| Friar Laurence | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Laurence |
|
First Appearance |
Literary: Historia novellamente ritrovata di due nobili amanti (1531) Stage: Romeo and Juliet (1591–95) |
|
Created by |
Luigi Da Porto, William Shakespeare |
Origin[]
From Stories By Famous Authors Illustrated #10.
Friar Laurence is a friar who plays the part of a wise adviser to Romeo and Juliet, along with aiding in major plot developments.
Alone, he foreshadows the later, tragic events of the play with his soliloquy about plants and their similarities to humans. When Romeo requests the Friar marry him to Juliet, he is shocked, because only days before, Romeo had been infatuated with Rosaline, a woman who did not return his love. Nevertheless, Friar Laurence decides to marry Romeo and Juliet in the attempt to stop the civil feud between the Capulets and the Montagues.
When Romeo is banished for killing Tybalt and flees to Mantua, Friar Laurence attempts to help the two lovers get back together using a potion to fake Juliet's death. The friar sends a letter to Romeo explaining the situation, but it does not reach him because the people of Mantua suspect the messenger came from a house infected with the plague, and the Friar is unable to arrive at the Capulet's monument in time. Romeo kills Count Paris, whom he finds weeping near Juliet's corpse, then dies by suicide, by drinking poison that he bought from an impoverished apothecary, over what he thinks is Juliet's dead body. Friar Laurence arrives just as Juliet awakes from her chemically induced slumber. He urges Juliet not to be rash and to join a society of nuns, but he hears a noise from outside and then flees from the tomb. Juliet then kills herself with Romeo's dagger, completing the tragedy. The Friar is forced to return to the tomb, where he recounts the entire story to Prince Escalus and all the Montagues and Capulets. As he finishes, the prince proclaims, "We have still known thee for a holy man."
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Friar Laurence from before January 1, 1931 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Theatrical Appearances[]
- Romeo and Juliet (1591–95)
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Historia novellamente ritrovata di due nobili amanti (1531)
- The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet (1562)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Stories By Famous Authors Illustrated #10 - Romeo and Juliet
Notes[]
- Da Porto wrote the novella in his villa in Montorso Vicentino near Vicenza before June 1524, and dedicated it to his cousin Lucina Savorgnan.