The Dramatic Impact of the Friar in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

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The Dramatic Impact of the Friar in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

In this essay, the role of Friar Lawrence and his dramatic impact on

the story will be discussed. I will discuss on how Friar Lawrence,

behaves different and the same as a stereotypical holy man.

Friar Lawrence shows many different roles during the play, both

positive and negative. He has a spiritual and parental influence on

Romeo and Juliet, even more so that Lawrence is shown closer with a

better bond with Romeo than his actual father Montague. When Lawrence

and Romeo encounter, they usually speak in rhyming couplets, thus

creating a further effect on how close he is with Romeo. “Thou chid’st

me oft for loving Rosaline.” “For doting, not for loving, pupil mine.”

“That last is true: the sweeter rest was mine. God pardon sin! Wast

thou with Rosaline.” These rhyming couplets help the audience

understand on how close the Friar and Romeo have, this is superb

writing as these are a sign of things to come on how the Friar

intertwines with Romeo’s life. The positive role of the friar was that

he always carried good intensions but failed to implement them. This

is shown where he at first he hesitates on fulfilling Romeo’s request

on marrying him to Juliet, but after a while of thought reconsiders

that the marriage of their daughter and son will bring an end to the

on pursuing feud between the two families. “For this alliance may be

so happy prove. To turn your households rancour to pure love.” This

however pulls the Friar away from our typical noble holy man, whose

job is to only lead people in the right directions in life. Moreover,

the friar marries of Romeo and Juliet without their parent’s consent.

This shows a very dark and ambiguous character of the friar. On stage

he is used as device, particularly a catalyst as speeds up the

marriage and death of both Romeo and Juliet. It’s very ironic as the

friar had good intensions as when they are married, peace might come

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