Importance of Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet

Friar Laurence plays an important part in the narrative development of Romeo and Juliet. He is naïve and detached from society so doesn’t fully appreciate the bitterness of the feud between the Montagues and Capulets. The well intentioned advice that he gives to Romeo and Juliet is thus misguided and this develops a sense of foreboding. The advice that Friar Laurence gives sets the young lovers on a path which the audience senses will end in tragedy.

With regard to his character, Friar Laurence is a contemplative and moral man yet he lacks real insight in human nature i.e. their passions and motivations. When we first meet Friar Laurence, he compares plants to human nature concluding that

“Virtue itself turns vice being misapplied

And vice sometime by action dignified”

From our first meeting with Friar Laurence the audience sees how naive he is to believe so simply in the goodness of man. It is partly this characteristic that causes his schemes to end tragically.

Friar Laurence is a man of self control who believes that “violent delights have violent ends.” In other words, people should be measured and not let passion overrule their good judgement. This is almost a premonition of what happens later on in the play when Romeo and Juliet’s short but passionate love ends in death. Shakespeare portrays the Friar as a prudent and modest man of God.

Friar Laurence is trustworthy; we know this because both Juliet and Romeo trust him enough to confide their love for one another to him. They also seek his advice to find a way to be together. This trust is also based on Friar Laurence’s reputation as a highly respected member of Verona’s society, “the whole city is much bound to him.” Romeo refers to Friar Laurence as hi...

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...eveal their innermost feelings to the audience. Shakespeare uses Friar Laurence as a device to achieve this.

Friar Laurence also acts as the messenger in the play. In Shakespearean times, Romeo and Juliet would have been performed in theatres like The Globe. There would be a lot of noise and distraction for the audience and it was likely that they would miss out on important parts of the play. The actor playing Friar Laurence up dates the audience regularly. An example of this is when he gives the audience a synopsis of the story right at the end of the play “Is not so long as is a tedious tale. . .” This is helpful for the audience because it allows them to catch up with important parts that they might have missed.

As the audience sees Friar Laurence’s plans fail one by one, a sense of foreboding develops which prepares the audience for the unfolding tragedy