Friar Laurence, who is a well respected, kind hearted cleric who helps Romeo and Juliet throughout the play. He performs their marriage and gives generally good advice, especially in regard to the need for moderation. He is the sole figure of religion in the play; however is also the most scheming man in the play, even if his schemes are well intended. Friar Laurence’s main role in the play is the provider of poison, to which he gave to Juliet. He promised it would, “run a cold and drowsy humour, for no pulse shall keep his native progress, but surcease. No warmth, no breath, shall testify thou liv’st”. Basically, Friar Laurence supplies Juliet with a special potion, which will fake her death for 42 hours, when she shall stop breathing, her pulse will stop, and the colour in her cheeks will fade. Juliet believes the cleric, and his special potion works, precisely how it is supposed to.
Romeo does quite the opposite. When he discovers that Juliet has died, (she has really taken the special potion, faking her death), Romeo storms back into Verona, even though he has been banished, and purchases a lethal and toxic poison from an Apothecary, in a run-down part of Verona. The Apothecary does not want to give Romeo the deadly poison; however he has no chance, since he will die of starvation if he does not get the money Romeo is offering. Romeo goes to Juliet’s ‘death’ bed, and drinks the poison, killing him.
Within this part of the play there are several differences between Romeo and Juliet’s plans of action. Juliet goes to see a well respected, man of the cloth, who is also a friend. Friar Laurence comes up with the idea, of supplying her with a poison, which he promises will not really kill her, but make it look as If she has died. The only obligation the Friar has is that of good intention.
Romeo, on the other hand, goes to a city from which has been banished, and visits an Apothecary, who is a total stranger to him. Romeo comes up with the plan of buying the lethal poison himself, and even though the Apothecary is very much against wanting to sell the poison, he does so, so he can buy food to live on.
