How Much is The Friar to Blame for Romeo's and Juliet's tragic deaths?

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English Shakespeare Essay

Arta Ajeti 10B.2

To what extent did Shakespeare make us believe that the Friar was to blame for the tragic events that happened in Romeo and Juliet?

In Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, Friar Laurence plays a major role; in the impossible marriage of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet's "death" plan as well as in Romeo's death. Without the Friar many crucial and tragic events would not have happened in Romeo and Juliet, but how much does Shakespeare convince us that the Friar is to blame for the tragic ending, and that he is the sole influence that drives Romeo and Juliet to end their lives so terribly?

 The Friar is established as an honoured man, who sells herbs and medicines to the people of Verona and is an ancient pharmacist, who produces potions for both causes of good and evil. He makes his first appearance in the play at the beginning of Act Two, Scene 3, during which Shakespeare gives us a background to his thoughts and personality through his short lecture on herbal drugs that can kill and cure. "O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies/ In plants, herbs, stones, and their true qualities. / For naught so vile that on earth doth live / But to the earth some special good doth give; / Nor aught so good but, strained from that fair use, / Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse." and "Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast." give the impression that he is a wise and intelligent man, and from his speech you get the impression that he is good-hearted and has good intentions. The Friar's close relationship with Romeo is also revealed in this scene, as Romeo confesses his love for Juliet to Friar Laurence, who is clearly accustomed to hearing Romeo’s confessions of love and who has evidently given him advice in the past.

His knowledge of Romeo's life builds the reputation that he is a man of trust, not one that would deceive a true friend, although other parts of the speech indicate a slight foreshadowing of the incidents that will occur - "Within the infant rind of this small flower / Poison hath residence, and medicine power; / ...Full soon the canker death eats up that plant". In this way, it would seem that Shakespeare is leading us to believe that the Friar is to some extent in control of the story and the plotline, and will play a vital part in the scenes ahead – whether it is for the good of his own intentions or for Romeo and Juliet’s benefits. Perceptibly this morality literally applies to the drug that he will provide for Juliet, as well as the poison that Romeo takes to kill himself. However, it also surely reflects upon the romance around which the play centres, though the Friar’s meaning is questionable. Does he mean that love is true when it is freely given, but unworthy when it is used as the tool for politics and agreements (between the Capulets and the Montagues) as modern audiences might assume, or does he mean that lawful married love is honourable and that it becomes sinful when it is carried out for “unhonest desires” amidst the “shame of stol’n contracts”?

After all, Friar Laurence does not immediately approve of Romeo’s plan to marry Juliet, and asks him “Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear,/ So soon forsaken?” In this scene the use of the Friar’s formal language of rhyme and proverbs as opposed to Romeo’s romantic poetry stresses the need for caution towards Romeo and represents the Friar as a fatherly sort of figure. As well as this, the Friar’s sophisticated tone of language shows his wisdom and understanding, which does change later in the play as he begins to get more desperate and uncertain of his actions. This change of character and decrease in confidence leads the audience to believe that perhaps the Friar’s plan is not so well-thought out after all and gives them reason to doubt that the Friar is an all-knowing wise man who knows what to do in problematic situations.

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Romeo’s arguments in favour of his current love for Juliet are hardly very creditable: “Her I love now/ Does grace for grace, and love for love allow/ The other did not.” In this scene (Act 2 Scene 3), Shakespeare shows Romeo as irrational and impatient, determined to marry Juliet after only one brief encounter the previous evening. The Friar even tries desperately to convince Romeo that he is being far too hasty, and that he should hold back and think about his true feelings - if he is acting on impulse or if it is true love – “So soon ...

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