Friar Lawrence Monologue

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Anita Brookner, a British award-winning writer of novels, wisely said, “The essence of romantic love is that wonderful beginning, after which sadness and impossibility may become the rule.” In Act Three, Scene Three of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Friar Laurence, a Franciscan that plays the part of an adviser to Romeo and Juliet, sees Romeo crying over Romeo’s banishment and how Romeo cannot see Juliet as often anymore. In this monologue, Friar Laurence wants to stop Romeo from suiciding and being gloomy by using insults and bringing up Juliet; directly and indirectly. Friar Laurence attempts to settle down Romeo by name-calling. For example, afterwards, Friar Laurence shouts, “Unseemly women in a seeming man! / Or ill-beseeming …show more content…

For instance, subsequently Friar Laurence states how surprised he was at Romeo’s idiocy, Friar Laurence says, “Hast thou slain Tybalt? Wilt thou slay thyself? / And slay thy lady that in thy life lives, / by doing damned hate upon thyself?” (3.3.122-124). Friar Laurence tries to remind Romeo that by self-slaughtering, it will lead to the death of Juliet shown through the words, “slay thy lady” and “by doing damned hate upon thyself”. Friar Laurence is bringing up Juliet, his love, to save Romeo from “slay thyself”. In addition, after Friar Laurence compares Romeo to a powder in an inexperienced soldier’s flask, Friar Laurence says, “What, rouse thee, man! Thy Juliet is alive, / For whose dear sake thou wast but lately dead” (3.3.141-142). Friar Laurence attempts to calm Romeo down by bringing up that “thy Juliet is alive”. Friar Laurence is aware that by bringing up who Romeo loves, Romeo will come to the realization that Romeo should not be crying over banishment. In some circumstances bringing up the person that the depressed one loves could overcome sadness and the thought suiciding. Friar Laurence’s speech has prevented the fragile Romeo from killing himself. But, one person could not change or guarantee the fate of another person; shown through the play Romeo and Juliet and is also applied to the modern world. Based on Lemony Snicket, “Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don’t always

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