Friar
Laurence is the one to be blamed for Romeo and Juliet’s deaths.
Friar
Laurence’s thoughtless action in marrying Romeo and Juliet was
Friar’s major mistake. His short term plan for rescuing Juliet from
an unwanted marriage to Paris also contributed to the deaths of Romeo
and Juliet. Furthermore, his attempt to end the feud between the two
families led to the deaths of not only Romeo and Juliet, but also
Tybalt and Mercutio. Even though Friar had good intentions, his
carelessness led to Romeo and Juliet’s deaths.
To
begin with, Friar Laurence is largely responsible for the deaths of
both Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet thought that they fell in
love, but the Friar should’ve known that they were just kids and
they were rushing into things. Rather than being supportive of them
and helping them disclose their loving situation, Friar Laurence took
the “easy” way out, by marrying them.
Secondly,
he secretly married Romeo and Juliet instead of standing behind them
and encouraging them to confront their families with the facts about
their commitment to and love for each other. “Till holy church
incorporated two in one”, Friar married them, came up with a plan
to keep them together, and was a friend throughout their tragedies.
However,
his short-term plan contributed to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
Thirdly,
Friar Laurence married Romeo and Juliet, hoping that their union
would bring an end to the constant feuding between their two
families, the Montagues and the Capulets. When Tybalt challenged
Romeo to a fight, Romeo, now being related to Tybalt through
marriage, refused to fight. When Mercutio stepped in to defend
Romeo’s honor, Romeo tried to stop the fighting. Romeo’s
interference led to Mercutio’s death. Romeo lashed at Tybalt and
killed him, leading to Romeo’s banishment from Verona.
Many
people believe that Romeo and Juliet are responsible for their own
deaths. However, they fail to realize that their minds