Why Is Friar Lawrence Important In Romeo And Juliet

Friar Lawrence plays a major role in Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet. Through his lack of organization and judgment, Friar Laurence is highly responsible for the deaths of both Romeo and Juliet. He is a member of a group of wise priests that only want good in the world but, at the end of the play, you realize that Friar Lawrence makes many mistakes throughout the story. There are three major points that lead to the that's of both Romeo, Juliet, and even Mercutio. The first was the marriage of which Friar Laurence had questionable intentions, the second was the plan that Friar Lawrence thought of which was risky and could have been taken care of another way, and finally the last is the disorganization and miscommunication responsible

There are many characters in the play of Romeo and Juliet that have important roles and unique characteristics. One of these characters is Friar Lawrence, a Franciscan monk who is an expert in plants and medicines. While the Friar does not appear in all parts of the play, he acts as an advisor to Romeo and Juliet and gets them married. Being an honest, trustworthy, and loving friend, Friar Lawrence helps keep Romeo and Juliet together while maintaining his character and not acting dual-sided or having a second nature. Throughout the later parts of the play, Friar Lawrence’s characterization remains consistent as he guides the two lovers through their troubles and eventually ends the family feud between the Capulets and the Montagues.

Around 1300AD, the Italian Renaissance was introduced, spreading through continental Europe as a “rebirth” of intellect, culture, and especially in the church. Despite the societal advancement, this religious renewal didn’t reach England until over a century later, which was partly because of corruption. During this period when England was behind the times, world connoisseurs such as Geoffrey Chaucer gradually brought the development into the country. Such is evident in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, where Renaissance-like characters on a holy pilgrimage take part in a story telling competition. Many of the pilgrims are part of the clergy and mimic the essence of the modern times by

In the Shakespearean tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence was a monk, and a counselor, who came up with intricate plots and concocted a seemingly magical elixir in order to solve problems that the lovers encountered. Friar Lawrence had a profound impact on the outcome of this Shakespearean play; however, in a way that led to catastrophe. There are many factors that caused the deaths of the lovers, but two of the most important were how Friar Lawrence disregarded his own logic, and how he missed numerous opportunities to save the lovers.

Catholic leaders believed they were defending traditional Christian civilization against rebellions and anarchical forces, whilst the latter argued they were restoring pure religion and defending against corruption and superstition. To them, the Pope was anti-Christ, whilst to the Catholics, Luther, Alvin and all other ‘reformers’ were heretics. Consequently, the secular rulers sought to base their political unity upon that of a religious nature, using their authority to compel their subjects into adopting one form of Christianity. In contrast to Pope Leo X, who face the Lutheran revolt, who urged secular leaders to suppress Protestant heretics by force, Luther appealed for this same force to be used against Catholics, and even Calvin, considered to be an apostle of religious tolerance didn’t permit Catholics to reside in Geneva. Meanwhile, Spain, Portugal and Italy all used methods such as the Inquisition and the Index to eliminate religious dissent and persecute Protestant subjects. Therefore, this shows that despite the argument regarding whether England was ‘torn apart’, the rest of Europe was considerably so, which could subsequently have impacted England.

Among writers and historians, the lack of historical evidence about the life of William Shakespeare has been the main cause of much controversy. Many people doubt that if he was the author of such shocking and transcendental pieces of literature. As a result, the uncertainty that surrounds the authenticity of his persona has increased. Since his childhood, there is no record of Shakespeare attending primary or even university studies. Compared with many other poets and writers his literary training was scarce and his social position was not very favorable to access some kind of help. Many people tend to argue that a man with such a low academic level would be able to possess the rigorous legal, historical and mathematical knowledge that is

During the constant changes of Europe’s religious stances in the 16th century, many countries were fighting for a their own religious standpoint. This unrest lead to revolts and wars and because of the subject’s religious differences in a socially unstable society, these conflicts came between and divided the country. This issue was greatly shown in England, where new governmental policies made participants of the Pilgrimage of Grace to worry for the well being of the commoners in the country. These participants also started to work towards punishing Thomas Cromwell, the head of the King’s council. Those opposed to the movement worried for order, and continued to work for a successful commonwealth.

In comparison to Queen Mary’s ruthless policy over Protestant subjects, Elizabeth adopted a cautious if not liberal policy towards Catholicism. The general consensus of many historians is that Elizabeth did not really care about what her subjects believed as long as they kept their religious views to themselves. Doran (1994 et al) bring to light instances when Protestants, exiled under the previous reign, were invited to preach on public occasions, while Catholic preachers were simply harassed or arrested. Nevertheless Catholics received far lighter punishments for their beliefs.

Meanwhile in England, the Anglican tradition had begun under the banner of the Church of England after having separated itself from the Roman Catholic tradition during the 1530’s; a response by Henry VIII to Pope Clement VII’s refusal to annul the kings marriage with Catherine of Aragon. It is from the last of these, during the Elizabethan period, that the rise of English Puritanism can be seen culminating in disillusionment with the reign of James I and finally revolution under Charles I.

This document is a speech on the matter of religious settlements in the early Elizabethan era. It calls for clarifications of the teachings of doctrine and discipline, which were necessary to sustain religion. Regarding the teachings of doctrine, the issues presented in this speech pertain to ministers who were either accustomed to teaching with the beliefs of Catholicism or who do not teach the true word of God. In addition, the issues regarding discipline are that the ministers and members of the church may have become corrupt with no true disciplinary consequences set forth as punishment. This document is written in a time where the religion had been changed numerous times, leaving the people, including the author, Lord Keeper Bacon, confused. Although somewhat unsure as to what the exact guidelines for the religious settlement would be, Lord Keeper Bacon was not kept in the dark. Originally known as Nicholas Bacon, who would be appointed Lord Keeper by

In 1559 Elizabeth I (1533-1603) was crowned Queen. Elizabeth sought to find a middle ground during her rein (1558-1603) in England, by allowing both Catholics and Protestants to worship without fear of any repercussions. However, Gilbert (1976) that ‘Elizabeth I and her successors had legislated to make Anglican worship compulsory’ (p. 4). By introducing the Act of Uniformity of 1559 it laid out the rules of worship that both religions were to follow and reissued the Book of Common Prayer for use in worship. The Thirty-Nine Articles of 1563 also set to define the doctrine of the Church of England which set out a middle path between the beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church and the Protestants (Wolffe, 2008). By the end of Elizabeth’s I forty five year reign, the majority of people in English society were Protestant. As the older, mainly Catholic members of society had died through old age (Christianity in Britain, 2011). Knight and Mason (2006) describe a dissenter during

Religion was a major factor in a number of Shakespeare’s plays. Religion motivated action and reasoning. In Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” religion was more than a belief in a higher being; it reflected moral standards and ways of living. In the “Merchant of Venice,” “a Christian ethic of generosity, love, and risk-taking friendship is set in pointed contrast with a non-Christian ethic that is seen, from a Christian point of view, as grudging, resentful, and self-calculating.” (Bevington, pg. 74) Although Shakespeare writes this drama from a Christian point of view he illustrates religion by conflicts of the Old Testament and the New Testament in Venetian society and its court of law. These Testaments are tested through the

B. advisory people C. outside threats III. Influence on Religion in England A. Religious state prior B. Religious position C. protest Catholicism IV. Influence on English Renaissance A. Literature 1. Famous authors 2. subject matter 3.

The religious conflict in the Elizabethan era must be understood in the light of how a religion stemmed to two different forms causing bloodshed along the way. In fact, it can be said one of the largest religious disputes during that the era was the Catholics versus the Protestants which were both fleshed out from Christianity. Even if Catholics and Protestants were stemmed from Christianity, both differs in some ways. During the Elizabethan era, Catholics find worth in reading the Bible since Latin written Catholic Bibles were prominent that time.

Ogburn explains “Orthodox scholars and critics tell us flatly that Shakespeare was a Stratford man of humble beginning.” It is believed that a man of such a background However, the accumulated evidence seems to bear out Henry James's suspicion that this notion is "the biggest and most successful fraud ever practiced on a patient world”(Ogburn1).