Friar Lawrence Is To Blame In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays; it deals with two star-crossed lovers who would do anything to be together. Their families, the Montagues and the Capulets, have had a lifetime of fighting and fued. Despite the ongoing warfare, it does not stop Romeo and Juliet from falling in love. They meet at Lord Capulet's party and from then on want to spend every moment together. The downfall of tragic events begin with Romeo’s banishment. To be together for eternity, they both commit suicide. But who is really to blame for the lovers death? Over the years people have gone back and forth arguing over the source of blame. The obvious culprit is Friar Lawrence. He marries Romeo and Juliet to try and end the fighting, he gives Juliet a potion to

The next day Romeo goes to Friar Lawrence and begs him to marry them. At first, Friar Lawrence refuses to marry Romeo and Juliet, and tells Romeo he should not replace one love with another. “Not in a grave to lay one in, another out to have” Romeo and Juliet (2.3.84). Romeo argues that the girl before did not love him, and tells Friar Lawrence Juliet loves him back. This causes Friar Lawrence to question himself whether or not it would be a wise decision to marry the ill-fated lovers. “For this alliance may so happy prove/ To turn your households’ rancor to pure love” (2.3.91-2). Friar Lawrence determines that maybe if he wed the two secretly, the hatred and hostility between the two families would end. Friar Lawrence foreshadows to Romeo that all joys have violent endings. “These violent delights have violent ends” (2.6.9). Romeo brushes off the warning, and when Juliet shows up to the church Friar Lawrence secretly weds them. If Friar Lawrence would have followed his instinct, and not married Romeo and Juliet as a way to end the families feud, then maybe the cursed lovers would have realized he was right and waited on the