Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships

  In "Romeo and Juliet" one example of a healthy relationship could be the Nurse and Juliet. Another healthy relationship could be the Friar and Romeo.

  The nurse is like a mother to Juliet while the Friar is like an uncle to Romeo. Nurse always cares for Juliet and tells her the right things and supports her. She lets Juliet follow her own heart.  Through line 190-193 Act 2 Scene 4 it says " I anger her sometimes, and tell her that Paris is the proper man, but I'll warrant you, when I say so, she looks as pale as any clout in the versal world." What I think in this line is that the nurse is telling Romeo how Juliet gets when she tells her Paris is better man. But she is doing what Juliet wants her to do and she supports her. She proves she is a fun nurse and she kids with her a lot. For example, in Act 2 scene 5, line 38- 42 Nurse jokes about Romeo "You know not how to choose a man. Romeo? No, not he. Though his face be better than any man's, yet his legs excels all men's, and for a hand and a foot and a body, though they be not to be talked on, yet they are past compare. He is not the flower of courtesy, but, I'll warrant him as gentle as a lamb" 

 With Friar and Romeo it looks like the Friar is like a close uncle to him that cares for Romeo even he is not a regular boring priest. It seems the Friar is more close to Romeo than Romeo with his father. An example would be line 48 Act 2 Scene 3 " Friar: That's my good son! But where hast thou been then?" He cared for Romeo and gets worried when he gets involved with wrong people like Rosaline. Also he agrees to get Romeo married to Juliet fort the sake of Romeo and peace. Line 94 Act 2 Scene 4 "Friar: ...but come, young waverer, come go with me. In one respect I'll thy assistant be, For this alliance may so happy prove to turn your households' rancor to pure love."


  Some examples of unhealthy relationships in "Romeo and Juliet" could be Lady Capulet and Juliet and maybe Mercutio and Romeo.

  Lady Capulet and Juliet don't get along well. Their mother and daughter relationships doesn't seem to exist and maybe in some way it could have been the nurse's fault. But that is just my opinion. Sometimes I feel like Lady Capulet is scared  to talk to Juliet because she thinks Juliet hates her, which maybe true, but she doesn't make any effort to even try. Once she made an attempt to talk to her alone, but changed her mind and got Nurse instead. 

  Lady Capulet:" This is matter. Nurse, give leave awhile, We must talk in secret. Nurse, come back again. I have remembered me, thou's hear our counsel. Thou know eat my daughter's of a pretty age." Act 1 Scene 3 lines 8-11. She brought nurse back so she didn't have to deal with Juliet. Or it also could be a good relationship in a different way. Maybe she wanted Juliet to be stronger than she is and have more freedom. Or maybe not. 

  With Romeo and Mercutio their relationships with one another could be good or bad. Mercutio is a really good friend to Romeo. Even if he's not a Montague he's with Romeo. Basically, Mercutio is the leader of the Montague boys because the other boys are to scared to battle Tybalt. But, Mercutio and Romeo could have a bad relationship as well. Mercutio didn't support Romeo with their fight with Tybalt. And I think he died because he didn't agree with Romeo's decision. Instead he cursed both families. Mercutio:"I am hurt. A plague on both your houses! I am sped. Is he gone and hath nothing?" Act 3 Scene 1 lines 84-86

  Although some relationships have good in them they also have the bad. I think we have to try to at least make it work. Not ignore the bad. Or the good. Life has issues. That is just what life is. And I think a good relationship has no certain start or end.. Even when you see a person for the first time and you instantly want to go out with him/her. And that's what I think is normal. And that is what I think Shakespeare would have thought was normal. 

 In my opinion, I think he writes his play based on real life situations with a bit of fiction in them. I think he had a tough life and I think he used his play to express his feelings.