Quote 7
FRIAR LAURENCE
Who bare my letter, then, to Romeo?FRIAR JOHN
I could not send it—here it is again—
Returning the letter.
Nor get a messenger to bring it thee,
So fearful were they of infection.FRIAR LAURENCE
Unhappy fortune!
(5.2.13-17)
Friar Laurence blames "unhappy fortune" for preventing Romeo from receiving a letter explaining that Juliet isn't really dead. (We usually blame AT&T, but that's just us.)
Quote 8
FRIAR LAURENCE
Romeo! O, pale! Who else? What, Paris too?
And steeped in blood? Ah, what an unkind hour
Is guilty of this lamentable chance!
(5.3.148-151)
There's a lot of finger-pointing in Romeo and Juliet, but we get the feeling that none of the fingers are pointed in the right direction. Here, instead of, you know, taking some of the blame on himself, Friar Laurence just blames "fate."
Quote 9
FRIAR LAURENCE
I hear some noise.—Lady, come from that nest
Of death, contagion, and unnatural sleep.
A greater power than we can contradict
Hath thwarted our intents.
(5.3.156-159)
When Juliet awakens and finds Romeo dead, the Friar tells Juliet that a "higher power"—either God or fate—has ruined their plans. Hm. It seems like the Friar doesn't want to take any responsibility for the part he played in the couple's tragedy. After all, Friar Laurence (a grown man who ought to know better) is the one who (1) facilitated the secret marriage, and then (2) came up with the idea for Juliet to drink the sleeping potion that would make everyone think she was dead. We're pretty sure that, when the Prince says that some will be "punished," he's looking straight at this guy.