Friar Lawrence

Friar Lawrence is a character in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet that served as a mentor for Romeo and Juliet, the two star-crossed lovebirds. He served as a mentor and a friend throughout the entire play, and because of it, his life was forever changed. In the beginning of the story, we meet the friar and can see that he is a happy go lucky guy, frollicking through the fields and giving advice to Romeo. However, the friar has to deal with quite a bit more than a two lovestruck teens, and it changes him for the worse. By the end of Act V, all of the drama that had taken place had taken it’s toll on Friar Lawrence and he was very upset and seemed to have been broken by the events of the week. The first time that we hear him speak, he is throwing out metaphors and personification about plants, seeming very creative and caring a lot about what he was doing. The climax of the story is where we find the Friar at his most passionate. He is angered by the actions of the teens and it shows in the way that he speaks. At the end however, his use of language wilts to what can be described as careless and lacking emotion. Friar Lawrence begins in the tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet as a happy man. He enjoys living his life day to day, searching through the fields of Verona for plants and herbs that he can use as healing serums or as poisons in some cases. As he runs through the open pastures, he admires the nature by saying, “O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies in plants, herbs, stones, and their true qualities,” (Act II.iii.15-16) and it is easy to tell that he is happy and intrigued by his everyday life. He personifies the plants, herbs, and stones, saying that they possess grace. Lawrence’s devotion to his work and the people he holds dear is evident all throughout the story. Every time that he speaks to Romeo, it is to help him get through his struggles and to lead him down the correct path. It is just a part of Friar Lawrence's personality. He always