The Friar Is Guilty In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

The Friar is Guilty It was love at first sight, but in the quiet of the night, they were both dead. Romeo and Juliet fell in love instantly, they would have done anything for each other. They were so deeply in love, they ended up killing themselves for one another. Although thy were the ones that committed suicide, it was not their faults. There was a person that let them get to that point. The person who let them get there was the Friar. Friar Lawrence is guilty for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet because he is the one who marries them. The Friar said to Romeo, “In one respect I’ll thy assistant be; For this alliance may so happy prove To turn your households rancor to pure love” (2.3.90-93). The Friar agreeing to marry Romeo and Juliet

In Act four, scene one the Friar was talking to Juliet and said this, “Take thou this vial, being then in bed, And this distilling liquor drink thou off’ When presently through all thy veins shall run A cold and drowsy humor; for no pulse” (4.1.93-95). The quote given shows the Friar speaking to Juliet about the potion he is giving her. The potion he is giving her is not going to kill her but put her to sleep for forty two hours. Within these forty two hours Juliet’s family holds a funeral. Romeo comes to her grave once it is over to see for himself that Juliet is truly “dead”. When he gets there she is still asleep but he thinks she is dead. In his final act of love he kills himself so he could be with her. Overall Juliet would not have been “asleep” and Romeo would not have committed suicide if the Friar had not given her the

If he gave him the letter sooner, Romeo would have known Juliet was only sleeping and not dead. Friar did not make sure the letter was delivered to Romeo. John told him that it wasn’t sent. There conversation went like this, “I could not send it - here it is again - nor get a messenger to bring thee, So fearful were they of infection… But I will write again to Mantua, And keep her at my cell till Romeo come-”(5. 2. 13-15 ,26,27). In this quote John tells the Friar that his letter to Romeo containing the information about the potion he gave to Juliet was not delivered. The Friar did not put any force in making sure the letter was delivered. Since he wrote to him again, after he already gave Juliet the potion there was a very little chance of the letter making it to Romeo before the potion was swallowed by Juliet. This is important because if the Friar made sure the letter was delivered Romeo would have known Juliet was only sleeping. If Romeo knew that, he would not have killed himself then in return, Juliet would not have either. The Friar did not complete the actions he needed to as fast as he needed to. Since the Friar did not deliver the letter fast enough it caused Romeo to kill