The Friar In Romeo And Juliet

Words: 1116
Pages: 5

Every novel has at least one character that dramatically affects the plot and its characters; furthermore, this character is essential to the development of those two things. Friar Laurence in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a prime example of this special kind of character. The Friar serves two major roles in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet : a mentor to Romeo and Juliet and the creator of plans that drive the plot.

The Friar’s role as a mentor to Romeo and Juliet dissuades both of them from making fatal and unwise decisions, the most popular being suicide, in the story. When the Friar tells Romeo that his punishment for killing Tybalt was banishment, Romeo began to complain that the punishment was worse than death. The Friar responded to his whining by saying,
“O deadly sin! O rude unthankfulness! Thy fault our law calls death; but the kind prince, taking thy part, hath rush’d aside the law, and turned that black word ‘Death’ to ‘Banishment’. This is dear mercy, and thou seest it not.”(3.3.25-9). The Friar’s words meant that his punishment should have been death, but the prince decided to disregard that punishment and give banish him; furthermore, the Friar expresses that Romeo should be grateful for this less severe punishment. Romeo refused to listen to him and attempted to stab himself, but the nurse snatched the blade from his hand. The Friar reprised his advice and said to Romeo, “Go, get thee to thy love, as was decreed; ascend her chamber; hence, and comfort her. But look
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to the rising action and the climax. The Friar’s effect on the story is not only dramatic, it is crucial to the development of the plot, tension/rising action, and the climax. The result of the Friar’s flawed plans and advice is Shakespeare’s second best-selling play(the most popular being Hamlet) out of all his