What is Friar Laurence saying? ""Within the infant rind of this weak flower Poison hath residence and medicine power; For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each part; Being tasted, stays all senses with the heart."" (II, iii, 25-28) a) Children are fragile and weak like flowers, especially Romeo and his fickle love. b) Depending on the use, a single drug can heal or kill; in the same way, all things can serve a good or bad purpose c) The best poison will always resist the most powerful medicine; in the same way, evil (death) will always triumph over good (life) in the end d) The flower has the power to make people think with their heart instead of their head; likewise, emotions are genuine and thoughts are often artificial.

In this quote, Friar Laurence is saying that the flower he holds has different powers. A small dose will make people better, but a bigger dose will kill someone. In this way he shows that something that seems small can actually be incredibly powerful. Also in this is the idea that something can be good or bad depending on how it is used or seen. Friar Laurence compares this to love. Love can be good in that it makes people happy, but it can also destroy. In this case, Friar Laurence is referring to how Romeo has locked himself pining away after Rosaline.