Blog Post #6 : Act V

           At the end of a book, you usually know the fate of the main characters, but, you don't always know what happened to the "minor" characters. In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the fates of some of the characters are unclear and unexplained. Do you really know what happened to Friar Lawrence, Nurse, or Lord Capulet? You can make guesses, but it is up to the author to determine what really happened. And that's what I am going to do. I am going to make guesses. What I think happened to each of these characters with untold fates.


Just like you don't
know what happens
behind closed doors,
you don't always
know the fate
of all the characters
in a book.



           So what did happen to Friar Lawrence? He wasn't killed. Prince Escalus could not kill a man when he had helped an end the biggest feud in Verona. But, he was punished. While he himself neither killed anyone, nor meant to kill anyone, his actions led to the deaths of many including Paris, Juliet, and Romeo. Plus, was the potion Friar Lawrence gave Juliet legal? It shouldn't be, given the effects it had on all that thought Juliet was truly dead. And about marriages, Friar Lawrence should have had the consent of the parents or the law. He knew that he was doing something that he could get in serious trouble by doing, and yet he did it anyway. We also must consider Paris, who didn't even get a chance of being loved by Juliet. His heart was destined to be broken from the start. Friar Lawrence knows he is to be punished. He even says, "If aught in this miscarried by my fault, let my old life be scrific'd, some hour before him time, unto the rigour of severest law (300). So his punishment was settled. He would not be killed, but he would be banished. But not banished to Mantua, for he knows people who live there. He would be banished to a land far north of Verona. Maybe that will remind him to think twice before interferring in people's personal business.

            Nurse was involved in this plot too. Prince Escalus knows this to be true because Friar Lawrence said to him in his confession, "and to the marriage, her nurse is privy" (300). There is no escaping punishment when someone has said you are involved right to the prince's face. Not to mention Lady Capulet, who "employs" Nurse was there as well. Nurse would be punished, although not as much by the law as by Lady Capulet. Lady Capulet trusted Nurse, and Nurse went behind her back. The fact that is was for Juliet doesn't help the matter either. A betrayal is a betrayal, and this one ended in the death of Lady Capulet's only child. Nurse was fired. Then when she tried to find another job in Verona, the grief-stricken, and very angry Capulet family spread rumors and news all over the city. These were so bad that Nurse couldn't find another job. She was forced to leave Verona and go to a distant city. 

            Last but not least, we discuss the fate of Lord Capulet. As promised, Lord Capulet built a statue of Romeo in pure gold to be placed in Verona. Beside that statue stood a statue of Juliet, the contribution of the Montagues. Even though Lord Capulet had not paid much attention to Juliet in her childhood, he was devastated over her death. Especially considering that some of his last words to her were, "An you be mine, I'll give you to a friend; an you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets, for by my soul I'll ne'er acknowledge thee, nor what is mine shall never do thee good. Trust to 't, bethink you; I'll not be foresworn" (216). These were horrible insults that no doubt hurt Juliet. If only Lord Capulet knew that was one of the last times he would ever see her. If only that was the only death he'd have to deal with. For not too long after Juliet's death, Lady Capulet, his wife commited suicide. She told Lord Capulet before she died, that even though she had been angry with Juliet for snooping behind her back, she considered herself responsible for putting Juliet through that stress and agony. This was too much pain and regret for Lady Capulet too feel, so she took her own life. Lord Capulet was distraught, but somehow managed to continue life. He became friends with Lord Montague, they were able to comfort each other, for they had both lost at least two members of their family that were very dear to them. They had both lost a wife and a child. While at times, there were moments of tension between the two, for the most part, they had a peaceful and friendly relationship with one another.

Blog Post #5 : Act IV :

           #4 At the end of Act IV, the parents of Romeo and Juliet had no idea of their secret marriage. Had they found out about this marriage, things would not have looked good for Romeo and Juliet. Not to mention, Nurse and Friar Lawrence, who had assisted the couple, would have been in for a heap of trouble had this secret been divulged. When Juliet had refused to marry Paris, Lord Capulet was angry enough. He beat her and repeated over and over again, "Out you green-sickness carrion! Out, you baggage! You tallow-face!" (Shakespeare 214). If Lord Capulet had been that angry with Juliet when she had just refused to do something he asked, imagine how angry he would be if he found out that she had gone behind his back and gotten married! The beating she had received then, would have seemed like a small pinch compared to the punishment she would get.

This represents the secrets kept from the
families of Romeo and Juliet throughout
 the book. 

            As for Romeo, I guess he wouldn't have been in as much trouble. He was already banished to Mantua and cut off from his family. To be hated by an entire family (except for Juliet of course) and then to have your family be embarrassed to be related to you is a horrible punishment of itself. 
            Nurse and Friar Lawrence would have had it bad as well. Both families had trusted at least one of these people if not both. Lady Capulet trusted Nurse to practically raise Juliet and to be a good influence for her. Nurse had even assisted Lady Capulet in persuading Juliet to marry Paris. She told Juliet of how he was perfect for her. She showered Paris in compliments calling him, "A man, young lady! Lady, such a man as all the world-why, he's a man of wax" (56). Imagine how silly Lady Capulet would feel thinking as though Nurse was playing some sort of game. She probably would think that Romeo and Juliet were already married at that time when Juliet first toyed with the idea of marrying Paris, and that Nurse had sat there and pretended to support her.Lady Capulet would feel stupid and no doubt be furious with Nurse. And as for Friar Lawrence, he had agreed to marry Paris and Juliet, knowing he wouldn't be able to do it. Why would he lie to them like that? Why would he even agree to marry them? 
           I can't imagine the anger both families would feel if they were told of this marriage. It is definitely something I would not want to witness.






Defining Vocabulary


arbitrating- the hearing and determining of a dispute or the settling of differences between parties by a person or persons chosen or agreed to by them


distraught- distracted; deeply agitated


immoderately- exceeding just or reasonable limits


inundation- to overwhelm


resolution- a solution, accommodation, or settling of the problem


spited- a malicious, usually petty, desire to harm, annoy, frustrate, or humiliate another person; bitter ill will; malice.


supple- pliant; flexible

Blog Post #4 Act III

Dear Friend,

In these times of fighting and betrayal, it seems as though my only real friend is you. Who else can keep a secret as well as a book, or will allow me to vent my anger without even a hesitation? It is anger that I have now. I am angered with the two feuding families, the Capulet and the Montagues. I understand that they don't get along, but is actual physical fighting necessary? I have pleaded with them and threatened to punish them, but it all stays the same.

Just this week another fight broke out in the streets. Two men were killed. As soon as I heard of this news, I assumed I would just sentence the killers to death, but it is not that simple. You see it all started with Tybalt and Mercutio arguing in the streets. I am not completely sure who started the fight, because I am not sure I can trust all of what the witness Benvolio said, even though he swore it to be the truth. Benvolio is a Montague, while Tybalt is a Capulet. I can't ensure that Benvolio wasn't just protecting his friends. Anyways, after they had been arguing for some time, Romeo tried to break up the fight, but as he was doing so, Tybalt fatally stabbed Mercutio and fled. In this, we have one guilty man, but the story gets more complicated as it continues.

Romeo and Benvolio were obviously saddened and angered by Mercutio's death. And when Tybalt returned to the scene, it was only natural for one of them, if not both, to avenge their friend's death and kill Tybalt. That is precisely what happened. Romeo killed Tybalt. Now what am I to do? Romeo and Tybalt are both guilty of murder, but Romeo murdering Tybalt is only doing what the law would have done. Can we call the man who carries out the death sentence a murderer? I guess I had decided to pardon this Romeo character, until I was approached by a grieving Lady Capulet. 

Lady Capulet begged me to punish Romeo. She wanted him dead. How could I ignore her wishes, when I wasn't ignoring the wishes of the Montagues? I was reminded time after time that even if he was doing what the law would have done, a killer is a killer. And that Romeo didn't have permission from me, Prince Escalus, or the government to kill Tybalt. He didn't need to kill Tybalt, for Tybalt would have been killed by the government for murdering Mercutio automatically. By killing Mercutio, he only complicated my situation further.

After listening to both arguments, I have decided on a punishment. I will not kill Romeo, but he will not be let off easy. I will banish him to Mantua, where he will be without friends, family, and all that he has known since childhood. In some ways this is giving him mercy, which his family should appreciate, but in other ways, it will punish him even more than death would. I hope this makes both families happy. It is not easy being the prince of a town struggling with fighting and arguments.

Will this decision will end these arguments? Nay, I think not, we will need something else, something more meaningful. But what is more meaningful than death of a loved one? Someday, this feud must end. When that day arrives, you shall know.

Signed,

Prince Escalus

Blog Post #3 : Act II

          #3 Nurse and Friar Lawrence assist Romeo and Juliet in the organizing of a secret wedding. This wedding goes against the wishes of both families. Whether or not they should have assisted these two characters, is up to the reader. I personally do not support their decision to assist Romeo and Juliet.
          Friar Lawrence says to Romeo, "In one respect I'll thy assistant be; for this alliance may so happy prove," when Romeo asks him for his assistance. So you can see that he has good intentions. He believes that by marrying Romeo and Juliet, the two fighting families will come together and the fighting will end. Of course, if you read the rest of Romeo and Juliet, you know this to be false. I think he could have made a wiser choice had he given it more thought and not rushed to answer Romeo immediately. If you think about it, the two families being angry and fighting about this problem is inevitable. Lord Capulet had already arranged for Juliet to marry Paris, and Lord Montague broke into a fight with Lord Capulet in the streets, just when he saw him! It seems to be a good idea at the time, but if you think about it further you can see that it is really a bad idea.
            Nurse helps the pair for different reasons than Friar Lawrence. She loves Juliet and has really raised her since she was a baby. Nurse says that, "An I might live to see thee married once, I have my wish." She knows that keeping this a secret is risky, but she also knows that it will make Juliet happy and that she will be able to see Juliet married. To see Juliet married, is to achieve all she ever hoped for. I understand  that she loves her, but really if you think about it, would you rather make her happy or save her from a violent end and being completely cut her off from her family? Romeo and Juliet would be outcasts in a world of people that are upset with them.
           Neither Friar Lawrence's decision, nor Nurse's decision is smart, and ends up hurting Romeo and Juliet rather than helping them. They should have just kept to themselves, and not interfered.



*In the picture above, Friar Lawrence is shown marrying Romeo and Juliet. If only then, he could realize the tragic end that event would soon bring.*



Defining Vocabulary


chided- to express disapproval of; scold; reproach 
confounds- to perplex or amaze, esp. by a sudden disturbance or surprise
driveling- childish, silly, or meaningless taking or thinking
exposition- the act of presenting for view
idolatry- the religious worship of idols
lamentable- regrettable, unfortunate, mournful
perjuries- the willful giving of false testimony under oath or affirmation

Blog Post #2 : Act I

       #1. A good drama, like that of Romeo and Juliet, has conflict. Some of this conflict is set into motion in Act I Scene V. One conflict set into motion, is a conflict between Romeo, a Montague, and Tybalt, a Capulet. The Capulet family throws a party, and when Romeo and his friends here of it, they decide to attend. This makes Tybalt very angry, for Romeo and his friends are Montagues, the enemies of the Capulets. While Lord Capulet forbids Tybalt from doing any harm to Romeo at the party, Tybalt swears that he won't forget intrusion, and that somehow, he will make Romeo pay.

            Another conflict set into motion by the events in this scene is between the Capulets and Montagues. While, they have been feuding for other reasons already, the love between Romeo and Juliet is sure to cause more anger. The Capulets have already arranged for Juliet to marry another man, Paris, and the fact that she has fallen in love with Romeo, will make her unwilling to marry Paris. This will anger Lord and Lady Capulet, for not only is Juliet not siding with them on marriage, but the other man she chooses is the only son of their greatest enemy. Who knows what will happen between these two families now?

       #3. When Romeo and Juliet first meet, they have no idea about the identity of the other. When they find out later, however, they regret the events of the party. Romeo is upset that once again he has fallen in love with a Capulet, his enemy, and fears that he will once again lose the woman he loves. Juliet, is afraid as well, but mainly fears the reaction of her father, who has already chosen a suitor for her. She knows that loving Romeo goes against her father's wishes, but it's too late. She can't change that she is in love.

            These reactions are similar, they are also different. Romeo's fear lies more toward the fact that he might lose Juliet and once again be depressed because the lack of a woman's love. Juliet's fear lies more towards the fact that her father, and other family might be upset with her. They both have fears, and know that even while they may face consequences, they cannot change the love they feel for each other.

          If I was in this position, my reaction would probably be closer to Juliet's reaction. I would fear for the opinion of my family. I am independent and can make decisions on my own, but my families decisions often influence me in mine. I hope that in this circumstance, I would be able to stand up to them and do what I think was right, despite some silly old fight from years passed. While I would be closer to Juliet's reaction, I also feel for Romeo. To find someone that perfect for you, then to possibly lose them would be horrible. I would fear for loss as well. I believe fear is a reasonable reaction for this circumstance, no matter what it is, specifically, that you fear.

Defining Vocabulary


adversary- enemy; opponent

disparagement- criticism; censure

pernicious- harmful; destructive

posterity- future generations

propagate- reproduce; increase

Blog Post #1: Fate

      What is your point of view regarding fate? Some people believe that fate doesn't necessarily matter, but that your actions are what matter, and they can change the course of your life. In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, it is believed that Romeo and Juliet's relationship is doomed from the start. In this case, I believe that to be true. Romeo and Juliet’s families are feuding with each other, and their parents are pressuring them into things that make Romeo and Juliet unhappy. Their parents try to control their lives. 

       While I agree with the Romeo and Juliet example, I also disagree. To give an example, let's say that you grew up as a poor child, without any money in a distant country where it was hard to find work. Last year I read a book called The Other Side of the Sky by Farah Ahmedi.This was a story about what happened to Farah when she had to deal with these same issues, while growing up in Afghanistan. Her house was destroyed in a bomb, her leg was blown off in a land mine, and most of her family died, but because of her bravery and perseverance, she was able to bring her mother and herself to safety in the US. She now lives a normal life, despite tragedy. She overcame her prescribed fate, because of her actions.