Friar Lawrence Essay Example

In Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence acts as a confidant to Romeo although he has a duty to maintain, towards all the people of Verona. He makes a lot of decisions which are central in the development of the play. The morality behind many of his decisions is debatable, and his actions undoubtedly prompted by good intentions, ended in the death of Romeo and Juliet. We first meet Friar Lawrence early in the morning, collecting herbs and flowers. His soliloquy brings about his similarity between plants and humans. He draw the moral “virtue itself turns vice being misapplied, and vice sometime by action dignified” which means that even good things can turn disastrous and sometimes evil can bring good outcome. He refers to a flower which has two-fold capacity; the power to heal and cute, and poison and kill, just like humans. He also prepares us for the remedy the Friar will suggest to Juliet when she’s forced to marry Paris. This soliloquy shows Friar Lawrence’s effective use of words. This tells us that he’s a serious minded, thoughtful person who according to Capulet is “all our whole city is much bound to him”. When Romeo informs him of his new love; Juliet, and request him to marry them, Friar Lawrence is shocked, “Is Rosaline that thou didst love so dear so soon forsake?” He questions his sincerity, but marries them since he hopes this alliance will be able to turn their “households’ rancour to pure love”. However he warns them against haste, “These violent delights have violent ends”. It is hard to distinguish in this scene whether the Friar is marrying them because he’s a priest, or making a political decision to bring about reconciliation between the two warring families; the Capulets and Montagues. The marriage thus performed by him, is a crucial action in the play. It is Friar Lawrence who brings Romeo the news of his banishment for killing Tybalt. Romeo reacts violently and gets ready to kill himself. When he comes to know the depressed state