Do you think Friar Lawrence’s decision to wed Romeo and Juliet helped or hurt the situation at hand?

Friar Lawrence, a character who is sometimes overlooked, plays an important role in the story Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare. In it, he is the priest who secretly weds Romeo and Juliet with the good intentions of making peace between the Montagues and Capulet. Immediately, it is apparent to the reader that other characters trust him and respect his advice. In the story, he serves as a constant influence on both Romeo and Juliet. It is reasonable to assume that much of Romeo’s trust in Friar Lawrence comes from their common opinion that the hate between the Montagues and Capulets is unnecessary. Friar Lawrence seems to understand that the hatred the families have tried to impress upon their offspring is weak, perhaps because this generation didn’t experience the origin of that hate firsthand. Nevertheless, Friar Lawrence seizes the opportunity to further weaken this hate by secretly marrying Romeo and Juliet. Although the reader sees that Friar Lawrence means well i...