Different aspects of Friar Lawrence’s character are exposed through the relationship he has with that particular person. To all of Verona he is a priest and spiritual adviser; to Romeo he is a teacher as well as a father figure;
"Thou chid'st me oft for loving Rosaline."
"For doting, not for loving, pupil mine."
(2.3.81-82),
Trust slowly develops between Juliet and Friar Lawrence; this is evident when she visits him to discuss the banishment of Romeo. It is interesting to note that although many people seek guidance from Friar Lawrence, he nevertheless has a stronger affinity with the younger generation. For example he seems to have a greater kinship with Romeo and Juliet, than Paris or Old Montague.
Unfortunately, for all of Friar Lawrence’s seemingly good intentions, the play still ends in tragedy. Ostensibly, Friar Lawrence is a man who is not afraid to jeopardize his reputation as a religious leader, in order to unite the families; as in Act 2, Scene 6, when he marries Romeo and Juliet in secret. This is reinforced by the quote;
“For this alliance may so happy prove,
To turn your household rancour to pure love.”
However he makes a fatal mistake when he asks Juliet to drink the potion in order to deceive her family;
“this vial, being then in bed… and this distilled liquor drink thou off" (IV.i.95-96),
In the above statement he advises Juliet to drink a potion so that she might fake her own death and avoid marrying Paris, yet he is subverting the stereotypical image of a friar by deceiving the families.
Friar Lawrence does not appear to be a prudent individual, e.g., when he marries Romeo and Juliet in secrecy, he does not consider the consequences of his actions which will be inflicted on the two young lovers. Unfortunately he did not predict the quarantining of Friar John who was unable to deliver the critical message of Juliet’s feigned death.
As well as a religious adviser and confidante, Friar Lawrence was also a chemist and drew parallels between this profession and his philosophies on life. Friar Lawrence states the destructive and healing powers of plants in his monologue at the beginning of Act 2 Scene 3.
"Within the infant rind of this weak flower
Poison hath residence, and medicine power: …
… And where the worser is predominant,
Full soon the canker death eats up the plant."
(2.3.23 - 30)
This could be symbolic of the destructive and healing powers of love; love killed Romeo and Juliet and yet it brought reconciliation to the families.
If Friar Lawrence wasn’t in the play would Romeo and Juliet have suffered the same fate? It is clear that Friar Lawrence was instrumental in the fate of the young couple because he makes strategic decisions such as marrying them in secret, knowing their families would disapprove and secondly he gave Juliet the fake poison which deceived Romeo. Nevertheless, Romeo and Juliet were struck by love, which clouded their decisions and in the end, they may well have suffered the same fate due to pressure from their feuding families.
Friar Lawrence’s instinctive reaction to the marriage of Romeo and Juliet was both perceptive and negative;
Romeo: "O let us hence! I stand on sudden haste."
Friar: "Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast."
However he purposely changed his opinion, once he realised there was an opportunity to obtain reconciliation between the two feuding families.
Friar Lawrence clearly has a dramatic impact on the outcome of the play because his advice misguides the young lovers, who have little experience of life and its pitfalls. He was on a moral crusade because he saw the breakdown in families as disruptive to the fabric of society and this drove him to put the unity of the families above the interests of Romeo and Juliet. This is vividly demonstrated when he deceives the families for their own good, by faking the death of Juliet and by marrying the young lovers in secret. Shakespeare ends the play with the reconciliation of the families and the disclosure to the public of the unfortunate events. He uses Friar Lawrence as a conduit to reflect his views on the morals of society.