Thursday, May 14, 2015

In Act 3, Scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet, what plan does Friar Lawrence have outlined for Romeo's future?

Friar Lawrence suggests that that Romeo fly to Juliet's chamber to comfort her before fleeing to Mantua.  In regards to comforting Juliet, the Friar suggests that Romeo not stay  "till the watch be set" (in other words, until the night watchman takes his post at the gates of Verona) because if Romeo leaves before this, he can flee to Mantua.  Just a few lines later, Friar Lawrence changes his mind and says, "Either be gone before the watch be set, / Or by the break of day disguised as hence" (178-179).  Friar Lawrence is obviously making this up as he goes along, realizing that Romeo can also disguise himself to flee just fine with the watchman present.


Friar Laurence then suggests that Romeo live in Mantua until four things happen:



Till we can find a time / To blaze your marriage, reconcile your friends, / Beg pardon of the Prince, and call thee back / With twenty hundred thousand times more joy / Than thou wentst forth in lamentation. (3.3.160-164)



Hmmmm, Friar Lawrence has quite a grandiose plan outlined for Romeo's future, wouldn't you say?  Friar Lawrence seems to be making this a personal goal of his.  Of course, with that grand of a plan, at least part of it must go awry, but I suppose that is the stuff that Act IV and V are made of.

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