Friar Laurence Character Analysis

754 Words4 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s renowned play, Romeo and Juliet, two lovers of two feuding households fall in love and take their own lives to stay with one another. Throughout this, Friar Laurence is a key character, bestowed as a trusted holy man who was respected and looked up to by the other characters. Getting caught up in Romeo and Juliet’s love conflict, Friar Laurence does his best to be their friend and advisor in helping them through this troubling time. He has a difficult role in the play as a cleric, practically trying to be friend to Romeo and Juliet while still trying to maintain his position as the Friar in the town. He can be described through three main components: his personality, motivations, and actions. Friar Laurence is depicted as an optimistic, irresponsible, and honest character throughout the play. As a cleric of Verona, he has many responsibilities. One to him, is to keep the town at peace and avoid conflict so he strives to resolve the ongoing feud between the Montagues and Capulets. After falling in love, Romeo and Juliet consult the Friar and inform him of their secret love, asking him to marry them. With Romeo being a Montague and Juliet being a Capulet, his optimistic nature leads him to, against better judgement, marry the two in hopes that the marriage and love would end the everlasting feud between the two families. Later in the play, after killing Tybalt, Romeo is banished from the town. Juliet is then forced by Lord Capulet to marry Prince to

Open Document