Romeo and Juliet
Notes: Act V
Scene I
Romeo has had a dream that Juliet found him dead and kissed him back to life. Balthasar arrives with news of Juliet’s death. Romeo decides he will leave for Verona that night and orders Balthasar to leave him. Romeo decides he will kill himself so he may be with Juliet. He finds an apothecary and asks him to sell him some poison. It is against eh law but the apothecary is poor and needs the money so he agrees.
Scene II
Friar Laurence has sent Friar John to deliver the message to Romeo, but he is delayed by quarantine. Friar Laurence decides to go to the tomb so he will be there when Juliet awakes. Friar Laurence will send another letter to Romeo and will hide Juliet until Romeo can come for her.
Scene III
Paris arrives at Juliet’ tomb to place flowers near her body. Romeo arrives shortly after with a crowbar to open the tomb. Paris assumes he has come to desecrate the bodies. Romeo tries to explain the situation but Paris does not believe him and they fight. Paris is fatally wounded and his dying wish is to be placed near Juliet. Upon seeing Juliet’s body, Romeo comments that Death has not changed her beauty (irony). Romeo then drinks the poison, kisses Juliet and dies. At this point, Friar Laurence arrives, delayed because he has tripped over the gravestones. Balthasar informs him that Romeo is inside the tomb and has been there for a half hour. The Friar enters and finds both Paris and Romeo dead. At this point Juliet awakens and Friar Laurence informs her that someone is coming; Romeo is dead that she should leave with him. Juliet refused to leave so the Friar leaves without her. She sees Romeo’s body on the floor and is upset that he has drunk all the poison and has not left any for her. Juliet hears the watchmen coming so she snatches Romeo’s dagger and kills herself. The watchmen find the bodies and also find Balthasar nearby. The Prince and his attendants, Lord and lady Capulet, arrive to find out what is going on. The watchmen are sent to find someone who can tell what has happened. Lord Montague arrives to say his wife has died that night in grief over Romeo’s Banishment. Montague sees Romeo’s body and laments that it is sad that the father outlives the son. The watchmen find the Friar who informs the Prince and both families of what has happened. Balthasar explains how Romeo found out about Juliet’s death and shows a letter Romeo sent to give his father. Romeo’s letter supports what the Friar has said. Then Paris’ page says that Paris came to lay flowers at Juliet’s grave, saw Romeo and drew upon him, at which point the Page went to get the watchmen. The Prince then blames all the deaths on the Capulet/Montague feud and on himself for dealing with it more strictly. Capulet and Montague agree to end the feud and build statues to each other’s children.