Hasty Decisions In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a story of hasty decisions. The young couple must quickly decide to get married, how to act after Romeo is exiled, and whether or not to take their own lives. Many of these decisions are made under the guidance of the children’s mentors, Friar Laurence and the Nurse. Throughout this tragedy, Friar Laurence and the Nurse are the only adults that Romeo and Juliet seem to feel that they can trust and are in turn some of the main people that influence the outcome of the play. The Nurse and Friar Laurence play very similar roles, both in the play and the lives of the children, but the ways in which they advise and influence the children include more differences. In Romeo and Juliet the Nurse and Friar Laurence play similar roles. Both children have distant parents,but in the absence of parents, the Nurse and Friar Laurence step in as mentors and confidants. Both characters also aid in developing and carrying out the plan to actually marry the children. Most importantly, Friar Laurence and the Nurse are the two adults who give permission for the wedding to occur. If one or the other had objected, then Romeo and Juliet may have not been able to carry out their

Friar Laurence also has a much more significant part to play in the outcome of the tragedy. As the plot of the play becomes more and more complicated, Friar Laurence develops plans that are wilder and more complex. While it is clear that the friar has the best interest of the children at heart, he has the inability to realize when his interference becomes dangerous for the young couple involved. If Friar Laurence had taken more time to think through his plans and managed to put a stop to said plans once the situation became too complex, he could have saved the lives of Romeo and Juliet. However, it is clear that Friar Laurence truly did what he thought was going to make the children