Notes

Friar Lawrence is by the far the character that displays “working for the best,” the most. The three main events are the marriage, the plan and the death, all three of which the friar is very involved. The friar originally marries Romeo and Juliet in hopes that the feud between the two families will end, “to turn your households’ rancor to pure love.” With the plan, the friar, tells Romeo to go spend his wedding night with Juliet and that then he will send Romeo to Mantua, “ ascend her chamber,” “ where thou shalt live.” When Juliet comes to him in desperation, the friar devises a plan, “I’ll give thee remedy,” and tells her to agree to marry Paris. This actually backfires because Capulet then moves the marriage a day forward. When the friar finds Romeo dead he feels it best in his own interest to run and take Juliet away,” I’ll dispose of thee,” this being the first time in the play where he takes into context what is best for him, not only what is best for Romeo and Juliet.