When Friar Lawrence marries Romeo, son of Montague, and Juliet, daughter of Capulet, his only intention is to restore peace between the two households. The Capulets and the Montagues continue on with the age-old hatred and envy between one another. Friar Lawrence first learns of the love between Romeo and Juliet when Romeo came to him:
Then plainly know, my heart’s dear love is set
On the fair daughter of rich Capulet;
As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine,
And all combin’d, save what thou must combine
By holy marriage (II.iii.57-61)
As Romeo tells the Friar whom he loves, he also asks him to marry them. Initially, Friar Lawrence thinks it is particularly early for them to marry for they had only met the night before.
However, Friar Lawrence decides that Romeo and Juliet’s marriage could create a bond between
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the two households so he chooses to proceed with the ceremony. Not long after the marriage, unexpected problems, which the Friar had no control over, such as the plague, and the fights between Romeo, Mercutio and Tybalt, begin to surface and develop into larger problems. It just so happens that these problems affect Romeo and Juliet. When Friar Lawrence confessed the entire story at the end of the play, he took the responsibility and offered to “let my [his] old/life be sacrific’d” (V.iii.267-268). Until the end, Friar Lawrence continued to make an effort to help Romeo and Juliet to the best of his ability. This shows his accountability and honesty.
In an event of crisis, Friar Lawrence is quick to react to try to prevent problems from developing. For instance, it is best for Friar Lawrence to stay in Verona, for if people find out he is gone, they may become suspicious. Therefore, he entrusts Friar John to deliver a letter, detailing his plan, to Romeo in Mantua. However, when Friar John reveals that he is not able to deliver the letter to Romeo, Friar Lawrence immediately thinks of a counter plan:
Now must I to the monument alone,
Within this three hours will fair Juliet wake.
She will beshrew me much that Romeo
Hath had no notice of these accidents;
But I will write again to Mantua,
And keep her at my cell till Romeo come (V.iii.24-29)
His new plan is to write another letter to Romeo, wait for Juliet to awake without Romeo, and then take her to his cell until Romeo arrives. Friar Lawrence comes up with this solution as soon as he was faced with the problem. This shows how quickly he reacts to an instant problem.
Some might accuse Friar Lawrence of not carefully planning out his actions. However, with all of the problems arising at once, panic and anxiety overcomes Friar Lawrence, as would occur to any other person in the same position. For instance, immediately after Juliet asks the Friar for help, Friar Lawrence quickly formulates a plan to give Juliet a “death potion,” for time is running out, “Hold, daughter [Juliet], I [Friar Lawrence] do spy a kind of hope” (IV.i.68). When confronted with a problem, Friar Lawrence, just like any other person, would try to think of a
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solution as quickly as possible. Aware of the consequences that may possibly come, Friar Lawrence takes the risks and chances he has of saving Romeo and Juliet’s marriage. Anyone involved in a situation like this would not be able to consider thoroughly an idea because time is very limited. The only thing that can be done is to take any chances available, which is what Friar Lawrence does.
In conclusion, Friar Lawrence is not to blame. He is not perfect; like everyone else he is only human. Friar Lawrence proves to be responsible and honest. His intentions are honourable; he did not intend for anything to go wrong. He reacts quickly to problems he encounters and the plans that did not work out were not his wrongdoings. Instead, they were spoiled by the problems that surfaced and developed for the worse. These problems include the plague that caused Friar John to fail in delivering the letter to Romeo, and the fight between Romeo, Mercutio and Tybalt, which resulted in Romeo’s banishment. They were utterly out of Friar Lawrence’s control, therefore, the blame should not fall upon Friar Lawrence.
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Works Cited
Shakespeare, William, Romeo and Juliet, Ed. Roma Gill. Great Clarendon Street, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001