The Friar is a religious idealist, a philosopher who understands the big picture while other characters in the play are too involved in their interrelationships to share his perspective. The Friar, like the herbs he collects, displays conflicting characteristics. He is a holy man, anxious to help the lovers in order to reconcile the Montagues and Capulets and bring peace to Verona. Yet his decision to marry Romeo and Juliet in a secret ceremony and deceive the Capulet family when Juliet takes the sleeping potion emphasizes the Friar's naive underestimation of the feud and the workings of fate — a failing that will prove deadly for Romeo and Juliet.
Romeo's relationship with the Friar again highlights the theme of youth versus old age, while underscoring Romeo's isolation from his friends and family. The Friar acts as a father figure to Romeo. The Friar is the only person to whom Romeo can confide the secret of his love for Juliet and his plans to marry. Romeo is typically impulsive and wants to be married that day whereas the Friar, using the formal language of rhyme, advises caution, reminding Romeo of the love he recently had for Rosaline and the speed with which he has abandoned that love.
