Significance of Loyalty in Romeo and Juliet
While it may be a popular belief that there has ‘never been a tale of more woe than that of Romeo and Juliet’ (5.3.309-310), the facts are less subjective. Many say that love brings peace and affection, but when taken to the extreme, it can lead to tragedy and despair. This is shown evidently in the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ written by William Shakespeare. In the play, there were numerous issues and themes that contributed to the play’s tragic outcome. These include: Religious Conviction, Familial Obligation, Free Will and Romantic Expectations. However, this analytical essay will elaborate on the significance of ‘Loyalty’ in ‘Romeo and Juliet’, and how it ultimately contributed to the play’s tragic …show more content…
In the play Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence, a friar who plays the part of a wise adviser to Romeo and Juliet, along with aiding in major plot developments, stays loyal to Romeo and Juliet until the end. This was first shown when he kept the marriage a secret and did not tell anyone about the marriage between the ‘star-cross’d lovers’. After Romeo and Juliet agreed on getting married, “send me word tomorrow, By one that I’ll procure to come to thee, Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite” (2.2.144-146), Romeo went to Friar Lawrence’s cell the next day to arrange the marriage between them. When Romeo asked the Friar to conduct the marriage, he was initially hesitant, however, he later said that he would, “In one respect I’ll thy assistant be for this alliance may so happy prove to turn your households' rancour to pure love” (2.3.90). The Friar stayed loyal to Romeo and Juliet as he kept their marriage a secret, until the very end, “I married them, and their stol'n marriage day Was Tybalt’s doomsday” (5.3.233). Also, ever since the beginning of the play, Friar Lawrence had been loyal to Romeo and Juliet's situation. He had been willing to take risks to get them together, which could have cost him his life. As a result of the unexpected tragic events, he chose not to get caught, as he wanted to stay loyal to the people of Verona who had trusted him and looked upon him as a …show more content…
From the moment they saw each other, Romeo and Juliet fell in love with one another. When Romeo and Juliet exchanged vows, they displayed acts of loyalty towards each other. The extreme loyalty that Romeo and Juliet shared, meant that this contributed enormously to the play’s tragic ending. When Romeo was banished from Verona, Juliet decided to commit suicide, but the Friar stopped her and told her, “Hold, daughter, I do spy a kind of hope” (4.1.68). Since Juliet was so loyal to Romeo and the fact that she would even fake her on death just so she could be with him, meant that this theme played a huge significance to the play’s tragic ending. Faking her death and going to live with Romeo, meant that she would leave everything she had behind, including her friends, family and her home. Despite the fact that she had no other choice if she wanted to be with Romeo, it was a foolish act. On top of that, Romeo, thinking that Juliet was actually dead, killed himself because he was extremely loyal to Juliet as he would die “rather than live…without” her (Romeo and Juliet, Oxford School Shakespeare). Both deaths were rushed, irrational deaths. While pressure from both families drove them to their final deadly decisions, it was their extreme loyalty to each other that caused their tragic deaths. Thus, loyalty plays a massive role in the play and contributes heavily to
While it may be a popular belief that there has ‘never been a tale of more woe than that of Romeo and Juliet’ (5.3.309-310), the facts are less subjective. Many say that love brings peace and affection, but when taken to the extreme, it can lead to tragedy and despair. This is shown evidently in the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ written by William Shakespeare. In the play, there were numerous issues and themes that contributed to the play’s tragic outcome. These include: Religious Conviction, Familial Obligation, Free Will and Romantic Expectations. However, this analytical essay will elaborate on the significance of ‘Loyalty’ in ‘Romeo and Juliet’, and how it ultimately contributed to the play’s tragic …show more content…
In the play Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence, a friar who plays the part of a wise adviser to Romeo and Juliet, along with aiding in major plot developments, stays loyal to Romeo and Juliet until the end. This was first shown when he kept the marriage a secret and did not tell anyone about the marriage between the ‘star-cross’d lovers’. After Romeo and Juliet agreed on getting married, “send me word tomorrow, By one that I’ll procure to come to thee, Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite” (2.2.144-146), Romeo went to Friar Lawrence’s cell the next day to arrange the marriage between them. When Romeo asked the Friar to conduct the marriage, he was initially hesitant, however, he later said that he would, “In one respect I’ll thy assistant be for this alliance may so happy prove to turn your households' rancour to pure love” (2.3.90). The Friar stayed loyal to Romeo and Juliet as he kept their marriage a secret, until the very end, “I married them, and their stol'n marriage day Was Tybalt’s doomsday” (5.3.233). Also, ever since the beginning of the play, Friar Lawrence had been loyal to Romeo and Juliet's situation. He had been willing to take risks to get them together, which could have cost him his life. As a result of the unexpected tragic events, he chose not to get caught, as he wanted to stay loyal to the people of Verona who had trusted him and looked upon him as a …show more content…
From the moment they saw each other, Romeo and Juliet fell in love with one another. When Romeo and Juliet exchanged vows, they displayed acts of loyalty towards each other. The extreme loyalty that Romeo and Juliet shared, meant that this contributed enormously to the play’s tragic ending. When Romeo was banished from Verona, Juliet decided to commit suicide, but the Friar stopped her and told her, “Hold, daughter, I do spy a kind of hope” (4.1.68). Since Juliet was so loyal to Romeo and the fact that she would even fake her on death just so she could be with him, meant that this theme played a huge significance to the play’s tragic ending. Faking her death and going to live with Romeo, meant that she would leave everything she had behind, including her friends, family and her home. Despite the fact that she had no other choice if she wanted to be with Romeo, it was a foolish act. On top of that, Romeo, thinking that Juliet was actually dead, killed himself because he was extremely loyal to Juliet as he would die “rather than live…without” her (Romeo and Juliet, Oxford School Shakespeare). Both deaths were rushed, irrational deaths. While pressure from both families drove them to their final deadly decisions, it was their extreme loyalty to each other that caused their tragic deaths. Thus, loyalty plays a massive role in the play and contributes heavily to