It is often a necessity for Shakespeare's lovers to resort to lying or deception in order to be together. In Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream, Lysander and his lover Hermia secretly run away together during the night, in spite of her father's disapproval. Lysander says, "The course of true love never did run smooth."
Romeo and Juliet is a perfect example of similarly "star-cross'd lovers," as the prologue says. The holy Friar Lawrence even participates in the deception by giving Juliet a sleeping potion. Romeo and Juliet lie for love, and the friar lies to unite their two families. The three have good motives in deceiving others. Also, even though the lies lead to the lovers' deaths, the warring Capulets and Montagues make “a glooming peace” and stop their senseless fighting.
However, lying also causes a lot of problems in the play. Juliet’s parents, nurse, and fiancé Paris are heartbroken, first over her fake death and then a second time when she actually dies. Juliet pretends to die so she can be with Romeo, but Romeo is also taken in by this lie before he can be contacted. At this news, Romeo commits suicide, and Juliet follows.
The reason why lying in Romeo and Juliet seems both necessary and bad is because of Shakespeare’s ability to create ambiguity. Ambiguity is a kind of uncertainty that can make fiction engrossing because it doesn’t give easy answers, just as we don’t usually have easy answers in real life. For example, Juliet’s desperate love for Romeo is understandable, but her nurse’s practical advice to make the best of her situation and marry Paris instead is also reasonable. It isn't easy to determine who's right. Thus, the lies told in Romeo and Juliet can be both well-intended and harmful.
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