Friar Laurence
| Friar Laurence | |
|---|---|
| Romeo and Julietcharacter | |
 Romeo and Juliet with Friar LaurencebyHenry Bunbury | |
| Created by | William Shakespeare |
Friar LaurenceorFriar Lawrenceis a character inWilliam Shakespeare's playRomeo and Juliet.
Role in the play
[edit]Friar Laurence is afriarwho plays the part of a wise adviser toRomeoandJuliet,along with aiding in major plot developments.
Alone, heforeshadowsthe later, tragic events of the play with hissoliloquyaboutplantsand their similarities to humans.[1]When Romeo requests the Friar marry him to Juliet, he is shocked, because only days before, Romeo had been infatuated withRosaline,[2]a woman who did not return his love. Nevertheless, Friar Laurence decides to marry Romeo and Juliet in the attempt to stop the civil feud between theCapuletsand theMontagues.[3]
When Romeo is banished for killingTybaltand flees toMantua,Friar Laurence attempts to help the two lovers get back together using a potion to fake Juliet's death.[4]The friar sends a letter to Romeo explaining the situation, but it does not reach him because the people of Mantua suspect the messenger came from a house infected with theplague,[5]and the Friar is unable to arrive at the Capulet's monument in time. Romeo killsCount Paris,[6]whom he finds weeping near Juliet's corpse, then dies bysuicide,[7]by drinking poison that he bought from an impoverishedapothecary,[8]over what he thinks is Juliet's dead body. Friar Laurence arrives just as Juliet awakes from her chemically induced slumber.[9]He urges Juliet not to be rash and to join a society ofnuns,[10]but he hears a noise from outside and then flees from the tomb. Juliet then kills herself with Romeo'sdagger,completing the tragedy. The Friar is forced to return to the tomb, where he recounts the entire story toPrince Escalusand all the Montagues and Capulets. As he finishes, the prince proclaims, "We have still known thee for a holy man."
Metre
[edit]Shakespeare uses a variety of poetic forms throughout the play. He begins with a 14-lineprologuein the form of aShakespearean sonnet,spoken by a Chorus. Most ofRomeo and Julietis, however, written inblank verseand much of it in strictiambic pentameter,with less rhythmic variation than in most of Shakespeare's later plays.[11]In choosing forms, Shakespeare matches the poetry to the character who uses it. Friar Laurence, for example, usessermonandsententiaeforms and the Nurse uses a uniqueblank verseform that closely matchescolloquial speech.[11]
Portrayals
[edit]In 1968 the part of Friar Lawrence was played byMilo O'SheainRomeo and Juliet.In 1996, the role was played byPete PostlethwaiteinRomeo + Juliet.
TheWest Side Story(1961)character Doc fills a similar role to Friar Lawrence; Doc was played byNed Glass.In the2021 version,that role was rewritten forRita Morenoas Doc's widow.
The role of Friar Laurence inRomeo & Juliet (2013 film)was played byPaul Giamatti.
References
[edit]- ^Romeo and Juliet2.3/1–22,Folger Shakespeare Library
- ^Romeo and Juliet2.3/69–85
- ^Romeo and Juliet2.3/28–31,Romeo and Juliet2.3/98–99
- ^Romeo and Juliet4.1/69–77,Romeo and Juliet4.1/91–122
- ^Romeo and Juliet5.2/5–12
- ^Romeo and Juliet5.3/72–73
- ^Romeo and Juliet5.3/119–120
- ^Romeo and Juliet4.5/62–79
- ^Romeo and Juliet5.3/145–152
- ^Romeo and Juliet5.3/161–162
- ^abHalio 1998,p. 51.
Sources
- Halio, Jay (1998).Romeo and Juliet: A Guide to the Play.Westport:Greenwood Press.ISBN0-313-30089-5– viaInternet Archive.