William Shakespeare, a terrific and an outstanding author who has written over hundreds of magnificent sonnets, plays and poems. From the selection of plays written by a Shakespeare a unique, dramatic and spectacular play is, “Romeo and Juliet”.
“Romeo and Juliet” a well written novel which is built on the foundation of love, hatred and revenge. Shakespeare has used many techniques to grab the audience’s attention like suspense, dramatic irony and stage craft. Stage craft is the skill that goes into writing a play so that it’s fantastic when performed by actors on stage.
Involved in this astonishing play is “Friar Lawrence”; at this moment you would be wondering what is a Friar? Well a Friar is a Franciscan Monk, a man who is a member of certain Roman Catholic religious orders, who vowed to live a life of poverty. After explaining what is a Friar, a question is left unanswered, “What was the role and importance of Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet?”
First of all, the time when we first meet Friar Lawrence we can identify his personality, when it says, “We sucking on her natural bosom find, Many for many virtues excellent, None but for some and yet all different. O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies In herbs, plants, stones and their true qualities.” From his speech we learn that the Friar wonders how brilliant nature is as different plants have different unique properties. Some plants can either kill you or heal you. We get to know how highly interested he is in nature which lead him to become an herbalist.
However, a Friar who was an herbalist was needed to fit into the play, as it was Friar Lawrence who gave Juliet a “vial” of a potion that would make Juliet to look like as if she’s dead. If the Friar was not an herbalist then neither would he give Juliet the potion, therefore it is important that the Friar was an herbalist. I think that the Friar shouldn’t have carried out such a dangerous plan because there a slim chance that it was going to be successful.
Also the Friar’s duty was a confessor as he was trustworthy and Man of God. An example of this would be when Romeo use to tell him his secrets, like it says, “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”. In the play Romeo took Friar Lawrence as his father as he was faithful. Romeo ‘s responsibility was Friar Lawrence, he always thought good for Romeo so you cannot really blame him for carrying out such a dangerous plan as it was the only hope in reuniting the Romeo and Juliet. Also in Shakespeare’s times parents were not really attached that much to their children, it was a tradition to keep a wet nurse took look after the child but the children were predestined by their parents judgement for their future, therefore that is the reason why Romeo took the Friar as his father and Juliet took the nurse as her mother.
Furthermore, the Friar was very religious as he was the man of God. If the Friar was not religious he would have not agreed to the gruelling decision of Romeo and Juliet’s marriage because Friar was a religious man he had a good intention, like it says, “For this alliance may so happy prove, To turn your households’ rancour to pure love”. Friar Lawrence thought that the marriage might turn the Capulets’ and Montagues’ hate into love, as in those days hatred over a small thing would turn into a huge rage of abhorrence which would last for years and years. If the Friar was not a religious man he would neither have a good intention in the marriage nor would he have able to marry the two lovers. But I think that the Friar married the couple immorally as he married them behind their parent’s back, he broke their trust because the Friar’s duty was to prevent from doing bad.
In addition, because the Friar was a confessor and the man of God he confessed in the end, like it says, “I will be brief, for my short date of breath Is not so long as is a tedious tale.” And “Be sacrificed, some honour before time, Unto the rigour of severest law”. At the end of the play the Friar confessed to the Prince at the end of the play to clear up all the confusions though he knew he would be punished he neither ran away or lied to save himself. Because the Friar was truthful he told the truth, therefore it was important that a Friar was involved in the play.
Moreover, the Friar had unique characteristics of being calm, like it says, “In what vile part of this anatomy Doth my name lodge? Tell me, that I may sack The hateful mansion.” And “If the wisdom thou canst give no help, Do thou but call my resolution wise, And with this knife I’ll help it presently”. In the play both Romeo and Juliet tried to commit suicide but the Friar always use to stop them from doing such a treacherous crime. Friar Lawrence always try’s to calm down situations like when Juliet died he tried to calm down everyone so that the funeral could take place. I feel that it was important that the Friar was a calm person because he would not have been able to prevent Romeo and Juliet from committing suicide.
Besides that, in those days religion was important in society thus the Friar had a lot of influence, as it says “For then thou canst not pass to Mantua, Where thou shalt live, till we can find a time To blaze you marriage, reconcile your friends.” And “In the mean time, against thou shalt awake, Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift, And hither shall he come, and he and I Will watch thy waking, and that every night Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua. And this shall free thee from this present shame”. Friar Lawrence had great extant of power in the society as he had many connections he was able to sent Romeo to Mantua and sent a messenger to him. Because the Friar had power of trust over the people no one could have ever suspected him in the involvement of Romeo and Juliet’s marriage therefore only the Friar could have carried out the duty of the marriage.
However, it wasn’t his duty to take fate in his hands. He carried out such a dangerous plan to reunite the couple which was not successful. I think the Friar should be blamed for carrying out such a hazardous plan, as it says, “These violent delights have violent ends”. Even though the Friar hoped that the marriage would end the feud permanently through out the play he says a lot of things that makes it sound like as he knows things will end up going wrong.
Just because the Friar was the Man of God he thought to take Fate into his own hands, though in the end fate slipped from his hands, as it says, “Suspecting that we both were in a house Where infectious pestilence did reign, Sealed up the doors, and would not let us forth, So that my speed to Mantua there was stayed”. Friar John was not able to give the message to Romeo because of an infectious disease which out broken. It was an “Unhappy fortune” Friar. Due to the Friar’s carelessness the two lover birds were not able to spend their precious life together.
To sum up, Friar Lawrence was a Franciscan Monk (Well a Friar is a Franciscan Monk, a man who is a member of certain Roman Catholic religious orders, who vowed to live a life of poverty).
In addition, Friar Lawrence had played a great role in the play as he was a confessor, adviser, priest, herbalist and Man of God.
First of all, the first time when Friar Lawrence is presented to us we learn a lot from his speech about his personality, we discover that he is highly interested in nature and he was an herbalist. This was very vital for the play because if the Friar was not an herbalist then neither would he have given the potion to Juliet to fake her death.
Friar Lawrence as a confessor was really important for the play because Romeo use tell him his secrets as he took the Friar as his father because in those days parent were not attached that close to their children, it was a tradition to employ a wet nurse to look after the child.
If the Friar was not a confessor he would have not known Romeo secrets and also he wouldn’t have confessed at the end of the play as he was a religious man.
Due to, the Friar being man of God he would not have a good intention in marrying Romeo and Juliet. But besides that, I think that he married them immorally as their own parents were not aware of their marriage, he broke the trust of the society on him as in those days religion was very important for the society.
On the other hand, if the Friar did not marry Romeo and Juliet they would have most probably committed suicide.
Since, religion was extremely important the Friar had a lot of influence, he had known to be very trustworthy which thus he had a lot of power. Because of this no one could have ever suspected the Friar in the involvement of Romeo and Juliet’s marriage.
Because he had power, he had many connections which made him able to send Romeo to Mantua and send a messenger to him.
As I have mentioned above the role and importance of Friar Lawrence, I think that only the Friar was capable in marrying Romeo and Juliet because all his characteristics fitted in the play.
