Friar Lawrence Consequences

Blinded by his good intentions, Friar Lawrence is unable to recognize the dangers of his actions, resulting in the tragic outcome of the protagonists. As Friar Lawrence agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet, he has only the best intents, hoping to, “turn [their] households’ rancor to pure love” (2.3 98-99). The extreme contrast between the “rancor” and “pure love” that the Friar discusses emphasizes that he only wants to help the Capulet and Montague families to resolve their issues for the sake of their children. When Friar Lawrence agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet, he is is mainly focused on bringing their families together. He understands that this newly found unity between them could potentially end the feud. While he means well, he is unable to see the dangers that will
Prior to proposing the eight-step plan to Juliet, Friar Lawrence feels a sense of obligation in protecting her. Even though he cannot yet see the dangers of his seemingly foolproof idea, he is trying to keep her from killing herself. While his decisions to help Romeo and Juliet have extreme consequences, he cannot see them because of his motives. Towards the end of the play, as the two families are discussing what could have led to the deaths of their children, Friar Lawrence expresses his stance on the topic, claiming, “To rid her from this second marriage,/Or in [his] cell there would she kill herself” (5.3 250-251). When Friar Lawrence claims, “in my cell there would she kill herself,” he says that he had to step in and make a plan with Juliet in order to keep her from causing herself any harm. Additionally, he cannot see the consequences of his actions due to the fact that he is stuck in the present time. At the moment, the most important thing on his mind is saving Juliet. As seen earlier in the play, Friar Lawrence knows that Juliet is suicidal, and creates a “foolproof” plan in order to save her from