Friar Laurence makes several important decisions during the course of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. First, he decides to marry Romeo and Juliet because he believes it will end the often violent feud between the Montagues and Capulets. Second, he makes a conscious decision to advise Romeo to slow down in his love for Juliet. He tells Romeo, "Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast." Third, in Act III, Scene 3, he decides that...
Friar Laurence makes several important decisions during the course of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. First, he decides to marry Romeo and Juliet because he believes it will end the often violent feud between the Montagues and Capulets. Second, he makes a conscious decision to advise Romeo to slow down in his love for Juliet. He tells Romeo, "Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast." Third, in Act III, Scene 3, he decides that once Romeo has spent some time in Mantua he will announce that Romeo and Juliet are married, attempt to reconcile the families and beg the Prince's pardon so Romeo may return to Verona.
Fourth, he makes the unfortunate decision that Juliet should take a potion and fake her death. His plan is for the girl to appear dead so the family will take her to the Capulet tomb where Romeo will retrieve her when she awakens. Fifth, he decides to give the message informing Romeo of his plot to Friar John to carry to Mantua. Friar John is delayed in Verona by a plague threat and Romeo never receives the message. Sixth, he decides to leave the tomb just after Juliet wakes up because he is afraid for his reputation and his life if he is caught in the tomb with Juliet and the dead bodies of Romeo and Paris. Seventh, he decides that he needs to tell the truth to the Prince and so recounts the entire story of Romeo and Juliet's love and eventual suicides.
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