In the play, Romeo and Juliet, I believe Friar Laurence is to blame for their deaths. So many wrong steps were taken and encouraged by Friar Laurence to these naive lovers, that ultimately lead to their deaths. The first mistake that Friar Laurence made was to agree to marry the two in secret and without the permission of their parents. The next piece of bad advice the Friar gave, was when he instructed Juliet to fake her own death to avoid her dilemma. The last wrongdoing was giving the message for Romeo to an unreliable messenger. If any of these events did not take place, their deaths could’ve been avoided.
Romeo has great respect and love for Friar Laurence, so of course he is the first to know of his love for Juliet. “Then plainly know my heart's dear love is set On the fair daughter of rich Capulet: As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine; And all combined, save what thou must combine
By holy marriage: when and where and how We met, we woo'd and made exchange of vow, I'll tell thee as we pass; but this I pray, That thou consent to marry us today.” In these lines, Romeo clearly trusts the Friar, telling him that Juliet is a Capulet and seeking his advice on their marriage. The Friar quickly reminds Romeo of his love for Rosaline just a couple of hours earlier. “Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, So soon forsaken?” Friar Laurence is very aware of Romeo’s problem of falling so deeply in love so quickly. The Friar should've instead, encouraged Romeo to wait for awhile before he rushes into marriage. He also should have advised Romeo and Juliet to talk to their parents first maybe even be a mediator between them and Romeo and Juliet. I think that in his desire to want to be a sort of “hero” and claim peace between the Montagues and the Capulets, the Friar created a bigger problem for the young lovers. The secret marriage was the first step that decided the fate of Romeo and Juliet.
When matters go...