Jul 25, 2008

Romeo and Juliet | Act II, Scenes 3 and 4: Summary and Analysis

New Characters:
Friar Laurence: a Franciscan friar who is a priest and a specialist in herbs and medicines. He hopes that the marriage will end the feud between the two families.

Peter: the Nurse’s servant

Summary
As Scene 3 begins, the reader finds Friar Laurence carrying a wicker basket and selecting herbs, flowers, and plants to use in making medicine. It is daybreak on Monday, the second day in the lives of the lovers. Friar Laurence tells how plants contain both poisonous and healing powers. If a plant’s use is abused, the result is harmful. “Virtue itself...