Friendship: Romeo's friend, Mercutio, causes his banishment. His other friend, Friar Lawrence, causes his death. Juliet's friend, the Nurse, abandons her in her time of need.

Friendship is a major theme explored in Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare's view on friendship and its portrayal in this play are all about how your friends turn their backs on you when you need it the most. In Juliet's case her Nurse abandons her when she need help trying to figure out if she should leave Romeo and marry Paris or not? Her Nurse in act 3 scene 5 line 222 to 227 " Romeo is banished...I think it best you marry with the County" she is basically saying forget about Romeo and marry the rich handsome man that will provide her a better life. Juliet was seeking comfort that her decision on marrying Romeo was a good one but the nurse just turned her back and told her that she should have married Paris. For Romeo, his friends get him banished and then killed. Mercutio is the one that starts a fight with Tybalt, in turn causing Romeo to kill Tybalt. As a result Mercutio's anger towards the Capulets in starting the fight caused Romeo to get banished by the Prince of Verona.