Analyzing of Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet free essay sample

One character seen guiding them in most of these scenes is Friar Laurence. He is a very important character that helps many other characters out with their problems. Even though he is a Friar, his main role in the play is acting as a mentor for Romeo and Juliet. He is favored by all the other characters as a holy man. He is also well liked by the audience because secretly helps Romeo and Juliet when their parents won’t even pay attention to them. Friar Laurence has two main roles in the play. One is serving as the holy man of Verona. He is viewed as a holy man by most characters in the play. For Romeo and Juliet however, he is viewed as a mentor and someone they can trust and go to for help. â€Å"So smile the heavens upon this holy act of that after-hours with sorrow chide us not. We will write a custom essay sample on Analyzing of Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page †(II. iv. 1-2) This is the only time that Friar Laurence is really seen doing something holy. Most of the rest of the scenes he is in just show him giving Romeo and Juliet advice and finding ways for them to be together, like when he gives Juliet the sleeping potion. Friar Laurence serves as the backbone of the book in a sense. His plans are very well-planned and have good intention. They are the gears that turn the ill-fated tragedy of the play which is the death of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare intended Friar Laurence’s main purpose to be the person who translates Romeo and Juliet‘s fate from the stars, to them. One of the most obvious examples of this is when Romeo kills himself. The friar comes into the tomb about five minutes after. â€Å" Romeo! O, Pale! Who else? What, Paris too? And steeped in blood? Ah, what an unkind hour is guilty of this lamentable chance! †(V. iii. 149-151) If he only came in a little bit earlier, he could have told Romeo that Juliet is not dead. He also could have saved Juliet if he had not left her alone in the tomb. These are two examples of how Friar Laurence delivers Romeo and Juliet’s fate. Shakespeare created Friar Laurence mainly to just deliver Romeo and Juliet’s fate and act as the stars in the book. Romeo and Juliet would be a very different play without Friar Laurence. At first, he seems like a minor character. However, once you look back on the book when you have finished it, you realize Friar Laurence was the foundation of the book, causing many of the important and life changing events that Romeo and Juliet had to face. If there was no Friar Laurence, there would almost be no fate since he is the character delivers Romeo and Juliet to their fate, â€Å" I met the youthful lord at Laurence’s cell, and gave him what becomed love I might not stopping o’er the bounds of modesty. †(IV. ii. 6-28) If Friar Laurence had not been around to help Juliet and give her the sleeping potion, Juliet could have been serious about marrying Paris. Luckily, the Friar was there. The play would most likely be very boring without Friar Laurence because there would be no character that helps Romeo and Juliet with there problems and helps them make decisions on their life changing events. After reading Romeo and Juliet I found there is more than meet s the eye, especially on Friar Laurence’s part. He seems deceiving in the way that he is a Friar, but does things for Romeo and Juliet against their parents’ will. This makes it seem almost like he is doing something illegal. He helps them through the play, but ends up being a main factor in each of their suicides. Shakespeare definitely created the Friar as someone Romeo and Juliet could go to for help and advice, and as someone that can deliver to them their fate. To sum everything up, Friar Laurence both helped, and destroyed Romeo and Juliet. He helped them by marrying them and giving Juliet the sleeping potion, but all of this ultimately lead to their suicides in the Capulet’s tomb at the end of the book.