Role Of Friar Lawrence In Romeo And Juliet

Friar Lawrence; one of the most interesting roles in the play in my opinion. His role is relatively subtle yet highly influential. Whilst technically just being a pharmacist, Friar Lawrence took both directly and indirectly part in the suicide at the end of the play and other tragical happenings, like the marriage of Romeo and Juliet. The Friar is an honorable man, who sells herbs and drugs to the habitants of Verona. Without his actions, many crucial elements and events would not have happened in Romeo and Juliet.

There are two very specific instances of Friar Lawrence’s major role in the tragedies in Romeo and Juliet: the impossible wedding of Romeo and Juliet and Juliet’s ”death plan” leading to Romeo’s death as well as her own quietus.

The seemingly impossible wedding of Romeo and Juliet could never have happened at all without the Friar’s role. First of all, Friar Lawrence impulsively agreed to marry Romeo and Juliet, even though he knows it will cause later problems. Initially, the Friar says that „In one respect … to pure love” [1], showing that Friar Lawrence thinks their marriage could possibly work out well. Gradually, it becomes clear that the Friar has regrets about the wedding. He feels that ”Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.” [2]. He here senses that the wedding he realized happened too fast and shows a little doubt. If only he had thought a little better, he might have prevented future tragedies. The Friar has known the entire time that ”These violent