Monday, September 2, 2019

The Role of Friar Lawrence in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Es

The Role of Friar Lawrence in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet When we first meet Friar Lawrence (à Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ Ã‚ ·), he appears to be picking flowers and herbs. He shows us he has a deeper understanding of the characteristics of herbs and how everything has a good and bad side: Ââ€Å"Within the infant rind of this weak flower Poison hath residence and medecine power.† This also relates to the families of Romeo and Juliet. It dramatically hints about the bad things to come such as the death of one of the family members. The audience develops the idea of Friar Lawrence acting as a father to Romeo: Ââ€Å"Good morrow, father.† The noun ‘fatherÂ’ indicates how close the relationship between them is and how he goes beyond his role of being a Friar. I think that this isnÂ’t right act of Friar and it might lead to trouble. He also seems to be able to judge people: Ââ€Å"Our Romeo hath not been in bed to-night.† This makes the Friar seem to have special abilities, which may help in later events. I think that Friar Lawrence is not to blame, this far into the play because he is acting out of his own good will. When Romeo tells Friar Lawrence about his love towards Juliet, he is shocked: Ââ€Å"Holy Saint Francis what a change is here!† In the same speech that he delivers this line, he changes his mind into thinking it is a good idea: Ââ€Å"To turn your householdsÂ’ rancour to pure love.† The noun ‘rancourÂ’ shows how much the two families loathe each other. We get the impression that Friar Lawrence is naÃÆ' ¯ve and that his plans are spontaneous. He is not aware of the consequences of marrying Romeo and Juliet. We also see... ... the tragic death of Romeo and Juliet: Ââ€Å"I am the greatest able to do least, Yet most suspected, as the time and place Doth make against me, of this direful murder; And here I stand, both to impeach and purge, Myself condemned and myself excused.† He pleads guilty but at the same time innocent. We think that he tries to make the Prince feel sorry for him and it works in the end: Ââ€Å"We have still known thee for a holy man.† Overall we see that the play rotates around Friar Lawrence and that he is an agent of the drama. From my point of view, I think that Friar Lawrence is to blame because despite his honorable intentions, he could have done something to stop the tragedy from happening. Friar LawrenceÂ’s character changes dramatically as well as his use of language and dramatic significance.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.