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