- That Romeo sure is fast because the next thing we know, Romeo tracks down Friar Laurence, who has been out foraging for medicinal plants and herbs for one of his concoctions.
- (Note: historians (like Andrew Crislip) also tell us that it wasn't uncommon for clergymen to practice or dabble in medicine—after all, a visit to the physician was an expense that many people couldn't afford and priests often needed to supplement their income.)
- Friar Laurence delivers a speech about how herbs and plants have the potential to be healing and medicinal, but if they're misused, they can be deadly poison.
- Get your highlighters out, because this is important. Check out "Symbols" if you want to know more.
- Friar Laurence looks at Romeo and notices that loverboy hasn't "been in bed tonight" and assumes that he must have finally hooked up with Rosaline. He also notices that Romeo is suddenly cheerful after weeks of moping around.
- Nope, he's totally over Rosaline and into this chick Juliet. Will Friar Laurence perform the ceremony?
- The Friar's response: "Holy Saint Francis!"
- Friar Laurence provides a much-needed reality check: Romeo has been switching girls like highway lanes.
- The Friar decides to help Romeo out but not because he's a romantic: he's got political motives—a marriage between Romeo and Juliet just might reconcile the two warring families.
- So, in the name of reducing the yearly street-brawl-murder rate in Verona, Friar Laurence skips the lecture on fidelity and commitment and goes right to agreeing with the marriage.
(Click the summary infographic to download.)