Romeo and Juliet

Act V Notes

Act V, Scene 1• Scene 1: Set in Mantua on

Wednesday morning.• Romeo happily thinks of a

dream he had of Juliet and believes that good news is on the way.o In the dream, Juliet found him lying

dead and breathed new life into his body with a kiss. FORESHADOWING

• Romeo has not received a letter from Friar Laurence.

• Balthasar, Romeo’s servant, brings news that Juliet is dead. DRAMATIC IRONY

• Romeo wants to leave immediately for Verona TRAGIC FLAW.o He asks Balthasar if there is a letter for

him from the Friar, but Balthasar knows of none.

I dreamt my lady came and found me dead— Strange dream, that gives a dead man leave to think!— And breathed such life with kisses in my lips, That I revived, and was an emperor.

Act V, Scene 1• Balthasar tries to convince

Romeo to wait for more news. CHARACTER FOIL

• Romeo o Plans to go to Verona,o Kill himself because Juliet is dead,o And lie forever in the Capulet’s tomb

with Juliet.

• Romeo believes fate is trying to keep him from Juliet.

• Therefore, he wants to go and “defy the stars” or go against fate by being with her even if the only way to do that is in death. CHARACTERIZATION & FORESHADOWING

“Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee

tonight.”

Act V, Scene 1• Romeo decides he must

buy some fast-acting potion before he leaves Mantua.o The poison is illegal in Mantua.o Anyone selling it will be executed.o Romeo thinks a very poor apothecary

he saw earlier may sell it to him.

• The apothecary is nervous to sell him the poison, buto Romeo points out that the

apothecary is already starving to death, so death is nothing to be scared of.

o Romeo pays the apothecary with 40 gold coins.

• Romeo compares gold to poison saying that it “kills men’s souls.” PERSONIFICATION & METAPHOR

My poverty, not my will,

consents.

Act V, Scene 2• Scene 2: set in Verona• Friar John was supposed

to deliver Friar Laurence’s letter to Romeo but did not because...o There was an outbreak of plague

which caused him to be quarantined.

o He couldn’t even give the letter to someone else to be delivered.

• Friar Laurence’s plans to rescue Juliet and hide her while he makes plans to get her to Mantua. DRAMATIC IRONY

Friar Laurence. “Unhappy fortune.”

Act V, Scene 3• Scene 3: Set in a Verona

graveyard• Paris and a servant go to the

graveyard.o Paris wants to put flowers on Juliet’s

tomb.o Paris tells his servant to hide and

watch for anyone coming; he wants to be alone with Juliet.

• Romeo and Balthasar arrive next at the tomb.o Romeo tells Balthasar to leave and

not interupt him, then gives him a letter to give to his father the next day. FORESHADOWING

o Balthasar doesn’t believe Romeo will be rational, and stays in the graveyard to watch him.

• Paris sees Romeo open the tomb and tries to stop him. In the fight that ensues, Paris is killed. SITUATIONAL IRONY

Put not another sin on my head!

Act V, Scene 3• Romeo enters the

tomb• He notices that Juliet

still has color in her lips and cheeks DRAMATIC IRONY

• He drinks the poison and he dies.

• Friar Laurence arrives too late.

• Balthasar tells the friar that Romeo and Paris fought.

O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick: Thus with a kiss I die.

Act V, Scene 3• Friar Laurence enters

the tomb.o He finds Romeo and Paris

dead.

• Juliet wakes up.o Friar Laurence tries to

convince her to leave the tomb because the guards are coming.

o He plans to hide her in a convent. CHARACTERIZATION

o She refuses to leave the tomb. FORESHADOWING

• Friar Laurence leaves and hides. SITUATIONAL IRONY

O comfortable friar! Where is my lord?

Act V, Scene 3• Juliet stays with

Romeoo She finds the vial of poison,

drinks from the empty bottle, then kisses Romeo in hopes that the poison still on his lips will kill her.

o Neither action works. FORESHADOWING

• She hears the guards comingo So she takes Romeo’s dagger,

stabs herself, and dies.Drunk all, and left no friendly drop to help me after?

Act V, Scene 3• The guards arrive and find

three bodies.• The chief sends the guards to

tell the prince and the families of the deaths.

• Other guards find Balthasar and Friar Laurence who are held until the Prince gets there.

• The Capulets and the Prince arrive, and Lady Capulet, seeing the bodies of Romeo and Juliet, wishes for her own death. SIMILE

• Lord Montague arrives and announces the death of Lady Montague, who killed herself because Romeo was banished. SITUATIONAL IRONY

For never was a story of more woeThan this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Act V, Scene 3• Friar Laurence knows

everything that has happened.o He says he is both guilty and

innocent of the lovers’ deaths.o He gives the entire story of

Romeo and Juliet.

• Balthasar o Fills in the holes of the friar’s

story.o Gives Romeo’s letter to the

prince.

The letter confirms everything that Friar Laurence has said.

…let my old life be sacrificed some hour before his time unto the rigor of severest law.

Act V, Scene 3• Prince Escalus tells

both families that they are to blame for these deaths.

• He says that their hate caused the tragedy.

• The Prince also blames himself for having allowed the feud and violence to continue for so long without doing anything about it.

Some shall be pardoned and some punishèd.