Interview
Character Analysis of the Friar in Romeo and Juliet
AQA English Literature resource for GCSE A 4 page character analysis on The Friar Includes quotes and analysis of the Friar from specific scenes
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Friar Lawrence as a CharacterQuotes are in red.
Notations of where each quote is from are in purple.
Links to context are in blue
Friar Lawrence Basics:
Friar Lawrence helps Romeo and Juliet throughout the play.
He performs their marriage and gives generally good advice.
He is the sole figure of religion in the play.
But Friar Lawrence is also the most scheming character: he
marries Romeo and Juliet as part of a plan to end the civil strife in
Verona; he helps Romeo into Juliet’s room and then out of Verona;
he devises the plan to reunite Romeo and Juliet through the
sleeping potion idea.
In addition, Friar Lawrence's plans all seem well conceived and,
they serve as the main mechanisms through which the play can
then follow a course of fated tragedy.
Friar Lawrence is presented as a holy man who is trusted and
respected by the other characters.
The Friar’s role as the friend and advisor to Romeo and Juliet
serves to highlight the conflict between parents and their children
within the play. And the Friar’s role suggests a failure of parental
love for Romeo and Juliet.
In their isolation, Romeo and Juliet turn to the Friar who can offer
neutral advice. At first, the Friar can’t believe how quickly Romeo
has abandoned Rosaline and fallen in love with Juliet, so he
reminds Romeo of the suddenness of his decisions.
The Friar uses the formal language of rhyme and proverbs to
stress the need for caution to Romeo.
He agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet in the hope that their
marriage will repair the rift between the Montague’s and the
Capulet’s.
His decision to marry the lovers is well-meaning but indicates that
he has been naive.
The Friar’s knowledge of plants - especially their dual qualities to
heal and hurt - play an important role in the action of the play.
When Juliet is about to take the potion she questions the Friar.
She questions whether or not the potion will actually kill her so no
one knows what he has done. She puts this worry aside agreeing
he must be a holy man.
Act 2 Scene 3
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