Romeo and Juliet Scene
I chose to examine Act 3, Scene 3 specifically where Friar Lawrence is reprimanding Romeo for all of his foolishness up until this point in the play. When I first read the scene, I imagined Friar Lawrence to be playing the fatherly figure that Romeo really lacked throughout the entire play. I also imagined the Friar’s tone to be stern and instructive. While watching the play, this was exactly how the lines were interpreted. Romeo began preaching to Friar Lawrence his love for Juliet and that without her, his life was not worth living. Immediately, Friar Lawrence tries to show Romeo how foolish he is being.
One line in particular from my section that I was really intrigued to see interpreted was when Friar Lawrence says “Fie, fie, thou shamest thy shape, thy love, thy wit // Which, like a usurer, abound’st in all // And usest none in that true use indeed.” Watching these lines were very different than just reading them. When these lines were played out, Friar Lawrence began to shift his tone a little from reprimanding to caring and comforting. This made sense to me because Friar Lawrence doesn’t want to just insult Romeo. He genuinely wants Romeo to understand that this is his first love and potentially his first heartbreak. His life will go on and that he should not waste the potential that he has in life. I enjoyed watching the play very much and it helped me to understand the lines that I chose so much more.
