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Romeo And Juliet Friar Lawrence Mistakes Analysis

Decent Essays

In the play “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, Friar Laurence is to blame for the deaths of Romeo, Juliet, and County Paris. Through his mistakes and errors in judgment, Friar Laurence brought pain in suffering into the lives of the citizens of Verona and killed two young people in their prime. Friar Lawrence made many mistakes that led to the tragic events in “Romeo and Juliet”. Friar Laurence’s first mistake was marrying Romeo and Juliet without their parents’ consent. When Romeo approached Friar Laurence about marrying Juliet, Friar Laurence doubted Romeo’s intentions and reminded him that young men often loved not with their hearts “but in their eyes” (2.3.72). Despite his reservations about the potential marriage, Friar Laurence agreed to marry the two in an attempt to turn their families’ hatred “to pure love” (2.3.99). Later, Friar Laurence prays for a good end to his actions, asking the heavens to “smile…upon this holy act” (2.6.1). Friar Laurence’s second …show more content…

When a clearly disturbed and distressed Juliet approaches Friar Laurence and threatens to kill herself if what he tells her “speak[s] not of remedy” (4.1.68), Friar Laurence immediately offers her a “thing like death” to keep her from marriage (4.1.75). Juliet agrees and Friar Laurence gives her the potion that will make her “appear like death”, giving her family immense pain and overcomplicating his plan to reunite Romeo and Juliet (4.1.105). Friar Laurence’s third mistake was sending Friar John to deliver the letter to Romeo and trusting Romeo to stay in Mantua until he received news from the Friar. Friar Laurence knows that Romeo is emotional and earlier admitted that he “thought thy [Romeo’s] disposition better tempered”

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