Many ask, among plenty of characters created by Shakespeare, who is Peter in Romeo and Juliet? Peter played a significant role in Romeo and Juliet, written by Shakespeare. In his writing, he created many characters who provide comic relief and Peter is just like that. His lack of understanding and bumbling character add a lighter tone to this intense play. For example, in Act 4, Scene 5, Peter engages in funny banter with the musician after the death of Juliet.
While serving the nurse, Peter builds a very good relationship with her. He accompanies her in meeting Juliet. Although he is clumsy at times, he tries his best to defend the interests of the nurse. This shows how committed he is to serving his employer.
Who is Peter in Romeo and Juliet?
Peter is a minor character in Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet. He serves the family of Capulet, especially the nurse. Although his role is small, he has some good contributions to the play.
Illiterate Servant: Peter is actually illiterate. Capulet, in Act 1. Scene 2, tasked him to deliver the invitation to the feast but he cannot read the invitation list. This is where he seeks help from Peter to read the list to him. In that party, Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time.
Comic Relief: Peter provides comic relief to the audience with his interaction with the Nurse and musicians. His dialogue and actions bring laughter to the audience in the midst of tensions.
Loyal to Nurse: Peter helps the Nurse in different ways. He helps her meet Romeo as an escort and protector. He always stays with him in times of need to provide his support.
Peter’s Introduction and Background
His Role in Capulet’s House
Peter is the servant in Capulet family and he mainly works under the Nurse. His roles are to help the Nurse with things like carrying messages and staying with her in important meetings. These actions install him in key moments of the play despite his low status.
Peter’s role in the household shows the social hierarchy in the play. He interacts with both upper and lower classes, which play a key role in closing the gap between noble characters like the Capulets and ordinary citizens.
Peter’s Lack of Education
Peter is illiterate, which is highlighted in Act 1, Scene 2, when he tries to deliver the invitation to Capulet’s party. As he cannot read, he asks help from Romeo and Benvolio, which moves the plot of the play forward. His illiteracy shows the division between the upper and lower classe in Verona. His struggle to read contrasts with the educated noble characters. Shakespeare shows the limitations and roles assigned to different social classes like he did in his play Macbeth through characters like Porter and Lennox.
Humorous and Clumsy Nature of Peter
Shakespeare uses comic reliefs to lighten the mood of the audience in his plays. Peter often fulfills this role. His hesitant attempt to do his duties and lack of understanding create moments of laughter. For instance, in Act 4 Scene 5, Peter confronts the musicians, defusing some grief with humor.
Despite his shortcomings, Peter tries to do his duties without any excuses. Although he sometimes does not understand the seriousness of the situation, he still does his job. His role softens the darker theme of the play by adding complexity to it.
Peter’s Role in Key Events
Sending Invitation to Capulet’s Party
Peter first announces his presence in Act 1, Scene 2, where Romeo and Juliet first meet. As Peter is illiterate, he needs help from Romeo and has to invite him to the pary for Romeo’s help. This Romeo attends Capulet’s feast, where he meets Juliet for the first time. By asking Romeo and Benvolio to attend the feast, Peter becomes the matchmaker of this couple. This creates a ripple effect that changes the course of the entire play.
Role in Secret Relationship
Peter, many times, accompanies the Nurse when in meeting and delivering messages. In Act 2, Scene 4, Peter accompanies the Nurse when she goes to deliver the message from Juliet to Romeo. Although Peter is just an observer, his presence shows his role as a loyal servant who is unknowingly helping the relationship between Romeo and Juliet.
Contrast with the Nurse
Nurse takes her role in Juliet’s affair seriously but Peter offers a contrast with his confused nature. He further adds a comic element to the play by his interaction with the Nurse and the musicians.
His Role after Juliet’s Death
His involvement in the Grieving Scene: Peter was present at the moment when Capulets discovers Juliet’s death. His interaction with the musicians after the death of Juliet works as a great example of comic relief, as he insists on hearing a song from him even in the grim circumstances.
Easing tensions with humor: Peter’s humorous demands for music just after the death of Juliet work as a distraction from the grief of the moment. His demand may seem out of place but it provides necessary break from the tragedy. Shakespeare uses this tactic to balance the moods of his tragedies. All these observations answer the question of who is Peter in Romeo and Juliet.
Peter’s Interaction with Major Characters
With Nurse
Peter accompanies Nurse throughout the play as he is a loyal attendant to him. His primary roles is to assist her in her duties and accompany her during interaction with other characters. When Nurse plan to meet Romeo for his secret marriage to Juliet, Peter accompanies her there. Although Peter does not say anything at that scene, his presence shows his loyalty to the nurse.
Comedic Contrast
The nurse and Peter have contrast in their characters; the nurse is not a spoken character, while Peter remains silent in most of the scenes. Peter’s interaction throughout the play is a comic relief for the audience. For example, in Act 2, scene 4, the nurse is better off staying out of private conversation with Romeo Comma than staying out of the scene with a humorous look.
With Romeo and Benvolio
Peter’s inability to read leads him to meet Romeo and Benvolio; as he cannot read, he asks Romeo and Benvolio to read the invitation list for him. This interaction leads to the meeting of Romeo and Juliet. Peter’s interaction with Romeo and Benevolio was brief but it had a great impact on the entire play. He, without noticing, alters the entre play with his interaction with Romeo when he requested him to read the list of the invitees. Peter in this play highlights the role of fate in the entire play and shows that even a small character can change the destiny of the play.
Comic Relief
After the death of Juliet, Peter interacts with the musician and requests them to sing a song. He fails to understand the gravity of the situation and insists that the musicians play a cheerful song. this interaction works as a comic relief in the play amidst the intensive emotion of the death of Juliet. His interaction with the musicians injects humor into the sorrowful moment of the death of Juliet. This is a contrast to Shakespeare’s Macbeth, where we do not find any sympathy for characters like Macbeth who succumbed to death.
Symbol of Common Folk
This behavior of Peter is a contrast in the life between the lower class and after class as He is engaged in the mundane tasks of common people like listening to music and entertainment. This difference between the servants and the nobility and Shakespeare explore the broader social context.
Peter’s Symbolic Role
As we are searching for the answer for who is Peter in Romeo and Juliet, let’s learn more about the roles that he played in the tragedy Romeo and Juliet.
Insight into the Lower Class
Peter is the representative of the servants and lower-class characters in the play Romeo and Juliet. These characters are not central to the play but they play a crucial role in it. He shows the contrast of emotion between the noble characters and normal people like him. He is often involved in interaction with Nurse, Romeo and others, which shows how the servant class is involved in upper-class affairs, although it is unintentionally.
Contrast to Nobles
Peter is mostly engaged with the day-to-day tasks. On the other hand, characters like Romeo, Juliet and the Capulets are engaged in matters like love, honor and familial conflict. His admission about his inability to write showcases the then condition of the servant class and the struggles they had to face. the contrast highlights the broader theme of social elimination and how the minor characters are restricted by societal rules.
Comic Relief in Tragedy
Peter engages himself in lighthearted banter, which works as a comic relief to the audience in moments of high tension on tragedy. His insistence on the musicians playing a song provides a moment of relief to the audience. Shakespeare uses this character to make a balance between the dark elements of the play so that the emotional intensity does not go overboard. We see this type of dark element in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. This technique is a Shakespeare hallmark in juxtaposing humour and tragedy. Peter plays a key role in balancing the play.
Catalyst of Fate
The chance encounter with Romeo sets the entire play in motion. He still had major interactions with other characters, which had major unintentional consequences in the play. How his smallest actions had a great effect on the plot is a matter of discussion.
Contrast to Nurse’s Seriousness
Peter sometimes is very foolish and this complements the character of the nurse. The nurse is concerned about affairs like love, life and death; on the contrary, Peter engages himself in trivial things. He almost always fails to grasp the gravity of the situation and responds to the nurse’s commands in a humoristic way. Peter humanises nurse with his contrasting behaviours. His comedic relief often softens a nurse’s serious mood. This helps the nurse to become a more well-rounded character
Peter’s Contribution to the Themes of Romeo and Juliet
Moral Ambiguity
Peter is unaware about the deeper meaning of life. He does not have any awareness about the conflict between Montagues and Capulets. He goes about his own work. Shakespeare shows how individuals with the least power can be swept up in events like this, which they can neither understand nor control.
Peter is very innocent compared to the other characters. people like Romeo Juliet and their families engage in morally complex decision-making. but Peter is an innocent individual amidst darker and more tragic elements of the play.
Final Thoughts
So, who is Peter in Romeo and Juliet? Although he is a minor character in the play, he plays a pivotal role in unfolding key events. He sets the play in motion with his chance encounter with Romeo and Bonvolio. Peter also does the function of a source of comic relief. His interactions with the nurse, musicians and other characters help balance the darker themes of the play. Peter is involved in key interactions with different characters.
Shakespeare explores the theme of fate and chance through this character. His role as a servant highlights the division between social classes in the play. The nobles grapple with love and honor and his role plays a part in social dynamics within Verona.
