In Romeo and Juliet, which friar secretly marries Romeo and Juliet?

Friar Laurence secretly marries Romeo and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. He agrees to perform the ceremony because he hopes the marriage will end the long feud between the Montague and Capulet families.

The friar also creates the plan intended to reunite the couple after Romeo’s banishment. He gives Juliet a potion that makes her appear dead, expecting Romeo to receive a message explaining the scheme and meet her when she awakens. The message fails to reach Romeo because Friar John is delayed by a quarantine order.

Friar Laurence is not simply a villain or a flawless mentor. His motives are compassionate, but his secretive decisions contribute to the catastrophe. He is also present at the tomb and tells the assembled families what happened. The character is sometimes confused with Friar John, whose failed delivery of the letter is a separate and crucial event.