One of the times that Friar Lawrence offers hypocritical advice is when Romeo consults with him on how he wants to marry Juliet. When Romeo first goes to Friar Lawrence, excitedly telling him about his new love, Friar Lawrence is outraged. He tells Romeo that like most young men, he is not really in love, but that he simply lusts for a new woman, so quickly after Rosaline. He says that Romeo is being too hasty and is unwise in marrying Juliet, and that he will eventually move on to someone else. Yet despite his own advice, the Friar marries the couple. Just before marrying them he states, ‘Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow’ (II.vi.15). This suggests that doing something too fast can be just as bad as doing it too slowly. This clearly contradicts the very act that Friar Lawrence is doing at that moment, which is marrying Romeo and Juliet. While the advice that Friar Lawrence is offering may be helpful, he is still contradicting it, proving that Friar Lawrence is someone that goes back on his word.
Another time when Friar Lawrence offers well-meaning, but insincere advice is when Juliet consults him on finding a way to get out of marrying Paris. After her dear love, Romeo, has been banished, Juliet is told that she is to be married to the County Paris. Horrified by this, as she loves Romeo and is already married to him, Juliet goes to Friar Lawrence to hear his advice on how she should handle the situation. Friar Lawrence tells Juliet that he has a solution, but she should only go along with it if she is fully confident and ready. ‘Hold, daughter. I do spy a kind of hope’ (IV.i.70), states Friar Lawrence, ‘An if thou darest, I'll give thee remedy’ (IV.i.78). In the end, however, he gives the poison to Juliet, thus contradicting his own, cautionary words. While, Juliet appears to be eager, she ‘hast the strength of will’ (IV.i.74), Friar Lawrence should have known that Juliet would not have been capable. After all, she has just become thrown into a marriage with the child of her enemy, has had her love taken away, and has now been engaged to someone else. Such actions provide a lot of pressure for a young child of only 13. As an adult and seemingly wise, well-meaning man, the Friar should have known that Juliet would not have been capable of taking the poison. Even though Friar Lawrence knew that Juliet wasn’t ready to take the poison, he still advises her to take it. This contradiction is very important because it leads to the eventual death of Romeo and Juliet. This clearly shows that Friar Lawrence is hypocritical and offers advice that he does not follow.
Not only does Friar Lawrence offer hypocritical advice to others, but he even contradicts his own personal ideas and philosophies. Right before Romeo comes to the Friar with news of his newfound love for Juliet, Friar Lawrence is first seen musing to himself while picking flowers, herbs, and vegetables. He talks to himself about many things, but the main theme is that a good action done in a bad way can form a bad action. ‘Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, And vice sometime by action dignified’ he claims (II.iii.21-22). While he seems to be focusing his entire speech to himself on this idea, Friar Lawrence so easily contradicts it only a few scenes later, when he marries Romeo and Juliet. By marrying the young couple, Friar Lawrence is not even following his own ideas, because even though marrying Romeo and Juliet is a good act, doing it so hastily makes it a bad one. The advice that Friar Lawrence is giving could be helpful to Romeo and Juliet, but he contradicts himself a few scenes later when he marries the pair so quickly. Whether or not he is doing this consciously, Friar Lawrence is still not putting his own advice into action.
Throughout Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence offers advice that he himself does not follow. While his advice is often well meaning, he does not follow it, and because of this, terrible events occur. The death of Romeo and Juliet, and, indirectly, Tybalt and Mercutio, are due to Friar Lawrence’s inability to back up his own advice with action. If Friar Lawrence had taken his own advice that marrying Romeo and Juliet would be too hasty, they would not have ended up dead. In the end, he married the couple too soon, eventually resulting in a disaster. So, if Friar Lawrence had simply supported his words with action, Romeo and Juliet may not have ended up a tragedy.
