Friar Laurence is an important character that not only helps Romeo and Juliet get married and devise a plan for their reunion, but also contributes to their ultimate demise. In addition, Shakespeare depicts Friar Laurence as an imperfect religious figure as he is willing to compromise the religious sanctity of marriage for his own political gain. When Romeo first approaches Friar Laurence he seems suspicious of Romeo’s new love as Friar Laurence states, “God pardon sin! Wast thou with Rosaline?...Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear, so soon forsaken? (2.3,44-67). This illustrates that Friar Laurence is questioning Romeo about his sudden new passion. Although he finds it odd that Romeo has found a new love he still agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet in order to
Additionally, Friar Laurence also states, “young men’s love then lies in not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes” (2.3,67-68). Therefore, it is evident that Friar Laurence believes Romeo’s infatuation with Juliet is merely superficial, but still goes ahead with marrying the two. This also illustrates that he does not understand the love between them. Although Shakespeare presents Friar Laurence as a character who wants peace and has good intentions, his character is flawed in the sense that he is too obsessed with trying to end the family rivalry. As a result, his attempt to put an end to the family rivalry, though successful, results in Romeo and Juliet’s death. Their family feud once again plays a vital role in interrupting Romeo and Juliet’s love, as trying to stop the rivalry influences Friar Laurence’s ill-conceived plan resulting in Romeo and Juliet’s demise. Therefore, Romeo and Juliet’s love is impossible to survive in a world that is explicitly influenced by the flawed social structure. Friar Laurence’s misguided plan ultimately kills Romeo and Juliet and their
With Friar Laurence being so quick with his thoughts, he married Romeo and Juliet. This was a mistake and is the main reason for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. In Act 2 Scene 6 when Romeo takes Juliet to see Friar Laurence to get married, Friar Laurence
“From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, A pair of star- crossed lovers take their life, Whose misadventured piteous overthrows, Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.”
Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare's first authentic tragedy. It is about two lovers who commit suicide when their feuding families prevent them from being together. The play has many characters, each with its own role in keeping the plot line. Some characters have very little to do with the plot; but some have the plot revolving around them. While the character of Friar Lawrence spends only a little time on stage, he is crucial to the development of the conclusion of the play. It is Friar Laurence’s good intentions, his willingness to take risks and his shortsightedness that lead to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
Friar Laurence doubts Romeo's professed love to Juliet and compares it to what Romeo himself swore he felt for Rosaline, "Young men's love then lies/ Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes" (2.2.67-8). Bluntly, yet fatherly, he corrects Romeo's claim of love by saying (in reference to Rosaline), "For doting, not for loving, pupil mine" (2.2.82). Still, he agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet without thinking twice. In fact, his greater preoccupation is not whether or not they truly do love each other, but how their love could end the feud between their families, as he states, "For this alliance may so happy prove/ To turn your households' rancour to pure love" (2.2.91-2).
The start of Friar Laurence’s impulsive actions begins when he proposed a secret marriage of Romeo and Juliet.
Friar Laurence’s tragic flaw is being too overconfidence over his actions he planned. When Romeo comes over to friar’s cell for advice, he should’ve never tried to solve conflict between Capulet Family and Montague family. His plan was to change two families madness to love by marring Romeo, son of Montague and Juliet, daughter
At one point, Friar Laurence admitted to agreeing to marry the couple, knowing Romeo only loves Juliet due to her appearance. "Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, so soon forsaken? Young men's love then lies. Not truly in their hearts but in their eyes. But come, young waverer, come, go with me, In one respect I'll thy assistant be," Friar Laurence said, giving proof that he knew that Romeo only liked her for her looks. He also admits to marrying Romeo and Juliet for his motives to form peace between the two rival families. "For this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your households' rancor to pure love," he
Friar Laurence, through his lack of good judgment, is largely responsible for the deaths of both Romeo and Juliet. Rather than being supportive of them and helping them disclose their loving situation, Friar Laurence took the “easy” way out. He succumbed to their desire to elope. He secretly married Romeo and Juliet instead of standing behind them and encouraging them to confront their families with the facts about their commitment to and love for each other. As a result, an even stronger bond between them was created through marriage: "For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone / Till holy church incorporate two in one" (2.6.36-37). Friar Laurence married Romeo and Juliet, hoping that their union would bring an end to the constant feuding between their two families, the Montagues and the Capulets. Though the friar’s intentions were good and above reproach, they were certainly missteps along a pathway to tragedy. None of the tragedies would have occurred if Romeo and Juliet were not married. When Tybalt challenged Romeo...
When Friar Laurence agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet, he does so for the wrong reasons, thus, he betrays the ethics of his position. Romeo considers Friar Laurence someone he can confide in, and so, tells him of his newfound love, Juliet, right away. The Friar is convinced that Romeo cannot possibly be in love as it was not long ago he spoke of his fascination with Rosaline. Nowhere is this more apparent than when he states:
Friar Laurence’s involvement in the marriage of Romeo and Juliet has caused a tragedy. Romeo and Juliet thought that they fell in love, but the Friar should have known that they were just kids and they were really rushing into things. In Romeo and Juliet, Friar Laurence says, “These violent delights have violent ends. Is loathsome in his own deliciousness, and in the taste confounds the appetite: Therefore love moderately: long love doth so, too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.” When he says this, he is giving Romeo a warnin. Also, Friar Lawrence should have known at the time, that Romeo was loving with his eyes and not with his heart. For example, Romeo was in a relationship with Rosaline, before marrying Julliet. Inonclusion , the Friar did not have the expierence to know that they were kids.
One of the main reasons that Friar Laurence was held accountable for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet is because he married them. First of all, this marriage was done without the consent of the parents. Secondly, he could have tried to support their relationship instead of marrying them and not telling anyone. He speaks of how these two will become one in marriage; “For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone /
Friar Laurence's immature actions made him part of the tragedy. For one, he married Romeo and Juliet. When told that Romeo loves Juliet, Friar replies, "Holy Saint Francis, what a change is here! Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear, so soon forsaken? Young men's love then lies not truly in the hearts, but in their eyes," (II, III, lines 66-69).
When he says this, he is stating he will assist Romeo by marring the two, because through the marriage their families may learn to love each other; therefore ending the fight. Friar Laurence only married the two lovers because he thought it would have a positive impact on the families’ feud. However, he should of thought about the consequences and how since the head of the families were unaware, the marriage could only have negative affects. Also, they were never m...
An ancient grudge and parents too blinded by hatred to break it, bear the ultimate blame for the tragic death of Romeo and Juliet. Friar Laurence was just attempting to mend the rift between two households. Nurse desired to make Juliet happy. The parents were selfish and could not get over their enmity with each other, and their children suffered the repercussing consequences. Bombarded by the indecision of all, Romeo and Juliet were free-spirited, love-struck, and young. Sadly it was their deaths, not love or marriage that finally brought the two houses together and Verona peace.
He tries to warn Romeo of the temporary state of infatuation and persuades him out of his rage upon hearing his verdict of banishment. The Friar was a leaning stone for Juliet to turn to while her parents forced her to marry Paris, while the nurse betrayed her by compelling her to marry Paris. His words and believe, that the couple’s marriage would solve the family feud was also astonishing and showed a sense of believe but also doltishness which he held. But his words have no weight, there were like water in a shattered bucket, because although he speaks in magnifying and brilliant wisdom, his action undermines them. The Friar displayed his lack of sense and morality when he decided to wed Romeo and Juliet together, he said “Oh, she knew well Thy love did read by rote, that could not spell. But come, young waverer, come, go with me, In one respect I’ll thy assistant be, For this alliance may so happy prove, To turn your households' rancor to pure love.”(2.3.87-92) The Friar has single-handedly decided without thoughts, that he would marry two people in secret, who have continually demonstrated to him a blatant disregard of reason and just met each other and also from families who harbor deepened and engulfing hatred towards each other. {Does the Friar realize that if one of the families realizes the couple’s risks getting killed? Has he disregarded the morality of marriage and listened to an obstinate