The play “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare is the story of two young people who come from rival families, fall in love, and secretly get married. Friar Lawrence is the person who married the young couple, and Nurse is is the person who takes care of Juliet. These characters are both alike in the way that they play a neutral role in the play as well as a parental figure in the play as well as a parental figure towards either Romeo or Juliet.
Throughout the entire play Friar Lawrence is on no side of the family feud. He is a parental figure for Romeo. In the first scene of the play you get the air that Romeo’s parents aren’t very aware of where Romeo is or what he’s doing. For example in Act 1 Scene 1 Lady Montague says “O, where is Romeo? Saw you him today? Right glad I am he was not at this fray.” She doesn’t really seem to know where her child is until after Benvolio tells her. Knowing that he can’t go to his parents about Juliet Romeo goes to Friar Lawrence knowing that he would be accepting or his love for Juliet. Friar then realizes that by marrying Romeo and Juliet he might be able to fix the family feud, in Act 2 Scene 3 Friar Lawrence said “Thy love did not read by rote, that could not spell. But come, young waverer, come, go with me. In one respect I’ll thy be, For this alliance may so happy prove, to turn you households’ rancor to pure love.”
The Nurse plays a neutral role and she also plays a parental figure towards Juliet. She has taken care of Juliet ever since Juliet was born. In fact, Nurse takes care of Juliet more then Juliet’s actual mother does. In Act 1 Scene 3 Lady Capulet says “ This is the matter.- Nurse, give leave awhile. We must talk in secret.- Nurse come back again. i have remembered me, thou’s hear our counsel. Thou knowest my daughter’s of a prettiest age.” Lady Capulet entrusts Nurse to know her daughter better the she does herself. Nurse is also a neutral character. She delivers all the messages for Romeo and Juliet.
Even though Friar Lawrence and Nurse have a lot of similarities throughout the majority of the play, they react differently to Romeo’s banishment. After Nurse finds out the Romeo had killed Tybalt and gotten banished from Verona she insists that Juliet marry Paris. Friar Lawrence on the other hand helps Juliet devise a plan to get her and Romeo together again.
In conclusion both Friar Lawrence and Nurse play neutral and parental roles in the play. Even though both Romeo and Juliet end up dead I think that the message is that you shouldn’t let million year old feuds interfere with your happiness, both Friar Lawrence and the Nurse are smart enough to see this before it is too late.
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