Romeo and Juliet isone of Shakespeare’s plays about tragedy. It is about two lovers who commitsuicide when their feuding famillies prevent them from being together. Theplay 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 plotrevolving around them. Friar Lawrence does not have very much time on stagebut the time he does have is crucial to the plot line. Through his words FriarLawrence demonstrates the he is a good intentioned, yet sometimes short-sighted,man who is not afraid to take risks to help othersOne of Friar Lawrencesmost favourable traits is how good intentioned he is. He may do somethingout of the ordinary if he thinks the outcome will help someone he cares for.
For example, when he says “In one respect I’ll thy assistant be; for thisalliance may so happy prove, to turn your households rancour to pure love.”(Act2, Scene 3), he is saying that the only reason he will marry Romeo and Julietis because he hopes that the marriage will end the hostilities between thetwo houses. When he says “Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift, and hithershall he come; and he and I shall watch thy waking, and that very night shallRomeo bear thee to Mantua.” (Act 4, Scene 1), he tells Juliet how everythingwill be all right. Unfortunately, for all his good intentions the play stillends in tragedy.
Friar Lawrence is a man who is not afraid to take riskswhen he feels it is neccesary to help someone. For example in Act 2, Scene6, when he marries Romeo and Juliet, he is risking his reputation as a Friarso he can help the two lovers. Also, when he says “Take thou this vial, beingthen 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 feighn her owndeath and avoid marrying Paris. This is an extremely risky thing to do becauseanything might happen to Juliet while she unconscious.
Even after all Friardid to help Romeo and Juliet the play still ended in tragedy because of FriarLawrences’ short sightedness.
When the Friar married Romeo Juliet in secrecy,he did not think of all the complications that would arise but instead wenton with the marriage because at that time he thought it was the right thingto do. In Act 4, Scene 1, he gave Juliet a sleeping potion without thinkingof the possible outcomes of such an outrages plan. He admits that much ofthe fault of the tragedy lies in his hands when he says “And her I stand bothto 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 Lawrence does not have an especially large role,his role is none the less important. It is because of his good intentionsthat he was willing to help his friends that Romeo and Juliet were married- a key event in the play. It is because of his willingness to take risksfor his friends that Juliet aqquired the sleeping potion – another key eventin the play. Finally, it was the shortsightedness of his actions that in partled to the deaths of the two lead characters. This demonstartes that FriarLawrence was a man who was a man with good intentions who was willing to takerisks to help his frieneds. If he had been any other way, the play might nothave turned out the way it did.Words/ Pages : 603 / 24
