Friar Lawrence Is To Blame In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

In Romeo and Juliet, the tragedy written by William Shakespeare, both Romeo and Juliet killed themselves, but others are to blame. The Capulet family, Friar Lawrence and Tybalt all share blame.

The Capulet’s share blame for the deaths because they were uptight and did not support or care about Juliet’s feelings. As an example, when Juliet told her father that she did not want to marry Paris, he said, “To answer, “I’ll not wed; I cannot love, I am too young; I pray you pardon me.’ But as you will not wed, “I’ll pardon you; graze where you will, you shall not house with me” (3.5.185-188). Juliet was being forced by her father to marry Paris or be disowned. She had to find a way out of the marriage. Lady Capulet did not support Juliet either. She said, “Talk not to me, for I’ll not speak a word; Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee” (3.5.202-203). This behavior by the Capulet family shows how they shared in the blame for Romeo and Juliet’s deaths.

If he had not been so lazy and had gone to see Romeo himself, to tell him about Juliet’s plan, Romeo would not have been told by a servant that she was dead and then gone to the Capulet Monument. Seeing Juliet and thinking she was dead, he killed himself. Friar Lawrence was supposed to be with Juliet when she awoke, but was not. Juliet woke up alone and found Romeo dead beside her. When Friar Lawrence finally appeared, he tried to get Juliet to leave with him, saying, “...Come, come away. Thy husband on thy bosom lies dead; and Paris too. Come, I’ll dispose of thee among a sisterhood of holy nuns. Stay not to question, for the watch is coming. Come, go, good Juliet” (5.3.154-159). Juliet would not go and he did not stay to protect or comfort her, leaving her along to kill herself. These acts by Friar Lawrence led to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet but there is still more blame to be