“Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied,
and vice sometimes by action, dignified”,
this means that something that is done for a good reason can have a bad outcome. This sows the seed for something to go wrong from good intentions later on in the play.
Romeos first scene with Friar Lawrence is when he goes to seek advice. He tells the Friar that he is no longer in love with Rosaline and has fallen in love with Juliet and thinks he wants to marry her. The Friars reaction is one of shock; he refuses to agree to marry them because their families are at war with each other. He also tells Romeo that they are too young, still children, and they have only just met.
But Friar Lawrence does change his mind quite quickly and agrees to marry them. We see why when he says:
“For this alliance may so happy prove
To turn your household’s rancour to pure love”
This indicates that he agrees to marry them because he believes that it will bring the two enemy houses together in peace. It shows that he may see himself as a peacemaker. He reaches his decision very quickly once he realizes this situation. However he tells Romeo to take things slowly when he says:
“Wisely and slowly: they stumble that run fast”
He goes against his own advice as firstly he changes his decision very quickly and secondly he marries the two lovers in less than 24 hours.
In Act 2 Scene 6 Friar Lawrence secretly marries Romeo and Juliet, away from their families, who would not have allowed the marriage to take place. Romeo and Juliet had met less than 24 hours earlier, which suggests that they did not know each other very well and may have acted too quickly. The Friar indicates the same reaction at first and believes Romeo wants to marry Juliet for her looks, this is shown when he says,
“Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes”
He also suggests that Romeo is being selfish and childish:
“For doting, not for loving, pupil mine”
However, as we know the Friar soon changes his mind as he believes he may bring the opposing sides together.
“These violent delights have violent ends, and in their triumph die, like fire and powder which as they kiss consume”
It does seem that he may still have misgivings about the marriage, and believes that their passion is burning too strongly and will end in disaster. He doesn’t realize that what he is saying will actually come true later.
