Romeo and Juliet: the Greater Good

While all of the characters in Romeo and Juliet are very interesting, one I found the very interesting was Friar Lawrence. When Romeo asks him to marry him and Juliet, he can tell that they are too young, too rash, and that they are rushing into things way too soon. He tells Romeo about his strong misgivings, yet he does not follow up on them, deciding instead, that he will marry Romeo and Juliet, even though he is well aware of the dire consequences that are sure to come with their marriage.

In the story, you can see how the two families are honest-to-god enemies. They get into sword fights on the street, and have been threatened by the Prince about their behavior. The Friar can tell that if Romeo and Juliet even so much as openly courted, let alone got married, there would be bloodshed. He can see that, besides the fact that it is just a bad idea, Romeo is clearly rushing into things, without really thinking or taking the time or care to process what is happening.

Thou and these woes were all for Rosaline. And art thou changed? Friar Lawrence is telling Romeo that just a few days ago he was supposedly cut up about Rosaline, weeping over her, and now he wants to marry a whole new girl? He can’t have just flipped a switch overnight and changed. He then says Pronounce this sentence then: Women may fall when there’s no strength in men. I think he is saying a proclamation here, that you cannot blame women for becoming unfaithful or cheating on their husbands, when men themselves are so wishy-washy. He is trying to talk some sense into Romeo. I think Friar Lawrence is like a father to Romeo and sees him as a young, innocent boy who is in need of guidance.

Then he adds, almost as an afterthought, that he will marry them, but only it seems, for a greater good: to help mend the rift between their two families.

In one respect I’ll thy assistant be, for this alliance may so happy prove to turn your households' rancor to pure love.

I think he sees this now as an opportunity, rather than just helping two, lost young teens. This is one of the smaller turning points in the story, where the Friar chooses the greater good over the good of Romeo and Juliet. He has made the choice to almost sacrifice them in return for the mending of their families.

 I can see where he is coming from, and I doubt he thought it would end up as horribly as it did, but he had to realize that there was a more than likely possibility of someone(s) getting hurt or killed. I think that he should not have gotten Romeo and Juliet tangled up even further in this mess. They made the knot, but the Friar had the choice to either untangle it, or whack it up until t was impossible to unknot again. I really think that he should have just given Romeo his advice, made sure it got followed through, and just left it at that. He could have prevented this whole thing from happening, but I suppose his purpose of reuniting the families did work in the end.