Friar Is To Blame For Romeo And Juliet's Death Essay

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Although the lovers themselves are partly to blame for their death in William Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence is mostly responsible for their tragic death. Juliet and Romeo’s inability to live without each other is ultimately at fault for both their deaths. Juliet states, “Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end.” O churl! Drunk all, and left no friendly drop/ To help me after? I will kiss thy lips./ Haply some poison yet doth hang on them./ To make me die with a restorative. [kisses him] / O happy dagger!/ [Snatches Romeo's dagger]./This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die./ [She stabs herself and falls]” (V.iii.163-170). Romeo, believing Juliet is dead, drinks poison, and upon Juliet's awakening, …show more content…

However, even though the couple is somewhat guilty of their own death, Friar Lawrence is more guilty. The Friar is responsible for Romeo’s and Juliet’s deaths because of his poorly executed plan to unite the newlyweds again. Friar Lawrence states, “Then gave I her (so tutored by my art)/ A sleeping potion; which so took effect/ As I intended, for it wrought on her/ The form of death. Meantime I writ to Romeo/ That he should hither come as this dire night/ To help to take her from her borrowed grave,/ Being the time the potion's force should cease,/ But he which bore my letter, Friar John,/ Was stayed by accident, and yesternight/ Returned my letter back.But when I came, some minute ere the time/ Of her awakening, here untimely lay/ The noble Paris and true Romeo dead” (V.iii.243-259). The Friar’s plan of giving Juliet a potion to fake her death, intending for her to wake up and reunite with Romeo, failed due to his lack of communication. The Friars' intentions to alert Romeo of the plan by sending a letter was never followed up on, resulting in Romeo's death and Juliet's soon