Why are the minor characters Paris and Prince Escalus important to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet?

Countyis
important to the play in that he serves as a contrast againstto show us just exactly how young
and still young-mindedtruly is. Paris represents Juliet's alternative more rational choice.
Juliet does not actually have a genuine reason to prefer Romeo over Paris. Paris is equally
handsome, possibly even more so, as we see from 's opinion that, "Verona's summer hath not
such a flower," and the Nurse's agreement (I.iii.81). Paris is older, wiser, and has the
higher noble rank of a Count, showing us that he can provide for her far more fully than Romeo
ever could. Not only that, Paris genuinely loves Juliet, as we see from his persistence in
asking for her hand and from his genuine grief over her faked death. However, Juliet allowed her
young emotions to be swept away by Romeo simply because he was far more forward with her and
even gave her her first kiss. Thus, Paris serves to represent adult, rational thought in
contrast to Romeo, who represents youthful emotionalism.

Prince Escalus is
very important to the play in that he represents the deep, booming voice of justice, law, and
even of philosophy. He acts as the voice of law by laying down the harsh penalty of death should
the two families battle in the streets of Verona again. He acts as the voice of justice by
justly sentencing Romeo to banishment instead of death for killingwhen he learned that Tybalt
had started the quarrel and even slayed 's own kinsman, . He frequently acts as the voice of
philosophy by referring toand Montague as "beasts" for spilling blood to "quench
the fire of [their] pernicious rage" (I.i.80). He further acts as the voice of philosophy
by showing us just how much damage Capulet's and Montague's feud caused. We see this in his
lines in the closing scene,

Capulet,
Montage[Montague],
See what a scourge is laid upon your hate,
That heaven
finds means to kill your joys with love! (V.iii.301-304)

Without Prince Escalus's wisdom, the readers/viewers would not truly be able to pin
hatred as the true cause for all of the death in the play.