Examine closely, referring to the text whenever necessary, the character of Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet. To what extent is he responsible for the tragic developments in the play? Do you think his motives for his actions are entirely honourable?

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Examine closely, referring to the text whenever necessary, the character of Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet. To what extent is he responsible for the tragic developments in the play? Do you think his motives for his actions are entirely honourable?

Friar Lawrence was created by Shakespeare to push the play towards the tragic conclusion. He takes action to the unfortunate circumstances within the play as they take place. Certainly, he is frequently made to resolve the problems that regularly face him. He develops solutions to problems in witch Romeo and Juliet are involved in. I believe that Friar Lawrence is not responsible for the tragic events which take place in the play and cannot be held responsible for the impulsive or violent behaviour of others.

Friar Lawrence is nearing the end of his life; he is a man of strict morals, he shows this throughout the play. He seems surprised by Romeo’s sudden change of liking from Rosaline to Juliet, he shows his disapproval in a calm manner. The Friar dose not raze his voice or lecture Romeo for long but is quite open-minded to the feelings of Romeo for Juliet. He shows morals in Act 2 Scene 6:

‘Therefore love moderately, long love doth so; / Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow’.

Basically saying to Romeo that he should be more patient, he suggests that natural passion can end in tears and it is necessary for him to wait for the relationship to work out.

He can be viewed as a farther figure to both Romeo and Juliet. Juliet receives little assistance at all from her mother or farther, this can be shown when Juliet refuses to marry the Count Paris, they take little notice to what Juliet has to say;

(Act 3 Scene 5) ‘I would the fool were married to her grave’.

I believe Romeo often also seeks fatherly guidance from Friar Lawrence which he does not receive from his own father and family. This Proves that Neither Romeo or Juliet have a close relationship to there parents, Friar Lawrence provides the comfort for both Romeo and Juliet.

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Friar Lawrence is a man of the Roman Catholic Church; He performs services for the people of Verona and carries out ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, baptisms , confessions as well as celebrating the mass. The Friar may have felt he needed to help the couple as they would have committed carnal sin in the eyes of the catholic faith, a possible reason why he chooses to help Romeo and Juliet could be because of his job to listen to confessions and help people with sin. He is a friar and must live his life alone and with hardly ...

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