Who Is The Friar Responsible For The Deaths Of Romeo And Juliet

Death is inevitable, but dying for the sake of eternal company with one’s star-crossed lover might make death worth it. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, this is what happens. Romeo and Juliet is about two star-crossed lovers with forbidden love due to their family conflict. When Romeo, a Montague, attends a feast and catches a glimpse of his beloved Juliet, a Capulet, love stirs and the two immediately become infatuated with each other. The two elope and keep everyone else oblivious. After learning Juliet’s family is demanding her to marry Paris, Juliet asks Friar Lawrence to devise a plan to avoid the marriage in order to be with Romeo, or she will kill herself. Friar comes up with a risky plan that quickly goes wrong and ultimately results in the death of both Romeo and Juliet. Throughout the play, Friar’s traits morph from those such as being holy, loyal, and trustworthy to unreliable, irresponsible, and recreant.

Because he is a friar, he seems trustworthy. His intentions should be trusted and his best advice should be given. He has knowledge of the feud between the Capulets and Montagues and knows that their parents’ would forbid the marriage had they been informed. Friar is aware that marrying the two is risky, for he states, “wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.” (Shakespeare 847). This means that Friar has little faith in the relationship between Romeo and Juliet. As Romeo’s friend, he should have put his best interest for him and should have never agreed to marry the two in the first place. He knows this is wrong because he does not have the approval of either sets of parents, yet he deliberately follows through, hoping the marriage will end the feud between the Capulets and Montagues. Even after marrying them, Friar should have been honest and confessed his actions to both sets of parents, keeping them informed of their children’s