Romeo and Juliet - Friar Laurence

Romeo and Juliet - Friar Laurence

To what extent is Friar Laurence responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet?

The Friar is answerable for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, but only to some degree.

Often, because of his involvement in the lives of the lovers, Friar Laurence can be seen as more responsible for their deaths than he actually is, although in the last scene the Friar is partially responsible for the death of Juliet. However his responsibility is mild compared to the accountability of other influences in the lovers’ lives, including friends, parents and the idea of fate or fortune. Even Romeo and Juliet themselves can be blamed to some extent for the tragedy.

Although it often appears that the Friar is responsible for events leading to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, in reality it is usually other influences that are accountable. For instance, the Friar’s plan (giving Juliet the sleeping potion to evade the wedding to Paris, then spiriting her to Mantua until Romeo could return to Verona) was not flawed in itself. Unfortunately however, Balthazar, seeing Juliet’s funeral, hastened to tell Romeo that he “saw her laid low in her kindred’s vault,” (5, 1, 20). It was this information that made him, and later Juliet, commit suicide. Again, while marrying Romeo and Juliet may seem like an irresponsible action, it did not contribute to the lovers’ deaths. Their first meeting, based on chance, and their separation, as a result of Romeo’s banishment, played a...