3.5.1
Characterisation
Friar Laurence - Roles
Friar Laurence - Roles
Friar Laurence (sometimes spelt Friar Lawrence) is a very respected character in the play. He acts as a father figure and advisor.
Holy man
Holy man
- He is a holy man and a monk of the Catholic religion, which was a very important religion to Veronese society at this time.
Father figure and advisor
Father figure and advisor
- Friar Laurence acts almost as a father figure to Romeo and an advisor to Juliet later in the play.
- He must take on this role of advisor and parental figure because Romeo and Juliet don’t feel like they can go to their own parents for help and support.
- This is mainly because of the long-standing family feud (argument), which is a central problem in the play.
Characterisation of Friar Laurence
Characterisation of Friar Laurence
Friar Laurence is characterised as both sceptical but a trusted friend, and good-natured but naïve.
Is skeptical...
Is skeptical...
- In Act 2, Friar Laurence is at first sceptical (has doubts) about Romeo’s love for Juliet – especially because he seems to have fallen out of love with Rosaline so quickly.
- He scornfully tells Romeo that 'young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes'.
- He is mocking Romeo for changing the focus of his love so quickly. Friar Laurence is also suggesting that Romeo is fickle (likely to suddenly change his opinion) and only loves Juliet’s appearance.
... But a trustworthy friend
... But a trustworthy friend
- But Friar Laurence listens to Romeo and, although he warns Romeo about the dangers of moving too fast, he quickly changes his mind.
- This suggests that there is a good level of trust and friendship between Romeo and Friar Laurence.
Has good intentions...
Has good intentions...
- He agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet (without their parents’ consent) because he feels that this will end the family argument ('this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your households’ rancour to pure love') and end all of the fighting and suffering.
- This decision shows Friar Laurence’s good nature. His overall aim is to put an end to the fighting.
... But is naïve
... But is naïve
- It also shows that he is quite naïve because he does not think about the realities of their marriage – how they will live afterwards, how (or if) they will tell their families, how the two families will really react if they find out, etc.
- He doesn’t seem to really think through the possible consequences of the marriage.
Naïve planner
Naïve planner
- Friar Laurence shows his naiveté again when he forms a plan that depends on delivering a letter to Romeo.
- Friar Laurence sends Romeo a letter explaining the whole plan. He asks Romeo to collect Juliet from the tomb when she wakes up.
- But his messenger, Friar John, cannot deliver the letter because he is quarantined (due to a suspected outbreak of plague).
- Friar Laurence has no alternative plan, so Romeo never gets the message. Instead, Romeo hears that Juliet is dead and heads back to Verona (with poison) so that he can lay next to Juliet in the tomb and take his own life.
Characterisation of Friar Laurence
Characterisation of Friar Laurence
Friar Laurence is also characterised in the following ways:
Trustworthy
Trustworthy
- In Act 3, after Romeo has killed Tybalt and fled, Romeo, runs to Friar Laurence and hides in his cell while he waits to hear from Juliet.
- This action shows that Romeo feels very safe and comfortable with Friar Laurence – he feels that he can go to him for help. Romeo does not have this relationship with his own parents.
Knowledgable
Knowledgable
- Friar Laurence has an excellent knowledge of plants and how to use them to create both remedies (medicines) and poisons.
- Friar Laurence is the one who creates the plan for Juliet to take a strong sleeping potion and pretend to be dead.
Practical
Practical
- In Act 4, Juliet has lost the support of her family and the Nurse. She turns to Friar Laurence to help her.
- He calms her and gives her advice. He then helps her to create a plan of action. He tells her to take the sleeping potion and fake her own death ('Take thou this vial, being then in bed, and this distilled liquor drink thou of'). This shows that he acts as a helpful advisor and friend to both protagonists (main characters).
Cowardly
Cowardly
- Friar Laurence goes to the tomb to meet Juliet when he realises the letter hasn’t delivered, but he arrives after Romeo.
- When he arrives, he sees that Paris has been killed and Romeo is dead. When Juliet wakes up, he quickly tells her that Romeo is dead and tells her to leave the tomb with him.
- Juliet will not leave the tomb immediately, so Friar Laurence (hearing noises outside) abandons Juliet and flees.
Trusted
Trusted
- But at the end of the play, it is Friar Laurence who re-tells the whole story to the Prince.
- He tells him about the secret marriage ('Romeo, there dead, was husband to that Juliet') and says that the feud (argument) between the Montagues and Capulets is the reason for the many deaths that have happened in the story.
- In the end, Friar Laurence’s version of the story makes Lord Montague and Lord Capulet realise the roles they have played in the deaths of their children. They end the family feud (argument) and decide to build statues of Romeo and Juliet to honour their memories.
1Context
2Plot Summary
2.1Prologue
2.2Act 1
2.5Act 4
3Key Characters
3.1Romeo
3.2Juliet
3.3Mercutio
3.4The Nurse, Benvolio & Tybalt
3.5Friar Laurence
3.6Grade 9 - Key Characters
4Key Themes & Concepts
4.1Power & Danger of Love
5Writing Techniques
Jump to other topics
1Context
2Plot Summary
2.1Prologue
2.2Act 1
2.5Act 4
3Key Characters
3.1Romeo
3.2Juliet
3.3Mercutio
3.4The Nurse, Benvolio & Tybalt
3.5Friar Laurence
3.6Grade 9 - Key Characters
4Key Themes & Concepts
4.1Power & Danger of Love
5Writing Techniques
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