Romeo And Juliet
 
 By William Shakespeare
 
The Role of Friar Lawrence
 
Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's plays about
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. Friar Laurence does not have very much time on stage
but the time he does have is crucial to the plot line.
Through his words Friar Laurence demonstrates the he is a
good intentioned, yet sometimes short-sighted, man who is
not afraid to take risks to help others
 
One of Friar Laurence's most favorable traits is his good
intentions. He may do something out of the ordinary if he
thinks the outcome will help someone for whom he cares. For
example, when he says "In one respect I'll thy assistant
be; for this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your
households rancour to pure love. "(Act 2, Scene 3), he is
saying that the only reason he will marry Romeo and Juliet
is because he hopes that the marriage will end the
hostilities between the two houses. When he says "Shall
Romeo by my letters know our drift, and hither shall he
come; and he and I shall watch thy waking, and that very
night shall Romeo bear thee to Mantua." (Act 4, Scene 1),
he tells Juliet how everything will be all right.
Unfortunately, for all his good intentions the play still
ends in tragedy.
 
Friar Laurence is a man who is not afraid to take risks
when he feels it is necessary to help someone. For example
in Act 2, Scene 6, when he marries Romeo and Juliet, he is
risking his reputation as a Friar so he can help the two
lovers. Also, when he says "Take thou this vial, being then
in bed, and this distilled liquor drink though off;" (Act
4, Scene 1), he is suggesting that Juliet drink a potion so
that she might feign her own death and avoid marrying
Paris. This is an extremely risky thing to do because
anything might happen to Juliet while she is unconscious.
 
Even after all Friar did to help Romeo and Juliet the play
still ended in tragedy because of Friar Laurence's short
sightedness. When the Friar married Romeo and Juliet in
secrecy, he did not think of all the complications that
would arise but instead went on with the marriage because
at that time he thought it was the right thing to do. In
Act 4, Scene 1, he gave Juliet a sleeping potion without
thinking of the possible outcomes of such an outrageous
plan. He admits that much of the fault of the tragedy lies
in his hands when he says "And her I stand both to impeach
and purge myself condemned and myself excused", and when he
say "Her nurse is privy; and, if aught in this miscarried
by myself..." (Act 5, Scene 3).
 
Although Friar Laurence does not have an especially large
role, his role is none the less important. It is because of
his good intentions that he was willing to help his friends
and that Romeo and Juliet were married - a key event in the
play. It is because of his willingness to take risks for
his friends that Juliet acquired the sleeping potion -
another key event in the play. Finally, it was the
shortsightedness of his actions that in part led to the
deaths of the two lead characters. Friar Laurence was a man
who had good intentions, and was willing to take risks to
help his friends.