The Tragedy Of Friar Lawrence In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Death should be uncomplicated; the eyes close, breath stops, and consciousness fades into oblivion. Unfortunately for Romeo and Juliet, just like their ill-fated romance, their deaths were also abysmal failures. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, a long standing feud between the Capulets and the Montagues ends in the death of two teenagers. The two lovers committed suicide due to their families’ acrimony and lack of proper advice. Although Romeo and Juliet committed the ultimate crime against themselves, their deaths were arguably caused by Friar Lawrence due to his lack of foresight, negligence, and impulsiveness. Friar Lawrence was a neutral party in the feud between the Montague and Capulet families. As such, he was a trusted adviser of both Romeo and Juliet. The Friar was presented as a holy man that was trusted by the citizens of Verona. Friar Lawrence, who was a member of a religious order, was also an expert in plants and herbs. His
According to the novel, Marriage in Italy 1300-1650, published by Cambridge University, in Medieval Italy, it was illegal for two people to be married without the parents’ explicit permission. If the parents’ consent was not given, the marriage was considered invalid and not legitimate (Trevor Dean 93). The Friar, who was well-educated, was aware that this was an offense, but he proceeded to marry the young couple. This may have been an attempt to force a reconciliation between the feuding families, but was arguably poorly planned. Marrying Romeo and Juliet, who were essentially children, after a two-day courtship was irresponsible at best. Friar Lawrence states, “’ For this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your households rancour to pure love’” (II.iii. 86-92). Friar Lawrence’s lack of good judgement and poor advice was the catalyst of Romeo and Juliet’s tragic