Responsibility means being held responsible or guilty of an act. In many tragedies, there is a character held responsible for the unhappy end. In the case of the play Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, Friar Laurence is responsible for the deaths of the titular characters. Friar Laurence's cowardice, unreliability, and impulsiveness lead to the unfortunate deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Friar Laurence's decisions made out of cowardice ultimately lead to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. When Juliet awakens from the sleeping potion, she sees Romeo and Paris dead. The Friar, fearful of being captured by the Guard and being held responsible for his actions, flees from the unstable Juliet. Friar Laurence's cowardice is evident in his last words to Juliet before abandoning her: “Do not stay and ask questions, for the clock is coming; / Come, go, good Juliet, I dare not stay any longer” (5.3.158-9). The Friar, aware of Juliet's past suicidal tendencies, should stay with Juliet in her time of need, despite the possibility of guard punishment. If Friar Laurence had been more courageous, Juliet's suicide and death could have been avoided. Because of this, Friar Laurence's decision to be a coward makes him responsible for Juliet's death. In addition to his cowardice, Friar Laurence's unreliability also proves to be a major contributing factor to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Friar Laurence's plan to reunite Romeo and Juliet involves him sending the exiled Romeo a letter explaining the plan. Friar Lawrence shows unreliability when he fails to perform this task. When Brother John returns to Verona, having failed in his task of delivering the letter to Romeo, Brother Laurence states: “Unhappy luck! Halfway through the document, having considered his decision, the death of Romeo and Juliet could have been avoided. Friar Laurence's impulsiveness contributed greatly to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. In conclusion, Friar Laurence is responsible for the deaths of the titular characters of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet because he makes fatal decisions involving cowardice, unreliability, and impulsiveness. Friar Laurence's decisions, such as choosing to abandon Juliet in the Capulets' tomb, not emphasizing the importance of his letter to Friar John, giving Juliet a sleeping potion, and marrying Romeo and Juliet proved fatal, as they led to the death of Romeo and Juliet. The decisions that Friar Laurence makes throughout the play make him responsible for Romeo and Juliet's acts of suicide. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Toronto: Harcourt Canada, 1999. Print.