Shakespeare’s tragic play about forbidden, ill-fated love, Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare, has several secondary characters whose actions influenced the outcome of the play. Friar Lawrence was one of these characters. This godly man has only noble and good intentions. His first action which affected the outcome was his agreement to marry Romeo and Juliet in hopes of uniting the two feuding houses. Another of Friar Lawrence’s actions which affected the outcome was his plan for Juliet to avert marriage to Count Paris. Both actions were done with honorable intentions, but they also led to the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
The Montague and Capulet families had hated each other for a long time. They have fought in the streets of Verona three times according to the Prince. Friar Lawrence saw an
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opportunity to end the feud and unite the houses of Montague and Capulet by joining Romeo and Juliet in marriage.
The love Romeo had for Juliet made him willing to overlook his hate of the Capulets. Likewise, the love Juliet had for Romeo allowed her to ignore the discord she knew to exist between the families. If the marriage had not been hidden, this might have worked. Instead, Romeo, Juliet, Friar Lawrence, and Juliet’s nurse were the only ones who knew of the marriage.
Shortly after Romeo and Juliet were married, Juliet’s cousin Tybalt killed Mercutio. In the act of revenge for this killing, Romeo fought and killed Tybalt. Knowing that he would be punished, Romeo ran to the Friar’s cell. Mercifully, the Prince decided that Romeo was to be banished from Verona. If Romeo was seen in Verona, he would be sentenced to death. Friar Lawrence told Romeo to go to Mantua where he would send news occasionally. While Juliet mourned Tybalt and the exile of Romeo, she was told by her father to be ready to wed Count Paris in just a few days. Juliet went to the Friar for advice and he saw that she
was desperate enough to take her own life so that she did not have to marry Count Paris. Friar Lawrence then came up with a plan Juliet to drink a potion which would put her into a death-like sleep. This plan was complicated in that several people had roles that were important. Juliet had to make sure she was alone and drink the potion at the right time. Friar Lawrence had to send a letter with Friar John to Romeo to let him know what was happening with Juliet so that he would be there when she woke up and they could go away together and live happily ever after. Tragically, Friar John was mistakenly quarantined and not able to deliver the letter to Romeo. Benvolio, however, did reach Romeo with news of Juliet’s death. Romeo then secretly met with an apothecary and purchased a poison so that he could join Juliet in death. Juliet was still sleeping when Romeo found her in the tomb, and Friar Lawrence had not yet appeared. Believing that Juliet was truly dead, Romeo drank the poison. Too late, Friar Lawrence arrived to find Romeo already dead and Juliet still sleeping. Juliet awoke soon after, also to find Romeo dead. Friar Lawrence then offered to hide Juliet in a nunnery, but she would not leave. Friar Lawrence left Juliet in the tomb where she then used Romeo’s dagger to kill herself. Friar Lawrence’s actions did affect the outcome of the play. The marriage of Romeo and Juliet did produce the desired effect of ending the feud in the end, but it did not happen in the way Friar Lawrence had intended. The plan for Juliet to avoid marriage to Count Paris had the most tragic effect on the outcome. This plan had the most components which could and did go wrong. The only thing that went right, was Juliet took the potion and went to sleep. Friar Lawrence was a secondary character with huge influence on the outcome of the play.
Friar Laurence’s interference in the families of Romeo and Juliet set much of the fighting, rage and death of these characters into motion. Romeo and Juliet is the title of a great tragedy. This tragedy has been caused by Friar Laurence’s involvement in the marriage of Romeo and Juliet, the Friar’s lying to Capulet and his family, and his involvement in the false death of Juliet.
In the story,Friar caused many reasons for the death of Romeo and Juliet. He starts by making her drink the potion and marrying them thinking he was going to help but it made matters worse he too did not help Juliet when she was dying he just left. Friar Lawrence is a good friend of the Montagues. He was an advisor and friend to Romeo, and when they asked him to marry them, at first he denied them,but soon after that he accepted their mariage because it was going to be a pure marriage, But the marriage made the situation worse because they were rival families and of course they won't accept the marriage between the two rival families.
In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence is the antagonist as seen in his “mistakes” of marrying children from two feuding, noble households, giving the desperate Juliet the sleeping potion, and leaving Juliet at her tomb to kill herself. He schemes and has the characters believe it is out of his love for Romeo and Juliet; as in their eyes, he is a fatherly figure. He is an older man who should be out to help the citizenry of Verona, but being egotistical, he uses Romeo and Juliet for his personal desires to end the feud between the families. Being egocentric has the Friar make rash decisions in situations that he had not planned for. When the Capulets and the Montagues come together after the death of their children, Friar Lawrence says, “Her nurse is privy; and if aught in this/ Miscarried by my fault, let my old life/ Be sacrificed some hour before his time/
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 Lawrence plays a very important role in the play between Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare has presented Friar Lawrence with much to blame for the horrific ending of their lives. Not only was Friar Lawrence the brains behind the plan of getting them together after his banishment, he was also the man who agreed to the marriage in the first place. ‘for doting, not loving, pupil mine’ Romeo holds a lot of respect for Friar Lawrence and he is a father figure towards him in the play. Friar Lawrence’s opinions therefore are considered by Romeo, so therefore he should have been more careful in his decisions of marriage.
Romeo and Juliet’s impulsive behavior is strongly influenced by their infatuation and the irresponsible encouragements of their adult figures, ultimately resulting in their tragic downfall. Despite only meeting twice, Romeo and Juliet are extremely attracted to each other, and the emotional factor motivates them to get married. They did not consider the consequences of their actions or ask their parents for their approval of the wedding, instead, they choose to get married in secret due to the grudge. The grudge creates a physical barrier between Romeo and Juliet’s communication and interactions, due to their family’s blind hatred towards each other. Despite the possibility of getting killed, Romeo is willing to cross the Capulet’s gates in hopes of catching a glimpse of
Finally, the friar gives the letter about "the fake death plan" to Friar John when he should have delivered it himself. Despite any other "at fault" characters in Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence is the most responsible for the tragic events that occur in the play because of his miscommunication, dishonesty and poor decision making. Beginning with Friar Lawrence's first mistake, he marries Romeo and Juliet not knowing that it would create a controversy. When Friar Lawrence marries Romeo and Juliet, no one knows and there is no parental consent. By not telling anyone, Romeo and Juliet are put in danger because of this secret.
If the families didn't have this feud the story wouldn't have been tragic. In the play Juliet says“It’s only your name that is my enemy.” (3) Because Juliet said this she showed how the feud between their two families forces them to be apart. Without this feud the plan that Friar Lawrence created wouldn't have came to fruition. The feud between the two families also led Friar Lawrence to be forced to try and keep Romeo and Juliet’s marriage a secret because he knew how the families hated
In the fair city of Verona, two rival families, the Montagues and Capulets were involved in a nasty family feud that goes back years before any of the members were born. Even the townspeople were involved in the dispute, because the families were always fighting in the streets and causing disturbances. They disrupted the streets of Verona and even Prince Escalus tried to break up the fighting. They were given a warning, by him that another public fight would result in death. While this was occurring, Romeo, (a Montague) the main character, was getting over his last love, Rosaline, and was very upset. Juliet of the Capulet household had just been introduced to a wealthy young man, Paris, whom her parents wished her to marry. Yet she did not love him. Romeo goes to a party in an effort to forget about Rosaline. At this party he met Juliet, and immediately fell in love with her. He later finds out that she is a Capulet, the rival family of the Montagues. He decides that he loves her anyway and they confess their love for each other during the very famous "balcony scene" in which they agreed to secretly marry the next day. Friar Lawrence agreed to marry them in an effort to end the feuding between the families. Unfortunately, the fighting gets worse and Mercutio (Montague) a good friend of Romeo ends up in a fight with Tybalt (Capulet), Juliet's cousin. Tybalt killed Mercutio, which caused Romeo to kill Tybalt in an angry rage. For this, Romeo is banished from Verona. At the same time, the Capulet's were planning Juliet's marriage to Paris. Juliet didn't want to marry this man so she arranges with Friar Lawrence to fake her own death with a sleeping potion that would make everyone think that she was dead. Friar Lawrence promised to send word to Romeo to meet her when the potion wears off and to rescue her to Mantua, where Romeo was currently staying. There they would live happily ever after. Unfortunately, Romeo didn't receive the message on time and upon hearing of her "death" went to Juliet's tomb where he drinks poison and dies. When Juliet's potion wears off, she wakes to find her lover's dead corpse. She then proceeds to stab herself with Romeo's dagger. The two families find the bodies and with their shared sorrow, finally make peace with each other.
In Romeo and Juliet, a tragedy by William Shakespeare, Friar Lawrence plays a dominate role in the eventual death of Romeo and Juliet even though he is not on stage for most of the play. There are basically three major parts that lead to the tragedy; the marriage, the plan, and the inevitable deaths in all which Friar Lawrence plays a vital role.Friar Lawrence plays an essential role in the marriage of young Romeo and Juliet. At Romeo’s request Friar Lawrence states, "In one respect I’ll thy assistant be; for this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your households to pure love" (Act 2 Scene 3.) Friar Lawrence believes that this holy marriage would bring the Capulet family and Montuague family closer together, for he anticipates that the families will stop hating each other and be peaceful. His attempts to make the marriage of Romeo and Juliet are admirable but poorly planned.
Friar Lawrence’s advice to Juliet, and Juliet’s reaction, enunciate the theme of love as a cause of violence because her love for Romeo, and the fact that the Friar can’t stop her from marrying Paris, will lead her to the violent act of killing herself. Friar Lawrence is a part of the action, character development, and themes of Romeo and Juliet. Without Friar Lawrence, the steps leading up to the tragedy at the end of the story would not have been possible, along with the strong characterization of Romeo. Lastly, through Friar Lawrence, the inevitability of fate and violence being caused by love were able to be emphasized more deeply. Although secondary characters are less important than the main characters, most of them have a strong impact on the story and its meaning.
Friar Lawrence is one of the most important characters in the play, Romeo & Juliet.
	A major dispute is going on between the Capulets and the Montagues. These two households, "both alike in dignity," (1.Prologue.1) have been feuding for so long that they even forget the reason they are feuding. Romeo and Juliet, "a pair of star-crossed lovers who take their life," (1.Prologue.6) are results of how tragedy can be caused when the rage of past generations carries over to a younger generation. Tybalt is also an example of the theme. At Capulet's party, he walks up to Lord Capulet and says "Tis he, that villain Romeo" (1.5.67). Tybalt learns this rage toward Romeo and all the other Montagues through past generations.
To summarize, secrets can cause very horrible events to happen. In Romeo and Juliet this is shown through the banishment of Romeo and deaths of Mercutio, Paris, Tybalt, Romeo and Juliet as a result of Romeo and Juliet’s secret marriage. If only Romeo and Juliet would have been honest and publicized their marriage, the lives of multiple people could have been
Romeo and Juliet, deeply in love decided to get married without the acknowledgment of their parents. As depicted in Act 2, scene 3, line 65, “....must combine by holy marriage.” Romeo clearly states that their new love is pure and that they are both ready to share one life. Friar Lawrence agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet as he believes that this will end the two families’ feud. Stated in Act 2, scene 3, line 99, “To turn your households’ rancor to pure love.” The Montagues and Capulets have a long history of indignation and rage, and with the marriage of Romeo and Juliet, there is hope that this will come to an end. Romeo and Juliet hid the marriage and instead came up with a plan that’s purpose was to bury the two families’ rage. Alas, the plan went haywire because of poor judgement, thus resulting in the death of Romeo and Juliet. As shown in Act 5, scene 3, line 301, “Where be these enemies- Capulet, Montague.” The prince, after listening to the evidence, finds Capulet and Montague responsible for the deaths of Romeo and