One of the numerous questions in Romeo and Juliet is whether or not the friar is a good person. In the presence of an adult or when he is by himself, the friar is an honorable human being. However, once he is mixed with the senselessness of youth such as Romeo or Juliet, or both, their inexperience overrides his good judgment. This combination overall establishes that he is, on the whole, a bad person.
             The introduction of Friar Lawrence by his soliloquy proves him to be a very intelligent and able human being. It is seen that he is one of the few characters who can differentiate between right and wrong. It is believed that he may be the one character who reaches the Aristotelian Golden Mean. Just by the fact he is speaking in rhyming couplets shows that he is a very knowledgeable person. Yet when Romeo comes and tells him the problem and his solution of getting married, the friar disregards his own beliefs. This makes him incredibly immoral. If he truly was a good person and a good friar he would do what he knows is the right choice and tell the two that either they must tell their fathers about this, or wait a little bit longer to see what happens between the two as time shows weaknesses and flaws. He cannot be considered incompetent because at 2.4.101 he says, "...they stumble that run fast." Also in his speech in Scene 6 before Juliet arrives, he says how this will all explode using fire and gunpowder as metaphors. This disregard shows that he is unethical, not incompetent. His reasoning for marrying them is not to solve the problems between the Monetgues and Capulets. If it were he is smart enough to know that doing it in secrecy would not be wise. His reasoning is that he wants Romeo and Juliet to think of him as a great friend and buddy. His decision to go with being "cool" over doing the just thing yet again shows his immoral character in the presence of youth.
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