Essay Sample on Friar Lawrence in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, 2-star crossed lovers, who reside in Verona, Italy fight their families for the approval to love one another. With the support of Fr. Lawrence, a priest, he marries them though they intend to flee their current lives together. With the aid of many advisers, they are almost able to leave before they end up taking their lives tragically. Throughout the play, Fr. Lawrence can be seen as a confidante to both Romeo, Juliet, and the people of Verona. 

Fr. Lawrence is portrayed as an adviser because he helps Romeo examine his inner character. The priest tries to protect Romeo from getting hurt again because he knows how much Rosaline’s rejection destroyed him, so he tells him ”I pray thee, chide me not. Her I love now Doth grace for grace and love for love allow. The other did not. O, she knew well Thy love did read by rote, that could not spell. But come, young waverer, come, go with me. In one respect I’ll thy assistant be, For this alliance may so happy prove To turn your households’ rancor to pure love/” (II iii 91-99). Fr. Lawrence reassuring him proves that he cares for Romeo not just as a friend but also as a teacher. He helps guide Romeo toward the right path and to what he will truly desire in the end, making sure Romeo does not get excessively hurt.  Fr. Lawrence is trying to strengthen Romeo as a man in a father-like way: “Hold thy desperate hand!/ Art thou a man?/ Thy form cries out thou art./ Thy tears are womanish; thy wild acts denote The unreasonable fury of a beast./ Unseemly woman in a seeming man, And ill-beseeming beast in seeming both!/ Thou hast amazed me./ By my holy order, I thought thy disposition better tempered/ (III iii 118-125).” Fr. Lawrence encouraging Romeo proves that he cares for him as a friend. He advises him to not cry because tears are not for men. He uses a strong tone because he truly wants Romeo to understand to stay strong and not be discouraged.

Fr. Lawrence demonstrates his empathetic traits towards the people of Verona no matter what the problem is. Friar Lawrence eases the town of Verona by trying to relive some of their grief better about the death of Juliet: “And all the better is it for the maid./ Your part in her you could not keep from death, But heaven keeps his part in eternal life./ The most you sought was her promotion, For ’twas your heaven she should be advanced; And weep you now, seeing she is advanced Above the clouds, as high as heaven itself/” (IV v 74-81). This establishes Father Lawrence as a mentor for Verona. Even after betraying Verona to Juliet's fake death, he continues to comfort the families and townspeople to ease their pain. He may have betrayed them but he was willing to reassure them rather than to let them grieve alone.  Unsure and nervous Fr. Lawrence gives Juliet the vial to make her look dead, so he tells her to“take..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/give me, give me! O, tell not me of fear! , giving Juliet the vial Hold, get you gone. Be strong and prosperous In this resolve. I’ll send a friar with speed To Mantua with my letters to thy lord/” (IV i 95-97 122-126). Juliet is shown here distraught because she must marry someone other than Romeo, so Fr. Lawrence, being a kind and compassionate companion, creates a potion to pronounce her dead. If anyone else had found out what he had done he could be executed and all the others who assisted could also die. He risks his life for Romeo and Juliet’s freedom to love.

In Romeo and Juliet Fr. Lawrence continuously shows his affection for the people of Verona and aids them through their difficult times. Shakespeare communicates this to the reader because of Fr. Lawrence’s actions. It reveals that Shakespeare believes that kind-hearted people help those in need even at the cost of their selves.