Who Is The Friar Responsible For The Deaths Of Romeo And Juliet

No matter how holy a man may be, sin will efface into his choices. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, two teenagers find themselves in a whirl of conflict by falling in love. However, their families have had a seemingly perpetual feud for years. This forces Romeo and Juliet to believe that their love is forbidden, and that they will never have a happy ending. Disregarding the feud, Friar Lawrence mindlessly assists the teenagers in their journey of love by illegally bringing them even closer than before. The Friar indirectly causes the death of the two lovers by his reckless actions, careless behavior and his preposterous plans. Friar Laurence’s incautious actions and negligent behavior build the foundation of Romeo and Juliet’s deadly tragedy. Due to him

He contradicts himself by marrying Romeo and Juliet, and the death of the teenagers follow close behind this action. Friar Lawrence could have taken a different approach to this self-inflicted conflict by informing the families about the marriage, and could have possibly dodged the responsibility of having the death of Romeo and Juliet on his conscience. However, his fear of punishment and hatred from the Capulets and the Montagues prevented him from doing so. While knowing the consequences of his actions, he continues to move forward with decisions that are risky, and perilous. Again, with his careless mistakes, and reckless actions, the Friar is the catalyst for the catastrophe. Although some people may view Friar Lawrence as simply as a sympathetic man who is helping these helpless teenagers, The Friar’s absurd ideas assist heavily in the death of the two lovers. Responding to Juliet’s distress about Romeo’s exilation, he gives her these instructions, “Take this vial, being then in bed, Drink this distilling liquor And through all thy vein shall run a cold and drowsy drug” (4.1,