Laurence (Friar)

The Franciscan friar who undertakes to marry Romeo and Juliet. To save Juliet from a second marriage he gives her a sleeping draught, and she is carried to the family vault as dead. Romeo finds her there, and believing her sleep to be the sleep of death, kills himself. On waking, Juliet discovers Romeo dead at her side, and kills herself also. (Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet.) (See Lawrence.)