Friar Quote Analysis

Question 1

Good phrases

Answer 1

• The Friar enables and facilitates most of the action within the play, helps Juliet devise plan
• Creates impression of neutral figure, but may have an agenda
• Figure whom the 2 principale characters turn to

Question 2

A2S3 - “Poison hath residence and medicine power”

Answer 2

• Natural imagery in ‘flower’, the Friar is revealing to the audience the paradoxical nature of the world we live in
• Paradoxes are reinforced in ‘virtue turns vice’ – forebode the results of his actions how they are almost paradoxical, likens to the situation between the Capulets and Montagues, within opposition, Romeo, and Juliet marriage
• ‘Virtue turns vice’ The Friar’s sententia here highlights the fragility of virtue, is proleptic of the downfall of Romeo and Juliet’s affair.
• Cautions for Romeo

Question 3

A2S4 - “For this alliance help, turn your households’ rancor to pure love.”

Answer 3

• Unusual ‘alliance’ typically associated with political business – unaccustomed to a man of god
• Juxtaposition of ‘rancour’ to ‘pure’ may highlight how Friar is dreaming of altered reality, leading back to Mab speech
• Shakespeare cautions against the impetuous nature of dremaing

Question 4

A2S6 - “you shall not stay alone / Till holy church incorporates two in one”

Answer 4

• ‘alone’ and ‘one’ foreground sense of coupling, partial rhyme undermones relationship
• May be Friar is the one foreshadowing as if ulterior motives
• The phrase “incorporate two in one” semantic field of pairing suggests Friar is key motivator of relationship

Question 5

A4S5 - “O, in this love, you love your child so ill”

Answer 5

• The Friar’s words act to calm the situation but have a deeper meaning. He seems to be chastising the Capulets for the ill “love” of Juliet
• final couplet applies to her marriage to Romeo - her brief affair with Romeo made her happier than a long marriage ever would.
• dual meaning reflects the Friar’s duplicity in staging Juliet’s death

Question 6

A2S6 - “That after-hours with sorrow chide us not!”

Answer 6

• This opening to scene imposes a tragic atmosphere for their marriage
• He mentions ‘after-hours’ and ‘sorrow’ signalling the onset of the tragedy and is thus proleptic of the coming downfall
• Friar seems to be subtly temting fate with mere mention of ‘sorrow’, even a man of god is a victim
  after marraige