Many recognize the famous line “virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied,/ and vice sometime by action dignified” (II.iii.21-22), stated by Friar Lawrence. In Romeo and Juliet, actions of virtue subtly turn into actions of vice, starting when the two star-crossed lovers first encounter each other at the Capulet ball. Friar Lawrence makes the decisions that results in the events that occur within the play. These decisions include arranging Romeo and Juliet’s clandestine marriage, and sending Friar John to deliver a letter to Romeo explaining Juliet’s faked death with the use of his remedy in order to reunite Romeo and Juliet; however, Romeo never receives the letter and is left to believe that Juliet has died, leading to his own death, and
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When sending the crucial letter that informed Romeo about Juliet’s feigned death, Friar Lawrence is careless to deliver the letter to Romeo through Friar John. Primarily, Friar Lawrence has no intentions of informing Friar John on what importance the letter holds. In Act V, Scene iii, Friar Lawrence tells Friar John, “The letter was not nice, but full of charge,/Of dear import…” (18-19) It is only when Romeo is left in sheer oblivion that Friar Lawrence begins to take initiative and apprise Friar John over the magnitude of importance of having the letter delivered to Romeo’s hands without delay. Many other opportunities are open for Friar Lawrence to circumvent using Friar John. Friar Lawrence could have conjoined with Balthasar, Romeo’s servant, who already understands Romeo. Friar Lawrence, however, believes that working by himself to reunite Romeo and Juliet is the best response after hearing of Friar John’s failure. If Friar Lawrence is the authoritative figure that he is, he should have been much more befitting in finding an advantageous solution to his dilemma. In Act IV, Scene ii, Friar Lawrence says, “Hold! Get you gone, be strong and prosperous/In this resolve. I’ll send a friar with speed…” (122-123) It is evident that Friar Lawrence did not comprehensively consider and reflect upon his plan sufficiently. Ultimately, by sending the letter through Balthasar, Romeo could have been informed by …show more content…
Prior to Romeo and Juliet’s marriage, Friar Lawrence expresses his views on their marriage, advising Romeo to act upon rational reasoning rather than haste. Friar Lawrence therefore tells Romeo to “love moderately/long love doth so;/Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow” (II.vi.14-15). Through his lines, one is able to deduce that Friar Lawrence will not accept Romeo and Juliet’s marriage; however, he does, and this demonstrates his hypocriticalness. Critic Snyder exclaims that “Friar Laurence is one of a whole series of Shakespearean manipulators and stage-managers, those wise and benevolent figures who direct the actions of others” (5). Friar Lawrence specifically recommends Romeo to love at a slow pace, in order to tell the difference between lust and true love, thus managing his actions. Nonetheless, he rushes into situations through his impulsiveness and deceptiveness. Evidently, Friar Lawrence is using their marriage to gain his own political needs, for Friar Lawrence could have helped Romeo and Juliet by rejecting their marriage from the start. There are many plans that could have successfully worked, yet Friar Lawrence picks the plan that involves Juliet deceiving and betraying her own family. Friar Lawrence’s avaricious needs outweigh his moral ethics. He blatantly neglects Romeo and Juliet’s emotions and only makes
When sending the crucial letter that informed Romeo about Juliet’s feigned death, Friar Lawrence is careless to deliver the letter to Romeo through Friar John. Primarily, Friar Lawrence has no intentions of informing Friar John on what importance the letter holds. In Act V, Scene iii, Friar Lawrence tells Friar John, “The letter was not nice, but full of charge,/Of dear import…” (18-19) It is only when Romeo is left in sheer oblivion that Friar Lawrence begins to take initiative and apprise Friar John over the magnitude of importance of having the letter delivered to Romeo’s hands without delay. Many other opportunities are open for Friar Lawrence to circumvent using Friar John. Friar Lawrence could have conjoined with Balthasar, Romeo’s servant, who already understands Romeo. Friar Lawrence, however, believes that working by himself to reunite Romeo and Juliet is the best response after hearing of Friar John’s failure. If Friar Lawrence is the authoritative figure that he is, he should have been much more befitting in finding an advantageous solution to his dilemma. In Act IV, Scene ii, Friar Lawrence says, “Hold! Get you gone, be strong and prosperous/In this resolve. I’ll send a friar with speed…” (122-123) It is evident that Friar Lawrence did not comprehensively consider and reflect upon his plan sufficiently. Ultimately, by sending the letter through Balthasar, Romeo could have been informed by …show more content…
Prior to Romeo and Juliet’s marriage, Friar Lawrence expresses his views on their marriage, advising Romeo to act upon rational reasoning rather than haste. Friar Lawrence therefore tells Romeo to “love moderately/long love doth so;/Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow” (II.vi.14-15). Through his lines, one is able to deduce that Friar Lawrence will not accept Romeo and Juliet’s marriage; however, he does, and this demonstrates his hypocriticalness. Critic Snyder exclaims that “Friar Laurence is one of a whole series of Shakespearean manipulators and stage-managers, those wise and benevolent figures who direct the actions of others” (5). Friar Lawrence specifically recommends Romeo to love at a slow pace, in order to tell the difference between lust and true love, thus managing his actions. Nonetheless, he rushes into situations through his impulsiveness and deceptiveness. Evidently, Friar Lawrence is using their marriage to gain his own political needs, for Friar Lawrence could have helped Romeo and Juliet by rejecting their marriage from the start. There are many plans that could have successfully worked, yet Friar Lawrence picks the plan that involves Juliet deceiving and betraying her own family. Friar Lawrence’s avaricious needs outweigh his moral ethics. He blatantly neglects Romeo and Juliet’s emotions and only makes