How Does The Friar Affect Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, is a tragic, yet classic tale. Many characters, however brief they appear, move the story along. Without these characters there wouldn’t be a story, nor would it be as classic or tragic. Friar Lawrence impacts the story in a major way and moves the story along. Without him, the story would not have ended as it did.

The Friar first appears in Act 2 Scene 3 when Romeo wishes to marry Juliet. At first the Friar disapproves, saying that young men these days love with their eyes rather than their hearts, but then realizes that marrying the two could heal the feud between their families. This is the beginning of the many plots Friar Lawrence cooks up to attempt to stop the ongoing battle.

Later in the story, When Romeo kills Tybalt, Friar Lawrence hides him until his sentence, which is banishment, is announced. While he tries to comfort Romeo, he has the idea to have Romeo temporarily stay in Mantua while he tries to reconcile the Montagues and Capulets by news of Romeo and Juliet’s marriage. When reconciled, hopefully, the

Juliet will pretend to be happy about the marriage, but before she goes to bed, she will drink a potion that he gives her to make her appear dead. After these events, Juliet is placed in the Capulet tomb, believed to be dead. The Friar attempts to send a letter to Romeo to explain what happened, but it is held back due to the plague running rampant through Verona. Romeo is told by a servant that Juliet is dead and ends up killing himself next to Juliet in the tomb. Juliet wakes up finding him dead, and believing that she couldn’t live without him, kills herself. When the Capulets, Montagues, and the Prince arrive at the scene, Friar Lawrence explains what happened, proclaiming himself both guilty and innocent of their deaths. The Capulets and Montagues end their feud, promising to build statues of their lost children as a reminder of the pain their fighting