he wouldn’t have gone back to the tomb. Secondly, before entering the tomb, Romeo tells Balthasar: “So shalt thou show me friendship. Take thou that/Live, and be prosperous; and farewell, good fellow” (V.iii.41-42). In the context of the situation, Romeo is telling Balthasar that he won’t come out of the tomb alive and Balthasar doesn’t do a thing about it. He lets Romeo go in there alone. Also Balthasar doesn’t leave when Romeo asks him to so he can hear everything that is taking place in the tomb, between the sword fight with Paris and

To begin with near the end of the story the Friar tells the prince: “I married them;.../ Then I gave her (so tutored by my art)/A sleeping potion; which so took effect” (V.iii.244-255). Not only did he wed them in secret, he also fooled the entire town about Juliet’s death. He went behind the prince and behind the parents of Romeo and Juliet to do something that he could have refused to do. Also Friar Lawrence created a plan that lead to Romeo believing that Juliet was dead. While there may be some reasons to support the other side, the other side is incorrect because Friar Lawrence only did what Romeo and Juliet had asked him to do. For example before agreeing to get Romeo and Juliet married, he warns Romeo: “These violent delights have violent ends/And in their triumph die, like fire and powder” (II.vi.9-10). He tells Romeo that although he is happy now, in the end it could be awful. Thus foreshadowing the result of their rushed love. By cautioning Romeo, it shows that Friar Lawrence wasn’t purposely setting them on a bad road. He only did what was asked of him and tried to hint them of what the future may hold. Friar Lawrence also tells Romeo: “For this alliance may so happy prove/To turn your households’ rancour to pure love” (II.iii.94-95). This highlights the fact that Friar Lawrence only marries the young couple because he thought it