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December 9, 2016
Romeo and Juliet Summary
Act IV
Scene 3: Juliet succeeds in sleeping alone which allows her to take the potion in privacy. Juliet worries about the Friar's intentions before the potion takes effect and she falls asleep.
Juliet talks with her mother and her nurse. They choose the clothing she is to wear the next day. Juliet then asks the Nurse to leave her alone for the night. She gives two excuses: First, she has a need for many prayers since she has been disobedient, and second, the Nurse needs to help her mother prepare for the wedding since the date has changed. Both women agree with Juliet and leave her by herself in the room.
Juliet starts to take the potion, pauses a moment, then takes the potion. She starts to question whether or not she is doing the right thing. She thinks about calling back her mother or the nurse, but quickly realizes that this is something she must face alone. She is start to become fearful and mentions three different things that she is afraid of. The first thing she mentions fearing is the plan not working. If the potion does not work, then she will HAVE to marry Paris the next day. She picks up a dagger/knife, but then as she pushes that fear out of her mind, she lays the dagger down.
The second thing she fears is that the Friar gave her poison instead of sleeping potion. She is wondering if she should trust the Friar because she thinks he is regretting his decision to wed her to Romeo. Since he cannot take that action back, maybe he’ll just get rid of her. She again dismisses this thought saying that the Friar has proved himself a holy man and a trustworthy man.
The third thing she is afraid of, and the fear that she dwells on the most, is waking up in the tomb by herself if things don’t go as planned. Tybalt’s body, newly slain, has just been placed in the Capulet family tomb. The bodies of her other dead relatives, all in different states of decomposition, are also in the tomb. She thinks about being suffocated by the stench of the air in the vault (remember that they did not embalm bodies back then). Another thing she thinks about is being in the dark with all of the bodies. She also mentions seeing ghosts/spirits in the vault and being frightened to death. The last thing that she mentions is waking up and going crazy and killing herself in the vault. As the potion starts to take effect, she thinks she sees the ghost of her dead cousin. With that, she falls into her bed.
Scene 4: Lady Capulet and the Nurse are busy making preparations for the wedding. It is 3 o'clock in the morning and now Capulet hearing music announcing Paris' arrival, tells the Nurse to wake Juliet.
Scene 5: The Capulet's learn that their daughter Juliet is dead. The wedding preparations are changed to those of a funeral.
It is the Nurse who finds Juliet’s lifeless body upon her bed. This is another instance of dramatic irony because the audience knows something that the characters in the play do not and that is that Juliet is not dead.Paris is upset at having learned that his soon-to-be-bride is now “dead.” He says that he will still love her, even in death. The Friar also comes in ready to “marry” the two, but quickly learns of her “death.” He explains that Juliet was a wonderful person and her parents hoped to promote her in life. He tells her parents that they should not be weeping because Juliet is dead, but that they should be happy because she is in heaven, the highest promotion of all. He tells them that they need to start the funeral arrangements.
Act V.
Scene 1: In Mantua, Romeo learns of Juliet's death, deciding to risk his own life by returning to Verona at once to see Juliet one last time. Romeo also buys some poison from a local Apothecary.
Romeo is enjoying life in Mantua, just waiting for and dreaming of the day when he and Juliet shall be reunited. Before Friar Laurence’s letter could get to Romeo, his servingman, Balthazar, comes to Mantua first. He explains that Juliet has been found dead and that she is now in the family’s vault. Romeo begins to go crazy. He asks for ink and paper. He asks for His servant to hire horses to get him back to Verona faster.
Romeo plans to go to Verona to the Capulet’s vault and to commit suicide. He goes out looking for an apothecary, someone who was good in chemistry and could make all types of medicines and other concoctions such as poison. Romeo finds an apothecary, buys the poison for 40 pieces of gold, and heads back to Verona.
Scene 2: Friar John explains to Friar Laurence that his letter informing Romeo that Juliet is not dead, did not reach Romeo. Friar Laurence tries again to inform Romeo of his plan and heads off to the Capulet burial chamber where Juliet will soon awaken.
Friar John comes to Friar Laurence’s cell to tell him that he was unable to deliver the letter to Romeo. The Friar had been visiting sick people at their homes and one of the people that he had visited had died of the plague; therefore, fearing Friar John may be carrying the plague, he was quarantined and not allowed out of the house. Because of this, he was not able to get the letter to Romeo. Friar Laurence asked him why he didn’t hire a messenger to take the letter to Romeo. Friar John said that he tried but that no messenger would come near him for fear of getting the plague. Friar Laurence informs him that the information in the letter was not a friendly, “Hey Pal, How ya doing?” but it was a matter of life or death importance. Friar John apologizes to Friar Laurence.
Instead of freaking out about the situation, Friar Laurence remains calm. He realizes that the potion should be wearing off in three (3) hours and hurries go gather items he will need to get into the tomb. His plan is to be there when Juliet awakes. He will then bring her back to his cell and keep her hidden. He will then write another letter to Romeo explaining the situation. Romeo can then get Juliet from the Friar’s cell and the two can go to Mantua as planned.
Scene 3: Paris mourns his bride that never was. Romeo arrives, opening Juliet's coffin to look at his love one last time. Paris fights Romeo whom he believes is desecrating Juliet's grave. Paris dies, Romeo placing him beside Juliet. Romeo takes his poison, kisses Juliet and dies. Friar Laurence arrives too late. Juliet, now awakens, asking for her Romeo. Friar Laurence leaves, leaving Juliet alone. Juliet kisses Romeo and stabs herself, dying. The Prince, Capulets, and Montagues arrive, Balthasar and Friar Laurence explaining all. Escalus scolds the two families who finally end their feud. The play ends with the Prince summarizing this tragic love story.
Paris has come, with his Page, to lay flowers and perfumed water on her grave (the vault). While they are there, they hear someone coming and hide in the shadows of the grave yard. Romeo and his servant, Balthazar, enter the scene. Romeo has come with a crowbar to break in to the tomb. He threatens that if Balthazar follows him, he will kill him. Romeo says that he is going to break into the tomb to get a ring from Juliet’s finger. . He tells Balthazar to leave him alone and to deliver a letter to his father in the morning. Balthazar leaves, or so Romeo thinks. Balthazar actually hides in the graveyard to find out what Romeo is up to.
As Romeo is trying to get into the vault, Paris approaches and threatens Romeo saying, “Obey, and go with me; for thou must die,” (V. iii. Line 57). Romeo agrees with Paris saying, “I must indeed; and therefore came I hither,” (V. iii. Line 58). Romeo tells Paris that was his intention on coming to the vault. He goes on to warn Paris to leave him alone because he has gone mad. Juliet’s death has greatly affected Romeo to the point where he is not thinking rationally. Paris does not back down. The two fight outside on the steps of the tomb, and Romeo kills Paris. Paris’ last request is that Romeo put is body in the tomb next to Juliet. Romeo does this. When the two start to fight, Paris’ Page leaves to go summon the Watch.
Romeo enters the tomb, placing Paris’ body on the floor next to Juliet. He then focuses his attention on Juliet. Romeo mentions that “Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, / Had no power yet upon thy beauty,” (V. iii. Line 92-93). He still thinks she is beautiful in death. He continues on to say, “Beauty’s ensign yet / Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks, / And death’s pale flag is not advancèd there,”(V. iii. Line 94-96). Ensign means banner. Romeo notices that Juliet’s lips and cheeks are still red and rosy, and he mentions that death has not touched her face yet. Even though Romeo notices these things, he seems to ignore them. He takes the poison, kisses Juliet, and dies next to her body.
Meanwhile, the Friar has come to be with Juliet when she wakes, still thinking that Romeo is in Mantua. He encounters Balthazar. The Friar notices that there is a faint light coming from the Capulet vault. He asks Balthazar who is in the tomb, and Balthazar tells him that Romeo has been in there a half an hour. The Friar wants to approach the tomb, but Balthazar refuses, remembering Romeo’s threat if he follows him into the tomb.
As the Friar enters the tomb, he notices that there is blood on the front steps and wonders what event took place there. He continues into the vault and notices Romeo’s dead body first and then Paris’ dead body. As he is noticing the bodies, Juliet wakes up. She says that she remembers where she is, but she wants to know where Romeo is. Before he can answer her, Friar Laurence hears a noise outside and begs Juliet to leave with him. He tells her that she can become a nun. Juliet refuses to leave, so the Friar leaves without her.
It is then that Juliet notices Romeo’s body. She also notices that he has the vial of poison in his hand. She checks the vial, but he has taken all of the poison. She then kisses him, hoping there is enough poison on his lips to kill her. She realizes that his lips are warm and that his death has been recent. She then hears a noise outside and realizes that she cannot waste any time. She grabs Romeo’s dagger/knife and says, “This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die,” (V. iii. Line 170). She stabs herself and dies.
Just then, the Page returns with some of the watchmen. The chief watchman begins to investigate, he and some watchmen going into the vault and some of the other watchmen going out into the graveyard. He sees blood on the steps and enters to tomb. He finds the dead bodies of Paris, Romeo, and Juliet. He tells some of the watchmen to go summon the Capulet’s, the Montague’s, and the Prince. Some of the outside men find Balthazar and the Friar hiding in the graveyard. They bring them to the chief watchmen.
The chief watchman tells the other watchmen to hold the two men. The Prince arrives, but before he could begin to question the Friar and Balthazar, the Capulets show up. They want to know what happened to their daughter, especially since she was already “dead.” Before they could get any answers, Montague enters the scene. He announces that his wife, Romeo’s mother, has also died that night. She died from grief at Romeo’s banishment. All of the characters that die the last night of the play are Lady Montague, Paris, Romeo and Juliet.
The Prince tells everyone in the crowd shut up so that they can get the whole story. The Friar gives the story of what happened. He confesses to having married Romeo and Juliet on the same day that Romeo killed Tybalt and was banished. He explains that after Romeo’s banishment, Juliet, more upset about the banishment than her cousin’s death, came to him for help so that she would not have to marry Paris because she was already in love with Romeo and she was already married. The Friar explains that he gave her the sleeping potion and she took it, making everyone think she was dead. He says that he tried sending a letter to Romeo through Friar John but that Friar John, through no fault of his own, could not get the letter to Romeo and returned the letter to Friar John that day. He goes on to say that he planned on coming to meet Juliet when she woke up and that he was going to take her back to his cell until Romeo had been notified and could come get her. He continues by saying that when he go to the tomb he found Romeo dead. When Juliet awoke, he tried to get her to leave with him, but she refused. He said that once he left, it seems as though she did violence on herself because everyone else in that vault was dead. He finishes the story by saying that the Nurse knew all about the marriage and can vouch for him. He finishes his speech by blaming himself for Romeo and Juliet’s deaths and asks to be punished.
The Prince pardons him by saying he was just doing what he thought was right marrying the two to end the feud, trying to help Romeo and Juliet reunite, and helping Juliet so that she would not commit a sin by marring two men. He says that he is still known as a holy man. The Prince then questions Balthazar to see if he can fill in the gaps in the Friar’s story. Balthazar admits to bring the news of Juliet’s death to Romeo. He also says that Romeo gave him a letter to give to his father. He tells the Prince that Romeo threatened him with death if he entered the tomb.
The Prince asks to see the letter. He then asks Paris’ Page about what went on. The Page tells the Prince that Paris came with flowers and perfumed water but that they hid when Romeo came. He says that Paris confronted Romeo, and they began to fight. That is when he ran to fetch the watch.
The Prince reads the letter that backed up the Friar’s word. He then scolds the Lord Montague and the Capulets for letting their feud go too far. He mentions that they have lost their children and that he has lost a kinsman. He says that all are punished because of this feud. As the two families grieve the loss of their children, they agree to end the feud. Montague offers to erect a statue in Juliet’s memory. Capulet offers to erect a statue of Romeo beside the one of Juliet.
The Prince ends with saying:
A glooming peace this morning with it brings.
The sun for sorrow will never show his head.
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardoned, and some punishèd;
For ever was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.