Friar Lawrence Should Be Pardoned In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet falls under the Tragic Drama genre, did this tragedy really turn out to be a love story? In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet fall in love, however their parents are enemy’s. Romeo and Juliet secretly get married later to find out Romeo would be banished for killing Juliet’s cousin out of self defence. Juliet’s father, Old Capulet, plans for Juliet to marry another man! Juliet refuses to, and Friar Lawrence, preacher, comes up with a plan. She will take a potion that will make her seem dead. Romeo will come and whisk her away once she wakes up. Once she wakes she finds her fiancé and husband dead. She is so depressed about Romeo’s death that she stabs herself! After they are found dead Friar tells the story and the Prince must decide who should be punished and who should be pardoned. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Friar Lawrence and the Nurse should be pardoned and Old Capulet should be punished.

In Act 2 scene 3 Friar Lawrence is telling Romeo he will only marry Romeo to Juliet because it might stop the feud between the Montagues and Capulets. “In one respect I’ll thy assistant be;/ For this alliance may so happy prove/ To turn your households’ rancour to pure love” (Shakespeare II. iii. 92-94). Friar Lawrence saying this is showing that because he meant no harm. Also, he is making the right decision, Romeo and Juliet were in love and Friar was helping them seek happiness. Romeo came to Juliet delighted and they both wanted to be with each other, and if Friar had not helped Romeo and Juliet, they would have committed suicide. They were only pleased with each other so keeping them together was keeping them alive. Overall Friar Lawrence should be pardoned because if he had not been there they would have either died sooner or run away so no one would get to say their goodbyes or see them