Friar Lawrence is perhaps one of the most ambiguous characters in Romeo and Juliet. A quick Google search for “character analysis of Friar Laurence” would only affirm this fact. The Friar “advances the plot with his wisdom and religious powers” ​​(Castanalysis.com), yet “he is the most intriguing and political character in the play” (Sparknotes.com). How innocent was he in the destruction of the young Montagues and Capulets, and what kind of personality did he really have? I believe the Friar was a dreamer, but when his dreams collapsed, he did his best to save himself. He thought that when the children of the feuding families were reunited, the fighting would cease and peace would resume in Verona, as Act II, Scene III tells: “For this alliance may prove so happy To transform the rancor of your families in pure love” (Shakespeare).After refusing to marry the children due to Romeo's recently ended infatuation with Rosaline, he agreed only after realizing that the two families could stop fighting. And when Mercutio and Tybalt were killed, the Capulets and Montagues became even more set in their ways, and Romeo was banished, he realized that what he had hoped for would not happen just like that. Instead of giving up, he devised a complicated and intricate (and hardly foolproof) plan to reunite the young lovers, this time more for their own good than for that of their parents, as the plan involved the two eloping together. Of course, one could argue that his move to help the city as a whole was admirable. Who cared if the lovers came to resent each other, as long as the bloodshed stopped? However, when that too fell apart, so did he. A dubiously supporting character throughout the play, Friar Lawrence suddenly began... middle of paper... on which one can rest, never. But he's definitely not entirely innocent. Friar Laurence is the man who helped Romeo and Juliet plan their escape to happiness, as they both ultimately died, as did various members of their families, while he survived unharmed. It may not have been the sole cause of the destruction of Verona that ultimately led to peace, but it was certainly a contributing factor. Work cited "Character sketch - Friar Laurence". CASTANALYSIS. 24 April 2005. Web. 30 May 2011. .Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Enote. Network. May 30, 2011. "SparkNotes: Romeo and Juliet: Analysis of the Main Characters." SparkNotes: Today's most popular study guides. Network. May 30 2011. .