Similarities Between Romeo And Juliet And Friar

In the play Romeo and Juliet, Lord Capulet and Friar Lawrence are shown to be antithetical characters. The Friar is compromising but Lord Capulet is rigid and uncompromising. When Romeo asks for help, the Friar responds with, “But come, young waverer, come, go with me./In one respect I’ll thy assistant be.” (2.3. 96-97) In this situation, Romeo comes to Friar Lawrence to ask for his consent to marry Romeo and Juliet. The Friar agrees to do so, believing that it will end the feud between the Montague and the Capulets. This demonstrates how obliging the Friar is to whatever Romeo needs. In Scene 5 of Act 3, Juliet pleads with her father against having to marry Paris. In contrast to the Friar, he offers no other choice, saying, “An you be mine, I’ll give you to my friend./An you be not, hang, beg,

When Romeo first approaches the Friar, the Friar greets him, saying, “What early tongue so sweet saluteth me?/Young son, it argues a distempered head/Do soon to bid good morrow to thy bed.” (2.3. 32-34) This situation shows that the Friar is more of a father figure to Romeo than his own father Montague, and by comparison, more of a father figure than Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet. Visibly, the Friar is approachable and his relationship with Romeo is close. Romeo feels that he can come to the Friar about anything, knowing he will be heard. On the other hand, Lord Capulet is much less open to conversation with his daughter. Juliet asks to speak to him, but he responds in this way to her pleas: “Speak not; reply not; do not answer me.” (3.5. 163) Though he is Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet’s relationship with his daughter is more disconnected, rather than open like the Friar is to Romeo. He makes up his mind before anyone speaks a word and is quite unsympathetic to the feelings or needs of others. He is much less relational, and therefore is not a positive role