the friar

• The Friar in Romeo and Juliet enables and facilitates most of the action within the play, marrying Romeo and Juliet and helping Juliet devise a plan to 'reunite' with Romeo after being instructed to marry Paris
• The Friar is the only character who presents religion in the play, portraying it as a rational and peaceful presence, although his actions could be interpreted as showing the dangers of religion if not kept in check
• The Friar intentionally marries Romeo and Juliet to end the civil tension between the Montagues and Capulets, demonstrating his neutrality in the conflict but with his own agenda of bringing the two families back together
• Both Romeo and Juliet frequently seek guidance from the Friar, portraying him as a neutral figure between the two families who can offer rational and unbiased help, although his wish to end the conflict inadvertently leads to the young lovers' death
• The Friar acts as a father figure for Romeo and uses Romeo's relationship with Juliet to try and end the conflict between the two families
• The Friar helps Juliet come up with a plan to reunite with Romeo by pretending to commit suicide, but this backfires and unintentionally leads to Juliet's death
• In a quote from Act 2, Scene 3, the Friar references nature to reveal the positive and negative sides to everything, foreshadowing the play's ending where opposition leads to the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet
• Another quote from Act 2, Scene 4 displays the Friar's good intentions to turn the households' rancor to pure love, although in the end, the death of the lovers unites the Montagues and Capulets instead of their marriage
• In a quote from Act 2, Scene 4, the Friar's phrase "incorporate two in one" reflects the central pairing of Romeo and Juliet, suggesting that he is a key motivator in their relationship