What Did Friar Lawrence Do? an Analysis of His Actions in Romeo and Juliet

Role as a Catalyst

William Shakespeare's tragic play Romeo and Juliet is all about these events that lead up to the deaths of two young lovers. In the middle of it all, there's this guy, Friar Lawrence. He plays a big part and makes some choices that really change how things go down. This essay is going to dig into what Friar Lawrence does and what it means, showing how he acts like both a spark and a tragic figure in the story. Even though he means well, his actions end up pushing Romeo and Juliet toward their sad ending.

Friar Lawrence’s choice to secretly marry Romeo and Juliet is huge. It sets off a series of events that ends in tragedy. By marrying them on the sly, he goes against what society expects and stirs up more trouble between their families. This makes the Montagues and Capulets get even deeper into their feud, leading to violence and revenge — basically sealing the fate of Romeo and Juliet.

Plus, by getting involved in their marriage, Friar Lawrence starts a bunch of sneaky actions. To stop Juliet from marrying Paris, he comes up with this plan involving a potion that'll make her look dead. While he might’ve thought this would bring peace by uniting the families through Romeo and Juliet, it totally backfires. His trickery just causes more confusion and disaster.

Tragic Figure

You gotta admit, even though Friar Lawrence wants to do good, his actions show he's got some flaws. He's supposed to be wise and respected but doesn’t really think through his decisions carefully enough. He can't see what’s coming next because of his choices, which leads to everything going so wrong for the young couple.

Also, let's talk about how he doesn’t seem to care much about how Romeo and Juliet are feeling emotionally. He jumps in with quick fixes without thinking about long-term effects, making things worse for them when they're already in a tough spot. This lack of understanding makes him come off as a tragic figure.

Implications and Lessons

The stuff Friar Lawrence does raises some big questions about human nature's complexity. Sure, his heart’s in the right place at times, but poor decision-making without seeing ahead adds up to disaster for Romeo and Juliet.

This whole sad story reminds us that we should think hard about our actions' impacts and what might happen next. It warns against rushing into decisions without thinking them through properly first. Meddling in other people's business without understanding what's at stake isn’t smart either!

In wrapping things up here: everything Friar Lawrence does plays such an important role within all those tragic events happening around Romeo & Juliet. Though intentions may have been noble initially - they contribute heavily toward downfalling these lovebirds instead ultimately… Through being both catalyst/tragic figure alike - highlighting complexities behind human behavior while stressing importance considering consequences tied closely alongside each action taken along way (who’d have thought?). So yeah! Letting this timeless tale remind us why taking time/effort during decision-making matters (and having empathy) can make all difference when dealing others' lives too — 'cause y'know?

Bibliography

• Shakespeare, W. (2009). Romeo and Juliet. Edited by B. Gibbons, Oxford University Press.
• Mowat B.A., & Werstine P., Eds.. (2011). The Tragedy of Romeo And Juliet. Folger Shakespeare Library Edition.
• Taylor G., Jowett J., Bourus T., & Egan G., Eds.. (2016). The New Oxford Shakespeare: Modern Critical Edition: The Complete Works.
• Pritchard A., & Emerson O.S., Eds..(1997). Understanding Shakespeare: A Student Casebook on Romeo And Juliet.
• Sutherland J.A.(2005), "Reading Shakespeare's Mind". Retrieved from archive collection Harper Collins Publishers Ltd.