English Assignment

Good morrow lords ladies and citizens of fair Verona. A glooming peace this morning with it
brings. (5:3:305). I stand before you today to bring the news of not 1 or 2 deaths but 6. 6 people
to no longer roam the streets or purchase goods. 6 Lovers unrequited. These tortured souls are
Romeo of Montague house, Juliet of Capulet house, Tybalt of Capulet house, Mercutio of
Montague house and County Paris. This is a tragedy has touched many houses and many
people. As your prince it is my sad duty to go about appointing blame. The blame rests not on
just one’s shoulders, as many were involved in this tragedy. As your prince it is my responsibility
to decide what must happen and so some will be pardoned and some punished. It stands on
everyone’s. But fear not, regular citizens you shall be pardoned.

I should have acted more harshly and more actively to break up Tybalt’s duel and I should have
forgiven Romeo, so that no more death continued. I should have threatened the houses with
more severe punishment and not turned a blind eye to their quarrels for so long. I do believe
though that I am not most to blame. I believe that Romeo himself could be culpable because he
could have well decided to not go to the Capulet celebration. He should not have entered the
domicile of his sworn enemy as he was known to their family and could well start a quarrel as
he knows he should not be there. He made the decision to enter the domicile of his sworn
enemy and there he met Juliet was so young and impressionable can she really be blamed for
her actions when she sees this young man attracted to her and willing to marry so soon?
Romeo could have not attended the party. Instead he let Mercutio and Benvolio convince him.
He also could have waited to marry as a man of his station should have more patience.
However, he is hardly to blame for what happened after that night. As he was lovestruck and it
was out of his control. So, the blame doesn’t just rest on his shoulders either.

The nurse is more likely to blame as she helped Juliet arrange a marriage with Romeo and to
also advise Juliet to follow her heart and marry Romeo of Montague name rather than County
Paris. This on the surface may seem like a minor transgression but she had full knowledge that
Juliet was intended for Paris (1:3). She had a duty to Lord and Lady Capulet to tell them about
the marriage and she failed to do so. She also when it disintegrated said to Juliet that she
should just marry Paris. Knowing full well that they had had a full night together and laid with
each other and smuggled the lad through Capulet house (2:4). In defiance of her masters
wishes. Which is a mutiny to say the least, but we shall move past this as for now. She also
omitted the fact that Romeo and Juliet were to be married to lord and lady Capulet. She has
caused a miscarriage of justice which is a severe mutiny and is against the lords teachings. She
also failed to consult Friar Lawrence and therefore failed at her post. She was more concerned
for Juliet’s happiness instead of her masters good name. She had no loyalty to the Capulet
house, however can you blame her. She hardly had a reason to like Lord Capulet as he never
paid her any attention. Unlike our next guilty party

Friar Lawrence has done the most to ensure the deaths of Romeo and Juliet at the very least.
He is a cowardly and a scoundrel. He married Romeo and Juliet even though he knew this was
contrary to the wishes of both families. He claimed that he only agreed to marry Romeo and
Juliet to end the feud, a good intention. However, he failed to ask or even tell the parents of the
marriage allowing Romeo to lie with Juliet and then cause the need to try and annul the
marriage, when he realized that Juliet was to marry Paris. He then had caused a heinous
situation; he either had to pretend the marriage didn’t exist and defy God and rot in hell or tell
the parents of the marriage. He did neither. He created a scheme to trick the Capulets into
believing that on the day of their daughters marriage that their daughter had died. The
Capulets only had one child as well. This scheme was a torture device to avoid the ugly truth, to
ensure he wouldn’t be punished or possibly executed. However, Romeo arrived, hearing about
the death via Balthasar. So, Romeo arrived at the tomb to see his Wife dead. He then decided
without the Friar present to take his own life. Friar Lawrence then arrived at the tomb hearing
the news of Romeo’s arrival. He then runs away amid the fear of the watch after seeing
Romeo’s dead body. To ensure his own safety and to be free from being imprisoned, he is a
spineless coward. He left poor Juliet to wake up and see her dead husbands body. She decided
to take her own life. With the Friar present she would have lived and continued her life. He has
brought misery to the Capulet and Montague house by deceiving the Capulet house into
thinking their child is dead. There-fore Friar Lawrence is the guiltiest and will be sentenced to
death.

Lords and Ladies the verdict has been handed down. Romeo, The Nurse and most of all the
cowardly Friar Lawrence have been deemed most culpable. I sentence the Nurse to step down
from her post as she clearly can’t be trusted. She is to be placed her as housemaid to the
Montague’s as recompence for the destruction she has brought to their house. I order that she
must however be given lodging and a meal. She may choose her own work after 2 winters. The
Friar has brought dishonor to his occupation and therefore does not deserve to go to heaven,
and I hope he rots in hell. I have warned that anyone who disturbs the peace of our fair street
does suffer on pain of death. I sentence Friar Lawrence to the very fate he condemned Romeo
and Juliet to. By hanging. This concludes our judgement of Romeo and Juliet, for never has
there been a tale of more woe than that of Juliet and her Romeo (5:3:310).