Romeo and Juliet Explication
At this turning point in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, the protagonist, Romeo, has been banished for killing Tybalt out of revenge for the death of his cousin, Mercutio. In having to face his banishment, Romeo flees to Friar Laurence’s cell to escape the Prince’s men and consult on what he shall do. During Friar Laurence’s monologue in act three, scene three, he explained to Romeo how being banished is a much better punishment than the original punishment, death; that his lack of control put him in this situation; and he should be lucky to be alive and have Juliet.
Shakespeare uses metaphors and puns to help Friar fully explain that Romeo has brought this whole ordeal upon himself because of his lack of control over his emotions. Friar Laurence suggests to Romeo “Art thou a man? Thy form cries out thou art; / Thy tears are womanish, thy wild acts denote / The unreasonable fury of a beast”(3.3.115-117). Friar compares Romeo’s body to that of a mans, his emotions to the ones of a woman, and his irrational thinking and behaviors to that of a beast. He implies that this was all brought upon Romeo because he doesn’t know how to control his emotions and actions, much like a woman and a beast. Friar Laurence goes on portraying to Romeo that he should be satisfied with banishment because “Thy Juliet is alive,/For whose dear sake thou wast but lately dead./There art thou happy. Tybalt would kill thee”(3.3.141-143). This creates feeling in the play because Friar must do something that is against the law to help an out of control friend, and now that friend has to pay for what he did.
Shakespeare uses metaphors and puns to help Friar fully explain that Romeo has brought this whole ordeal upon himself because of his lack of control over his emotions. Friar Laurence suggests to Romeo “Art thou a man? Thy form cries out thou art; / Thy tears are womanish, thy wild acts denote / The unreasonable fury of a beast”(3.3.115-117). Friar compares Romeo’s body to that of a mans, his emotions to the ones of a woman, and his irrational thinking and behaviors to that of a beast. He implies that this was all brought upon Romeo because he doesn’t know how to control his emotions and actions, much like a woman and a beast. Friar Laurence goes on portraying to Romeo that he should be satisfied with banishment because “Thy Juliet is alive,/For whose dear sake thou wast but lately dead./There art thou happy. Tybalt would kill thee”(3.3.141-143). This creates feeling in the play because Friar must do something that is against the law to help an out of control friend, and now that friend has to pay for what he did.