Romeo & Juliet

1. Romeo & Juliet Act 4

2. Act IV, Scene i - Summary • Paris tells the Friar of the wedding (in two days) • Friar is shocked at haste - it ‘should be slowed’ • Juliet cool towards Paris, cleverly sidesteps his compliments; Paris is affectionate towards her • Paris leaves and Juliet threatens to take ‘this bloody knife’ and kill herself if no help given • The Friar offers Juliet a sleeping potionwhich will induce a coma-like state for 42 hours • She will lie alone in her chamber (on Wed night) • Everyone will believe she is dead, and Romeo will be sent for and they will escape to Mantua • Juliet agrees instantly

3. Tension • The dramatic tension in the scene is created through the meeting of Paris and Juliet • Juliet and Paris engage in rigid, formal talk • Paris tries to engage Juliet but she is quick to respond and curt in manner • He is courteous suitor, while Juliet proves her nimble mind as she evades Paris’s questions and compliments

4. Juliet’s Strength • She is surprised to find Paris at the Friar’s yet she presents herself as composed and confident • She describes the horrors she is prepared to face rather than marry Paris highlighting her bravery and the depth of her love for Romeo • Juliet is prepared to take her life rather than be without Romeo • The Friar states that if she has ‘the strength of will’ to kill herself, then she will have the courage to take the potion • She makes this decision quickly suggesting her determination and resolution to try anything to be with Romeo

5. Structure • This scene is defining moment in the structure of the play • In this scene, Juliet’s decision to accept the Friar’s potion demonstrates her • commitment to defying her father’s rule • asserting her independence • accepting her resolution to die in order to be with Romeo

6. Romeo and Juliet - Parallel • Juliet’s conversation with the Friar parallels Act III, Scene 3 with Romeo when he threatens to kill himself • Juliet, like Romeo, now believes that only death can offer a solution to her dilemma: “Be not so long to speak. I long to die / If what thou speak’st speak not of remedy.” • As always, Rome and Juliet mirror each other’s actions

7. Friar and Fate • The Friar uses his knowledge of flowers and herbs when thinking of the potion • In Act II, scene iii, the Friar described the dual qualities of plants that are capable of healing yet have the power to act as a poison • The Friar’s plan offers hope for Juliet, but due to the influence of fate, becomes the vehicle of the tragedy

8. At the end of this scene: • Juliet has found an ally • The Friar has proven himself to be wily, scheming and inventive in aiding Romeo and Juliet • BUT can he be trusted? • Paris appears to be genuinely interested in Juliet

9. Act IV, Scene ii - Summary • Juliet returns home where she surprises her parents by sweetly capitulating to the wedding • Capulet is so pleased, that he insists on bringing the wedding forward by one day (to the Wednesday morning) • Lady Capulet protests, saying it does not leave enough time to prepare, but the euphoric Lord Capulet states he will prepare everything • Juliet is now to be married the following morning • This will affect the Friar’s arrangements to let Romeo know of their plans

10. Fate • Here, fate twists Juliet’s fortunes once again • Capulet, in his impulsive zeal, complicates the Friar’s plan by moving the wedding forward a full day • Juliet must take the potion that night and lapse into a suspended state 24 hours sooner than the Friar had anticipated • This development reduces the amount of time the Friar will have to notify Romeo in Mantua

11. Juliet - Duplicitous • Juliet pretends to acquiesce to Capulet’s plan • She reveals enthusiasm which is somewhat genuine since she feels hope in the potion • She reveals her ability to pretend and her perception in working out what others want • Juliet displays duplicity as she describes her meeting with Paris saying she gave him, “what becomed love I might / Not stepping o’er the bounds of modesty.” • She also pretends to prepare for the wedding while preparing for her presumed death • She has emotionally removed herself from those who have betrayed her

12. Lord Capulet • Capulet is characteristically impulsive, rash, and unpredictable • His blind enthusiasm leads him to insist that his entire family and staff work through the night to make adequate preparations for the hastened ceremony • He shows disrespect for his wife and Juliet insulting Juliet by accusing her of “peevish, self-willed harlotry” and he completely dominates his wife, disregarding her desire to delay the wedding and ordering her to Juliet’s room to help the Nurse

13. Act IV, Scene iii - Summary • In her bedchamber, Juliet asks the Nurse to let her spend the night alone • She begins to wonder what will happen to her if she drinks from the vial • She comes up with reason after reason why drinking the sleeping potion may cause her harm – physical or psychological – but drinks it anyway, telling Romeo ‘I drink to thee’

14. Juliet – Independence • Juliet asserts independence by asking Nurse and Lady Capulet to leave her alone • She is separating herself from her family and takes a step toward her plan to be with Romeo • This request marks a turning point for Juliet • Previously, she refrained from making her own decisions (waited for instruction from Romeo when they would wed and depended on Friar to provide a plan) • She has grown more mature and independent • Places dagger by her side showing her decision to die if she can’t be with Romeo

15. Juliet - Strength • When Juliet is left alone, she is struck by the horror of her situation • She imagines gruesome, nightmarish horrors of 13-year-old facing her own mortality: being buried alive in the airless tomb and facing Tybalt’s corpse: “festering in his shroud.” • She is tempted to call for Nurse, but realises she must act independently • She displays courage as she defies her parents and fate itself ad is prepared to die • She accepts she must trust the Friar’s potion, and has strength in her ultimate faith

16. Foreshadowing • Both the knife, and the poison, hint at the lovers’ actual deaths • Just as Juliet drinks “poison”, Romeo will eventually procure poison from an apothecary and kill himself that way • Juliet will use the knife on herself

17. Act IV, Scene iv - Summary • Lord Capulet has not been to bed but has been preparing for the wedding • The Capulet household has been alive throughout the night with frenetic wedding preparation activities • The day begins to break, and Capulet hears music signaling that Paris is approaching the house • He orders the Nurse to awaken Juliet

18. Mood • The mood is joyful and excited • The Capulet house bustles with activity • Banter with the servants is frenetic and excited • The atmosphere is electrified with the joyful expectation of the upcoming marriage • This provides a striking contrast with the scene upstairs, where the bride lies in bed, apparently dead • This scene relieves the tension from the previous dark scene

19. Act IV, Scene v - Summary • The Nurse enters Juliet’s room and discovers her seemingly lifeless body on the bed • The Nurse believes her to be dead and cries out to the family in desperation • They dramatically mourn Juliet’s loss • The Friar expresses the belief that Juliet is in heaven and that they are partly to blame • He then arranges for Juliet’s body to be taken to the family vault • Capulet orders that the wedding preparations be changed to funeral preparations

20. Mood • The Nurse opens this with humorous banter • However, the mood changes quickly when the Nurse discovers Juliet’s body, • The tone of the scene immediately changes from excited anticipation to shocked sorrow creating a sense of shock for the audience

21. The parents • In their mourning for Juliet, they appear as individuals who have suffered a great loss • The audience gains an understanding of how much their hopes for the future had been invested in Juliet • And Paris’ grief seems genuine, rather than just disappointment • However, their griefs are centred on themselves and much of the sadness is shown in repetitive wailing rather than genuine feeling

22. At the end of Act IV • The situation is dire, but there could still be hope IF the Friar’s plan can be made to work • Juliet is apparently dead, and is being taken to the family tomb • The Friar has to send a message to Romeo (earlier than he thought) explaining the situation to him • Potential for tragedy?