Friar Lawrence Failure

Through reading the play “Romeo and Juliet” composed by William Shakespeare an important character named Friar Lawrence will come into a position where he will soon assist Romeo and Juliet becoming married. Romeo is from the family of the Montagues while his love Juliet is of the Capulet family. The conflict is that the families battle each other and, in order for the couple to get married Friar Lawrence the priest must marry them in secret. Friar Lawrence encourages Romeo to continue his eagerness with Juliet although not knowing he is not helping the situation because he is promoting Romeo’s rebellious behavior of not beholding the laws that prohibit his relationship with Juliet. If Friar Lawrence did not marry Romeo and Juliet they would

not have likely died over their own microcosm in which loves revolves around it, however he would never know the true level of intimacy of Romeo’s passion for women because he has never been married himself since he is a priest. Friar lawrence enables Romeo to destroy his relationship due to his lack of knowledge in this field but he also makes Romeo become more aware of what reality is like when something goes wrong he is the one who puts him back on track, hence he fails here as well.
Friar Lawrence wants Romeo to find another woman because he does not think the match is authentic, yet with his foolishness he proceeds with the marriage hoping it will bring the two rival families together. This makes Romeo feel like he can trust Friar Lawrence because he has his faith in Lawrence for the future of his marriage to be successful. Lawrence is seemingly helping out Romeo in this act because he is bringing the couple together, which cannot be done publicly due to the families differences. As Friar Lawrence says
“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”
(2.3.96-99).
This quote exemplifies his apparent eagerness for change wanting to happen between the two families. Perhaps there is something one of the families have done that affected him or someone else he “loved” but since he was a priest he could not love. Why he wants the families to come together is undiscovered throughout the play but what happens is a beginning of a positive relationship with Romeo. If the Friar did not marry Romeo there would likely be no dramatic scenes in the play because the couple would not be together, therefore there would be no advancement in the plot resulting in no conflicts. Friar Lawrence also attempts to ‘man up’ Romeo because he is crying for days at time because he can't see Juliet, since his exile from Verona.
“Hold thy desperate hand!
Art thou a man? Thy form cries out thou art.
Thy tears are womanish; thy wild acts denote
The unreasonable fury of a beast.
Unseemly woman in a seeming man,
Or ill-beseeming beast in seeming both!”
(3.3.118-123)
Friar Lawrence tries to bring Romeo back into reality that Juliet is not the only thing in the world that has value or meaning, meaning he has to grow out of his childish demeanor.

Following another failure, he is trying to keep a positive relationship with Romeo hence when he is counseling Romeo it is not beneficial because it only makes Romeo more of an incompompable child. Why he is wanting Romeo to look up to him is undiscovered, maybe because Romeo is Catholic and the priest is supposed to give good advice and prayre, Romeo respects him, leading to the thought that Lawrence is the most reliable resource since he is under god's

will.
Friar Lawrence establishes the motive why Romeo was into Rosaline and, why he is now interested in Juliet instead. This play only happens between 5-6 days, so for Romeo to find two lovers in a few days makes the Friar concerned that Romeo is not looking for a legitimate relationship. The conflict here is that Friar Lawrence decided to marry Romeo and Juliet despite his concerns making him a foolish priest in which most of his actions will put the couples relationship into even more jeopardy for failure.
“Holy Saint Francis, what a change is here!
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.

Jesu Maria, what a deal of brine

Hath washed thy sallow cheeks for Rosaline!

How much salt water thrown away in waste

To season love, that of it doth not taste!

The sun not yet thy sighs from heaven clears,

Thy old groans ring yet in my ancient ears.

Lo, here upon thy cheek the stain doth sit

Of an old tear that is not washed off yet.”

(2.3.69-80)

In this passage Friar Lawrence officially announces Romeo and Juliet husband and wife after he agrees to Romeo that it will happen. This is where the conflict reaches the first climax because Friar Lawrence becomes a jar-head by unconsciously creating future relationship problems in this marriage. One to include is the creation of a microcosm in which the reality of life is cut off by their passion for love. Soon to be expected their transient relationship will become a mess between the two families and keeping it a secret at the same time will be a challenge.

These violent delights have violent ends

And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,

Which as they kiss consume. The sweetest honey

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.
(2.6.9-15)
Friar Lawrence still gets over the top of his head and ultimately dismisses the idea of convincing Romeo to love more humbly. His attempt to stop Romeo from loving carelessly is a bust and he has unintentionally only made the situation worse by trying to fix it. He attempts to be a good role model but fails because of his lack of knowledge with relationships since he is a priest. Friar Lawrence either wants to see others love each other since he can't love one himself but fails because he has no experience; or he is angry that he cannot have love so he takes it out on other people such as Romeo and Juliet ruining it for them both. The father does notice the dangers but only after the fact that some have occured making him a bad guardian to Romeo as he could possibly encourage such behavior that will make Romeo less of a man.