Banishment

In Act 1 Scene 1, he warns against further violence; in Act 3 Scene 1, he imposes banishment after the killings; in Act 5 Scene 3, he investigates the final deaths and recognises the shared cost. The movement from warning to punishment to judgement frames the private love story within Verona’s failure to control its feud.

Yet the secret wedding does not immediately change the families’ behaviour: in Act 3, the feud produces Mercutio’s death, Romeo’s revenge and his banishment. Only in Act 5, after the lovers have died and the Friar has explained their marriage, do Capulet and Montague reconcile. The Friar’s aim is therefore achieved, but at a devastating cost, suggesting that the families recognise the value of peace too late.

After struggling with divided loyalties, she defends Romeo and grieves above all for his banishment. Friar Laurence prevents Romeo from killing himself and arranges a final night with Juliet before he leaves for Mantua.

In Act 3 Scene 3, Romeo hides in Friar Laurence’s cell and treats banishment as worse than death because it separates him from Juliet. The Friar prevents him from harming himself and offers a plan: visit Juliet, then escape to Mantua while the Friar works towards revealing the marriage, reconciling the families and obtaining the Prince’s pardon. The Nurse brings Juliet’s ring, reassuring Romeo of her love.