Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Summary of Friar Lawrence's 2 big speeches?

I believe you are referring to Friar Laurence's monologues in Act II, Scene iii, and Act V, scene iii, of Romeo and Juliet.
The first, beginning "The grey-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night," is also the friar's very first appearance in the play and serves to introduce his character. The audience meets Friar Laurence just as the sun is rising and he is preparing to go out to fill his basket with plants which, he explains in this speech, have medicinal or poisonous qualities. He narrates his morning activities, and, though this soliloquy does not necessarily move the plot forward, through his words Shakespeare ensures that, from the man's very introduction, the audience is aware that Friar Laurence is knowledgeable about potions and poisons, which will become important later when it is the Friar who gives Juliet the potion to make her appear dead. The soliloquy is also of thematic importance to the rest of the play, as it touches on the nature of vice and virtue with the lines,

"Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied;And vice sometimes by action dignified."

Friar Laurence's next big speech comes in the very last scene of the play and begins,

"I will be brief, for my short date of breathIs not so long as is a tedious tale."

In this speech, Friar Laurence essentially summarizes the events of the play so that the Prince and Lords Capulet and Montague will come to understand how Romeo and Juliet came to kill themselves. He tells them of the young lovers' marriage, Romeo's banishment, his plan for Juliet to fake her death, and the letter he sent to Romeo informing him of this plan that was unfortunately never delivered. This speech really drives home the fact that throughout the play, it is only ever Friar Laurence who has all of the facts. The friar also accepts the blame for his actions, concluding his speech with the lines,

"... if aught in thisMiscarried by my fault, let my old lifeBe sacrificed, some hour before his time,Unto the rigour of severest law."

Here, it is clear that he knows he messed up in advising the titular young lovers, and he surrenders himself to the punishment of the Prince's ruling.

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