Skip to main content

What is one thing that we can claim from looking at Friar Laurence's speech in Act II, Scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet? Does the speech provide...

Friar Laurence's speech at the beginning of Act II, Scene 3 reveals two important things about the Friar and also helps establish one of Shakespeare's themes in the play. First, the Friar's speech indicates that he understands the properties of many of the weeds and flowers that he is gathering in his garden before Romeo shows up. This ability foreshadows later events when Friar Laurence mixes a potion which makes Juliet appear to be dead....

Friar Laurence's speech at the beginning of Act II, Scene 3 reveals two important things about the Friar and also helps establish one of Shakespeare's themes in the play. First, the Friar's speech indicates that he understands the properties of many of the weeds and flowers that he is gathering in his garden before Romeo shows up. This ability foreshadows later events when Friar Laurence mixes a potion which makes Juliet appear to be dead. The audience knows from this scene that it is quite possible for the Friar to concoct such a chemical. He understands that plants contain both medicine and poison, and that one simple flower, while smelling sweet, may also cause a fatal overdose:



Within the infant rind of this weak flower
Poison hath residence and medicine power:
For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each
part;
Being tasted, stays all senses with the heart.



Friar Laurence also understands that the behavior of men is similar to the properties of plants. Men can be healing, but they can also be harmful:




Two such opposèd kings encamp them still
In man as well as herbs—grace and rude will;
And where the worser is predominant,
Full soon the canker death eats up that plant.





While men have the ability to be good, some men are so afflicted by evil that it is their primary trait. This may be particularly true of Tybalt, who must have some redeeming qualities (his family seems to love him), yet is angry and violent, which eventually causes his demise. This theme of good vs. evil runs throughout the play. It is primarily shown in the relationship between Romeo and Juliet, who share a deep affection (their love is a "good") amidst the chaos and violence of the feud between their families (an "evil"). Lord Capulet appears to love his daughter, yet cannot help but berate and threaten her when she does not yield to his wishes.


Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more