A Most Lamentable Man

A most lamentable man

The tragedy of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is completely assured by one man — Friar Laurence. His actions are pivotal in catapulting the young couple towards the tragic finale of the play. As a character, Laurence offers poor guidance and is unable to protect the tragic lovers from catastrophe. Analysis of literary devices used in the character’s opening soliloquy also provides early indication of Laurence’s capacity for inflicting great harm. In fact, throughout the play, the Friar becomes a malicious force that leads the young lovers astray and into the path of disaster.

Throughout the plot it is very clear that it is the actions of Friar Laurence, and he alone, that are most significant in ensuring the final tragedy of the play. Laurence eagerly agrees to join Romeo and Juliet in marriage, despite the fact that the couple belong to hostile families. He lacks the foresight to see any negative consequences resulting from the ‘holy act’ (2.6.1) which he describes as ‘…the sweetest honey’ (2.6.11). It is somewhat ironic that this supposedly sweet act culminates in the final bitter tragedy of the play. Out of all Laurence’s blunders, however, his calculated plan for Juliet to take on the appearance of, ‘A thing like death…’ (4.1.76) is surely his greatest error. Compounding this, it is obvious that Laurence did not emphasise the importance of the letter he had instructed Friar John to deliver to Romeo. Only after hearing Friar John has not delivered the letter does he reveal, ‘The letter was not nice but full of charge,/ Of dear import, and the neglecting it/ May do much danger’ (5.2.19–21). For this reason, the letter is not delivered with urgency or any amount of perseverance by Friar John. This leaves Romeo uninformed about Juliet and the Friar’s scheme. The woefully executed plan leads to Romeo hearing about Juliet’s apparent death and causes him to rush to Verona to die by her side. The bumbling approach of the friar ‘How oft tonight/...