Friar In Romeo And Juliet

Two very in love teenagers take their life, in order to save their forbidden love, but with the help of whom they thought was keeping their love alive. In the play, Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, two teenagers from feuding families in Verna, Italy fall in love at first sight. Romeo Montague, of the Montague Family and Juliet Capulet of the Capulet Family. What lesson is learned is to never give a promise you can’t keep, although, this is not taught to Romeo or Juliet, but the Friar who helps them. In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, Friar Laurence is responsible for the tragedy due to his careless, inconsiderate, and sneaky traits he has demonstrating the author’s message that Friar Laurence should have never been
trusted. Friar Laurence is careless, his actions of carelessness really showed when the letter was never given to Romeo, to inform him that Juliet was not actually dead, she just appeared it. Romeo not getting the letters was a huge concern for Juliet. He was lazy and had Friar John go deliver the letters to Romeo back in Mantua. The letters were mean to tell Romeo to go back to Verna and save Juliet. Disease as being spread the wealthy from Verna were not allowed to leave into any other parts, including Mantua. After Friar John’s attempt to send the letters to Romeo he returned back to Friar Laurence's cell and gave him the news that he could not give it to Romeo.
“Who bare my letter, then, to Romeo?”
“I could not send it-here it is again-/ Nor get a messenger to bring it thee, /So fearful were they of infection,” (5.2 13-16).
This quote proves that he his someone else do his dirty work for him. He was very angry at Friar John for not getting the letter to Romeo. Friar Laurence was so careless that he made someone else go do his dirty work. But when Friar John came into the cell he was inquiring him about what Romeo had said. Due to the fact that Romeo did not receive the letter, Friar Laurence is put to blame, he was so very careless. Friar Laurence has very inconsiderate actions, the majority of Friar’s actions are never thought through, with these inconsiderate actions he killed Romeo and Juliet. The teenage couple were destroyed when they found out that Romeo was being exiled. Friar Laurence gave them hope, he told them about this plan that sounded as if it were out of a movie. He gave Juliet a potion that would make her appear dead, it was a very risky take. The potion could have killed Juliet, be she drank to Romeo anyway because she had faith that Friar would never give her poison. He had married the two incognito and they both trusted Friar. All these thoughts that Juliet is having led to her having a soliloquy. Friar was very aware of how much Juliet loved Romeo so he knew she would drink to him. The reason that all this happening to Romeo and Juliet is their two families are feuding and they are forbidden to see each other.
“What if it be a poison which the friar/ Subtly hath ministr'd to have me dead,/Lest in this marriage he should be dishonour'd/ Because he married me before to Romeo?
I fear it is; and yet methinks it should not” (4.3 25-29). This quote shows how much Juliet relied on Friar Laurence. Friar was aware of what could possibly happen to Juliet if the potion didn’t work, he was so inconsiderate that he still gave her the potion instead of trying to come up with a new plan. Juliet was wondering if risking her life is a good decision. Finally, she decided to drink and she fell onto her bed “dead”. This relates back to my point that giving a promise that cannot be kept. Friar never thought his plans through which was a very childish inconsiderate move, Juliet and Romeo gave him their complete trust.
Friar Laurence is a peacemaker for the church, he fails to do this outside the Church, in fact he had some very sneaky traits.
Romeo needed someone to marry him and Juliet undercover, so he asked Friar Laurence. Friar knowns the very complicated relationship of the two teens. If Friar was a true peacemaker he would have told the Capulet and Montague family of their forbidden love, but instead he tries to bring the families together by marrying Romeo and Juliet. When Romeo approached Friar he asked him if he would marry him to his love. Friar thought he was talking about Rosaline, when he found out it was another love he was not pleased. Romeo convinces him to marry him and Juliet. He gives in and marries the two under cover. “I pray thee chide not. She whom I love now/ Doth grace for grace and love for love allow. The other did not so.”/ “O, she knew well/ Thy love did read by rote, and could not spell./ But come, young waverer, come go with me./ In one respect I'll thy assistant be;/ For this alliance may so happy prove/ To turn your households' rancour37 to pure love”. This quote does an amazing job showing how sneaky Friar is, he was well aware of the consequences of marrying Romeo and Juliet. Instead of keeping the feuding hate quiet, he definitely would have caused a major fight if anyone found out who married the two teenagers. Friar says, “For this alliance may so happy prove/To turn your households' rancour37 to pure love”, what he means by this is maybe marrying Romeo and Juliet would bring the two families together. This was a selfish, sneaky move, if Juliet and Romeo’s marriage brought the Capulets and Montagues together he would have stepped up taking all the credit. Sneaky traits that Friar demonstrates, would never be expected in the church especially since he is
friar.
In Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, a character Friar Laurence is responsible for the tragedy, his carelessness, inconsiderate actions, and sneaky traits demonstrates Shakespeare’s message that you should never promise something you can’t keep. Friar Laurence showed lack of care when it came to giving the letter to Romeo, Romeo was Juliet’s only hope not to be stuck in the grave forever. He gave Juliet poison that could have killed her but told her it was the only way her and Romeo could be together. Marrying Romeo and Juliet could have caused a huge controversy because what the Friar was doing could have got him exiled from the church and/ or Verna. What the main point is that you should never promise something that you can’t keep, people will rely on you to keep your promise. Not keeping a promise can really hurt the person you promise. It is important not to give someone false hope. Leading them up to what you promised then leaving or not helping the rest of the way, would be leaving them out in the cold. When you give false hope out to people you are a deceitful person.