Some readers would call Friar Lawrence a maturing character, others would not. There are several ways to look at Friar Lawrence, some more flattering than others. We'll look at three of these, but first let's look at the basic facts about him.
1. He is Catholic
Remember that when Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, England was a Protestant country. Many other writers of the time made fun of Catholics in their plays, but Friar Lawrence is treated respectfully, and has virtues and faults like everyone else. He's a member of the Franciscan order, which was started by St. Francis of Assisi.
2. He means well
Throughout the play, many people come to him for advice, and he does
his best to help them. He often reminds Romeo of the Church's teachings,
and he tries to use his position to end the feud.
1. One view holds that he is a foolish old man who sends the lovers
to their deaths. Some readers feel that he lives shut away in an abbey
and doesn't understand other people's passions. Romeo accuses him of this
in Act III: "Thou canst not speak of what thou dost not feel!" (III,
iii, 64) Since he can't understand their passions, the best he can do is
offer shallow words and philosophy instead of wisdom. Some feel his words
of caution before Romeo and Juliet's wedding are empty, as is his comfort
to Romeo after Tybalt's death. He isn't wise, but bumbling, and his allowing
the marriage, and giving Juliet the risky potion are partly what kills
the lovers. Worse, he's a coward. If he hadn't been afraid to tell someone
(like the Prince) about the marriage, the story could have ended differently.
And if he hadn't panicked and run away from the tomb, he could have saved
Juliet's life.
2. A second view holds that he is a good and wise man who is foiled by fate. The Friar's first speech about the paradoxes of life seems to prove that he has a deep understanding of life. He gives Romeo wise counsel every step of the way; he tells him to take the relationship slowly and to try to moderate his passion. As long as Romeo has Friar Lawrence to guide him, he can overcome any circumstances; it's only when Romeo has no one to quiet his passions that he kills himself.
3. A third view holds that he is a good man, but has failings. Some readers feel that he really tries to do his best, and most of the time it works. He tries to settle the feud, to keep Romeo and Juliet living holy lives, and to solve the difficult problems that come up. His love for Romeo can be seen as a strength or as a fault. You can interpret his actions as trying to keep Romeo happy: he marries him to Juliet, he hides him (illegally) in his cell, he puts his career on the line to try and have the marriage recognized; he gives Juliet a risky drug in the hope that he can get her back to Romeo. In this case, it's no wonder the Friar panics at the tomb: very few of us could think straight if we'd just found the body of the person we loved most. Although the Friar marries Romeo, he advises him to be careful; although he uses empty philosophy to comfort him, he's able to form a plan to rouse Romeo to action. He only gives Juliet the potion because she's desperate and threatens suicide; and although he flees from the tomb, he's willing to tell the whole story, even if it condemns him.
In the second and third views, Friar Lawrence understands the lovers'
problems and it changes him through the course of the play. If you agree
with either of these views, you can call Friar Lawrence a "maturing character."
As you read the play, see what evidence you can find for each of these
views.
Juliet's
Nurse
She serves several important functions in the play:
1. She understands things in physical terms. To her, love means sex. For example, when Lady Capulet tells Juliet that she'll be "no less" if she marries Paris, the Nurse cries that she'll be more: men make women pregnant. Because she sees things in physical terms, she can't understand the depth of the lovers' emotional and spiritual bond. One partner is as good as another to her: what does it matter if Juliet has Romeo or Paris?
2. She says exactly what she thinks, whether or not it's appropriate. When Romeo, then a stranger, asks her who Juliet is, she tells him, "I tell you, he that can lay hold of her / shall have the chinks (money)." (I, v, 118-19) Saying what she means without thinking hurts Juliet very much. The last thing she needs to hear at the end of Act IV is that the Nurse thinks Romeo is a "dishcloth."
3. She garbles messages. This is funny when we know the message, and it's good news. The garbled message about the wedding is funny; the garbled message about who's dead is tragically painful to Juliet.
4. She loves to plot. This is endearing because she goes out of her
way to help the lovers meet and get rope ladders. She enjoyed plotting
Juliet's marriage, but she doesn't take responsibility for her actions.
If that plot doesn't work out, she thinks, start over and try another one.
But actions have consequences, and Juliet is abandoned by her Nurse when
she needs her most.
Lord
and Lady Montague (Romeo's parents)
Romeo and Juliet come from very different families. The Montagues are close-knit and loving. Romeo's parents, Lord and Lady Montague, care a lot about Romeo, and do everything they can to find out what's bothering him. Romeo's parents know Romeo's friends. At the beginning of the play, they ask Benvolio to find out why Romeo's depressed; and in Act II, Scene iv, Mercutio and Benvolio are going to have supper at the Montague's house, and they hope Romeo will come along.
Lady Montague's only fault is her obsessive love of Romeo. She dies of grief when he's banished, before news comes that he's dead.
Lord Montague's only fault is his willingness to fight in the feud. The only time that he isn't reasonable and loving is in the first scene when he charges onto the stage, calling, "Thou Villain Capulet!" Unfortunately, this fault is ultimately responsible for his son's death.
Lord and Lady Capulet (Juliet's parents)
Lord Capulet enjoys playing the role of the gracious patriarch. He's wealthy and he likes to be well thought of. He's on his best behavior in front of company; he jokes with Paris and calls him "son." At the Capulets' feast he flirts and jokes, and goes so far as to protect Romeo from Tybalt. But like a spoiled child, he wants everything to go his way, and he's furious when someone doesn't obey him. When Tybalt argues with him, he calls him a "saucy boy" and a "princox." When Juliet refuses to marry Paris, he has a tantrum and threatens to throw her out on the street to starve. He has a strained relationship with his wife. He doesn't say much to her, except to order her around; she responds by making bitter remarks about him.
Lady Capulet is a bitter, guarded woman. She was married early, and the match was obviously arranged. Her husband seems to be much older than she is, and she uses this to make life difficult for him. The first time we see her, her husband is calling for a sword to join a fight, and she follows behind, answering, "A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword?" Because she's an unhappy woman who guards her feelings, she doesn't know how to relate to Juliet, who has been raised by her Nurse. We can see why she'd think Paris a good match for Juliet. He's not only wealthy, but young and attractive: everything in a husband she might have wished for herself but doesn't have.
Through the play we see her become increasingly sympathetic to Juliet. Could it be that she remembers her own tears before her wedding? She begs her husband not to move the wedding closer, and she protects Juliet from Lord Capulet's fury. Still, when Juliet needs her most, she chooses to withdraw from the situation, telling Juliet, "Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee." (III, v, 205)
Still, both Capulets are genuinely grieved when they believe that Juliet
is dead. Lady Capulet cries that Juliet was the only thing she had to love;
and Lord Capulet now has no heir, nothing in which to hope.