#friarlawrence

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[chartersengdept]

Friar Lawrence speaks these lines just before he marries Romeo and Juliet at the end of act two. Up until this point in the play, Shakespeare has been showing the audience the “violent delights” - the violent conflict between the waring households contrasted with the delights of Romeo and Juliet’s love. However, moving into act three Shakespeare focuses the consequences of these “violent delights” as the play shifts firmly into tragedy. The lines foreshadow the “violent end” of the conflict and the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. The two households are consumed by hate and Romeo and Juliet are consumed by their love for each other. Ultimately, no one can escape and all are destroyed.    

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Romeo & Juliet: The Nurse and the Friar

In this module, we think about the characters of the Nurse and the Friar, focusing in particular on: (i) the similarities between the two characters, including the similar size of the roles and the characters’ relationship with Romeo and Juliet; (ii) the character of the Nurse: her garrulousness and her (inadvertent) humour; (iii) the importance of the Nurse’s daughter and the nature of the relationship between Juliet and the Nurse; (iv) Lucien Goldmann’s theory (originally applied to Racine) of the horizontal and vertical ‘planes’ of tragedy; (v) the character of the Friar: his practicality and moral uprightness; (vi) his offer to take responsibility for what has happened (“if aught in this / Miscarried by my fault, let my old life / be sacrificed some hour before its time”, 5.3.266-8); and (vii) the Friar’s touching speech to Romeo and Juliet at 2.6.16-20 and the meaning of the word “vanity” (2.6.20) in the final line.

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[paulreichstein]

Reading through one of my favourite moments tonight. Friar and Romeo. Makes me feel paternal as hell! #romeoandjuliet #romeo #friarlawrence @bellshakespeare

[paulreichstein]

@bellshakespeare . I’m having such a beautiful experience with @neenatrick , @selectedpoems , @cait.burley , @williamcdonald @jenevievechang . I’m so lucky. So very lucky. 💘💘💘💘#romeoandjuliet #bellshakespeare #friarlawrence