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

Researchers believe that father figures present in a child’s life may help to develop better friendships, fewer behavioral problems, higher self esteem, and lower chances of future criminal activity. Parents are important factors in determining one’s personality. In addition, they provide needed moral support. In a tragedy like William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, many of the characters need a great deal of support. Each of the three father figures--Friar Lawrence, Prince Escalus, and Lord Capulet--have varying degrees of power. They all have some importance, regardless of if the men are biological fathers.
Romeo’s biological father, Lord Montague, rarely makes an appearance in the play. However Friar Lawrence, who acts as a father for Romeo, is a common character. He shows his affection for Romeo:
Romeo!
Alack, alack, what blood is this which stains
The stony entrance of this sepulchre?
What mean these masterless and gory swords
To lie discolour’d by this place of peace
Romeo! O, Pale! (5.3.144-149)
Upon finding Romeo dead, the friar is very upset. He also showed his affection by marrying Romeo and Juliet. Although he may have ulterior motives for doing so,
Friar Lawrence attempts to show his limited power by marrying Romeo and Juliet against the wishes of their families, yet this is ultimately the reason for Lord Capulet’s anger and eventually Juliet’s extreme measures.The prince’s lack of power results in the fight during which Mercutio and Tybalt are killed. In addition, Lord Capulet’s outburst regarding Juliet’s love for Romeo leads Juliet to fake her death. This outburst is a show of power and a reminder of who the Lord of the house is. The father figures are also necessary for many reasons, one of the most obvious being supporting the characters with dramatic