Friar Laurence is a very important character in the play as he brings Romeo and Juliet together, with the hope that it will end the ongoing Montague and Capulet feud. He is a priest, an apothecary and a mentor. The Friar is a holy man and is the sole figure of religion in the play. He adopts a high status by being the leader of the church, where villagers would turn to him to seek advice. He inherits wisdom and authenticity in this role and possesses attributes of being noble, trustworthy and highly respected within the community. He is also the advisor of the Montagues’ and the Capulets’ confessions. The Friar is also a firm believer in alchemy and regularly comments on the inherent powers of air, fire, water and earth.
The Friars drives, motivations, strengths and weaknesses are illustrated in act 2, scene 3. He sets out to gather plants at dawn, and the language used in this soliloquy suggests that the friar is a driven character and passionate about his involvement with the plants. “..precious juiced flowers...”. (Harrison, GB, 1937) He has a great knowledge of medicine and a thorough understanding about the properties of the plants. His opening monologue talks about the qualities his herbs have, and the capacity to both heal and kill people depending on how they are used. “Poison hath residence and medicine power”. (Harrison, GB, 1937) He also reflects human nature and talks about how men, as well as herbs are both “good” and “evil”. He further goes on to imply that if evil takes root in the heart of a person, then they will become engulfed and infatuated by evil. “Virtue itself turns vice being misapplied….. and vice sometime by action dignified.” (Harrison, GB, 1937)
Within this scene we also begin to see the bond between Friar Laurence and Romeo. The Friar is always the first point of contact to which Romeo would turn to with good or bad news. This is shown following Romeo’s new feelings of love for Juliet, and again when in...