Outline of Acts IV and V, Romeo and Juliet
I. Act 4 (Tuesday)
A. Scene 1- Later that morning-
1. Friar and Paris. Juliet interrupts.
2. She then threatens to kill herself after Paris leaves.
3. Friar says if J wants to die, maybe she’ll do something that looks like dying.
4. Juliet would rather do these things than marry Paris
a. Leap off a battlement
b. Walk where the thieves hang out
c. Go near snakes,
d. Be chained to a bear
e. Hide in a new grave with a dead man
5. Friar then gives her potion; he will send Romeo letters
B. Scene 2- Later that day- Capulet’s house
1. Wedding arrangements; Juliet enters with a happy look.
2. She begs pardon of her father. He is so happy he moves the wedding up a day! (to Wednesday)
C. Scene 3- Evening-Juliet’s room
1. She asks nurse to leave her alone so she can drink the potion, etc.
2. Once she leaves, Juliet asks to have her back
3. Juliet has fears:
a. the potion may be poison (why?)
b. she may suffocate if she wakes early
c. she may go mad when faced with the horrors of the tomb
4. Juliet “sees” Tybalt’s ghost; takes the potion and falls on the bed
D. Scene 4- During the night- (dawn)
1. Domestic scene- Capulet addresses Nurse by first name (casual)
2. Nurse sent to get Juliet as Paris arrives
E. Scene 5- Early morning (Wednesday)
1. Juliet is found dead!
2. the Capulets mourn Juliet
3. Friar tells them to take her to church to be buried. The musicians are not interested and are merely worried about themselves.
II. Act 5
A. Scene 1- The next day (Thursday)- in Mantua
1. Romeo talks of his dream: he died and Juliet revived him with a kiss
2. Balthasar arrives- he saw Juliet placed in the tomb w/o knowing she still lives
3. Romeo: “I defy you, stars!”; he seeks a way to join Juliet
4. R pays a poor apothecary to give him a deadly poison (“cordial, not poison”)
B. Scene 2- The same afternoon - Verona
1. Friar Lawrence is visited by Fr. John
2. Fr. John could not deliver info about the plan to Romeo because he was
temporarily quarantined in a “plague” house with another Friar
3. Fr. Lawrence rushes to the Capulet tomb to free Juliet
C. Scene 3- Late that night- the churchyard and Capulet tomb
1. Paris and his page arrive to place flowers on Juliet’s tomb (he does love her)
2. Romeo arrives with Balthasar; Paris confronts him thinking he is going to
desecrate the bodies
3. Romeo warns him; they fight, page seeks the watchmen, Paris dies, Romeo
agrees to place him in the tomb with Juliet
4. Romeo sees Juliet’s “lifelike” body, vows to stay with her and drinks his
deadly poison
5. Friar arrives, Juliet awakes, she refuses to leave; he plans to stick her in a nunnery
6. Friar hears the watch nearing and runs away; Juliet stabs herself and dies
7. Prince and families arrive, Lady Montague has died of grief overnight
8. Friar L, Romeo’s letter explain situation
9. Families agree to peace; each will build a statue to the other’s dead child
A. Scene 1- Later that morning-
1. Friar and Paris. Juliet interrupts.
2. She then threatens to kill herself after Paris leaves.
3. Friar says if J wants to die, maybe she’ll do something that looks like dying.
4. Juliet would rather do these things than marry Paris
a. Leap off a battlement
b. Walk where the thieves hang out
c. Go near snakes,
d. Be chained to a bear
e. Hide in a new grave with a dead man
5. Friar then gives her potion; he will send Romeo letters
B. Scene 2- Later that day- Capulet’s house
1. Wedding arrangements; Juliet enters with a happy look.
2. She begs pardon of her father. He is so happy he moves the wedding up a day! (to Wednesday)
C. Scene 3- Evening-Juliet’s room
1. She asks nurse to leave her alone so she can drink the potion, etc.
2. Once she leaves, Juliet asks to have her back
3. Juliet has fears:
a. the potion may be poison (why?)
b. she may suffocate if she wakes early
c. she may go mad when faced with the horrors of the tomb
4. Juliet “sees” Tybalt’s ghost; takes the potion and falls on the bed
D. Scene 4- During the night- (dawn)
1. Domestic scene- Capulet addresses Nurse by first name (casual)
2. Nurse sent to get Juliet as Paris arrives
E. Scene 5- Early morning (Wednesday)
1. Juliet is found dead!
2. the Capulets mourn Juliet
3. Friar tells them to take her to church to be buried. The musicians are not interested and are merely worried about themselves.
II. Act 5
A. Scene 1- The next day (Thursday)- in Mantua
1. Romeo talks of his dream: he died and Juliet revived him with a kiss
2. Balthasar arrives- he saw Juliet placed in the tomb w/o knowing she still lives
3. Romeo: “I defy you, stars!”; he seeks a way to join Juliet
4. R pays a poor apothecary to give him a deadly poison (“cordial, not poison”)
B. Scene 2- The same afternoon - Verona
1. Friar Lawrence is visited by Fr. John
2. Fr. John could not deliver info about the plan to Romeo because he was
temporarily quarantined in a “plague” house with another Friar
3. Fr. Lawrence rushes to the Capulet tomb to free Juliet
C. Scene 3- Late that night- the churchyard and Capulet tomb
1. Paris and his page arrive to place flowers on Juliet’s tomb (he does love her)
2. Romeo arrives with Balthasar; Paris confronts him thinking he is going to
desecrate the bodies
3. Romeo warns him; they fight, page seeks the watchmen, Paris dies, Romeo
agrees to place him in the tomb with Juliet
4. Romeo sees Juliet’s “lifelike” body, vows to stay with her and drinks his
deadly poison
5. Friar arrives, Juliet awakes, she refuses to leave; he plans to stick her in a nunnery
6. Friar hears the watch nearing and runs away; Juliet stabs herself and dies
7. Prince and families arrive, Lady Montague has died of grief overnight
8. Friar L, Romeo’s letter explain situation
9. Families agree to peace; each will build a statue to the other’s dead child