Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
AQA

Exploring the role of Friar Lawrence in Act 2, Scene 3 of 'Romeo and Juliet'

I can explain the role of Friar Lawrence and his relationship to Romeo within Act 2, Scene 3 of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
AQA

Exploring the role of Friar Lawrence in Act 2, Scene 3 of 'Romeo and Juliet'

I can explain the role of Friar Lawrence and his relationship to Romeo within Act 2, Scene 3 of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
View new resources
arrow-right

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In Elizabethan England, religion played a central role in people’s lives.
  2. Friar Lawrence’s role as an advisor to Romeo and Juliet arguably represents the importance of religion.
  3. Friar Lawrence’s speech in Act 2, Scene 3 indicates his knowledge of human nature and emotions.
  4. Shakespeare arguably presents Friar Lawrence and Romeo as having a very close relationship.

Keywords

  • Friar - belongs to a religious order, a group within the Catholic church

  • Duality - the state of combining two different things

  • Secular - not connected with religious or spiritual matters

  • Tragedy - a play dealing with tragic events and often ends with a death

Common misconception

That people in Elizabethan England share the same ideas about religion as we do in modern society.

Religion was central to people's lives in Elizabethan England in a way that it is not in modern society.


To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Exploring the role of Friar Lawrence in Act 2, Scene 3 of 'Romeo and Juliet', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

You could extend the discussions in the lesson by specifically thinking about the assumption that Friar Lawrence is Catholic and what Shakespeare might be saying about Catholicism.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

You may wish to have a copy of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' for this lesson.

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' was published in the __________ era.
Correct answer: Elizabethan
Jacobean
Victorian
Q2.
In Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', after meeting for the first time, Romeo and Juliet decide to...
tell their parents
Correct answer: get married
not see each other again
Q3.
'A play dealing with tragic events and often ends with a death' is the definition of a play.
Correct Answer: tragedy
Q4.
'A warning or indication of (a future event)' is the definition of which literary device beginning with 'f'?
Correct Answer: foreshadowing, foreshadow
Q5.
'The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement' is the definition of which of the following?
courage
intelligence
Correct answer: wisdom
Q6.
In Act 1, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Romeo’s father says that Romeo keeps his emotions "so secret and so close" which implies which of the following?
Romeo is open with his father about his emotions.
Correct answer: Romeo does not share his emotions with his father.
Romeo's father is open with Romeo.

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
In Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', we meet Lawrence in Act 2, Scene 3.
Correct Answer: Friar
Q2.
In Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Romeo turns to __________ after deciding to marry Juliet.
Benvolio
Lord Montague
Correct answer: Friar Lawrence
Q3.
'The state of combining two different things' is the definition of which word beginning with 'd'?
Correct Answer: duality, dual
Q4.
Arguably, Shakespeare portrays Friar Lawrence as __________ in Act 2, Scene 3 of 'Romeo and Juliet'.
courageous
brave
Correct answer: wise
Q5.
'Not connected with religious or spiritual matters' is the definition of...
sacred
Correct answer: secular
divine
Q6.
In Act 2, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Friar Lawrence advises Romeo: “Wisely and slow. They that run fast.”
Correct Answer: stumble