DRAMATIS PERSONAE
CHORUS
ESCALUS, Prince of Verona
PARIS, a young nobleman, kinsman to the Prince
MONTAGUE
& CAPULET, heads of two houses at variance with each other
COUSIN CAPULET, kinsman to Capulet
ROMEO, son to Montague
MERCUTIO, kinsman to the Prince, and friend to Romeo
BENVOLIO, nephew to Montague, and friend to Romeo
TYBALT, nephew to Lady Capulet
PETRUCHIO, a (mute) follower of Tybalt
FRIAR LAURENCE
& FRIAR JOHN, Franciscans
BALTHASAR, servant to Romeo
ABRAM, servant to Montague
An important character, he serves as counsel for Romeo, and then marries Romeo and Juliet in a noble, but ill-advised attempt to end the violence between the Montagues and Capulets. 
 After Romeo is banished, Friar Laurence continues to have terrible ideas, scheming to get the couple back together again with a death-faking potion for Juliet. At the end of the play, he recounts the whole story to Prince Escalus. 
 Henry William Bunbury’s depiction of the Friar: 

Romeo and Juliet Characters in the Play