A Franciscan monk who secretly marries Romeo and Juliet in his cell in the belief that their union will bring an end to the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues. Friar Lawrence comes to the aid of the couple when Juliet discovers that she must marry her family's chosen suitor, Paris -- a wedding that the friar is to conduct in the play and the opera. He concocts the potion Juliet takes that will make her appear dead, but from which she will eventually awaken. The scheme goes awry, resulting in the death of the lovers.
