Human fallibility, especially when triggered by desperate and urgent situations, is prone to ultimately beget destructive consequences.
Humans are inherently imperfect and are predisposed to making myriad mistakes in their lives, but it is possible for these mistakes to be prevented. William Shakespeare clearly confirms the notion about the faculty of human wrongness and its unfavorable implications in the play “Romeo and Juliet” in which lack of wisdom, experience, and responsibility, in addition to self-preservation are evident. Friar Lawrence plays vital roles in the hasten marriage, effects of drastic strategies, and subsequently the deaths of Romeo and Juliet which all lead the play to a tragedy. Incomplete and inadequate plans made by the inexperienced exacerbate and prolong pain, instead of lessening distress and hardship. Friar Lawrence developed an impractical and unrealistic method of faking Juliet’s death and left the matter to young, naive teenagers who were incapable of handing such adversities independently. Negligence of the uncontrollable variables accounts for one’s increase in the ‘errors’, relative to one’s degree of understanding and wisdom. Friar Lawrence relied on Friar John for delivering the letter with extensive importance without careful consideration of potential devastating consequences, as well as valid, possible alternative options. Self perseveration, one of the strongest and most vivid features of human nature, contributes to the culminating point/cognitive factor/determinant of human fallibility.
Friar Lawrence ran away leaving Juliet in front of the dead body of Romeo in the vault, though he was aware of Juliet’s sudden urge for a regrettable decision. Friar Lawrence’s propensity for errors throughout the play elucidates /clarifies that every human being, wether he is a paragon or mature adult, is subjected to fallibility. Inaccurate judgement and illogical interpretation/preparation/planning skills accompanied by undesirable repercussions are clearly demonstrated via instances of hasten marriage and trust in wrong, unreliable people.
Despite Romeo’s impulsive and capricious behavior of his undying love and lust, Friar Lawrence agreed to marry Romeo and Juliet too easily without confirming the approval of either side of their parents and genuineness of their love. With the intention of his own self-interest to unite two feuding families and keep peace, Friar Lawrence did not take into account the apprehension of clandestine and impetuous marriage, as well as the fact that the two lovers barely knew / had just met each other. “Holy Saint Francis, what a change is here! Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, so soon forsaken? Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes. If e’er thou wast thyself and these woes thine, thou and these woes were all for Rosaline.
And art thou changed? But come, young waverer, come, go with men in one respect I’ll thy assistant be, for this alliance may so happy prove to turn your households’ rancor to pure love. Go wisely and slowly. Those who rush stumble and fall.” (Act 2, Sc.
3) “These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which, as they kiss, consume. Therefore love moderately. Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.” (Act 2, Sc.
6) Following the marriage, Friar Lawrence proposed Juliet to drink a potion of his own creation to avoid her impending marriage with Count Paris by faking her apparent death for 42 hours. He trusted Juliet, who was not even fourteen years old, with his complicated and arduous plan. “Hold, daughter. I do spy a kind of hope, which craves as desperate an execution as that is desperate which we would prevent. If, rather than to marry County Paris, thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself, then is it likely thou wilt undertake a thing like death to chide away this shame, an if thou darest, I’ll give thee remedy. Tomorrow night look that thou lie alone. Take thou this vial, being then in bed, and this distilled liquor drink thou off, when presently through all thy veins shall run a cold and drowsy humor, for no pulse shall keep his native progress, but surcease. Each part, deprived of supple government, shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death.
And in this borrowed likeness of shrunk death thou shalt continue two and forty hours, and then awake as from a pleasant sleep.” (Act 4, Sc.1) Friar Lawrence’s short-sightedness and inexperience being superior to his good intention, brought aggravated distress. Friar Lawrence should have been more prudent and considerate in making unprecedented decisions such as marrying the children of two feuding households and avoiding the inevitable marriage.
