Romeo and Juliet Act Four

Scene One  Paris talks to Friar Lawrence about the wedding he and the Capulets wish to have on Thursday  Juliet wants Friar Lawrence to help her find a solution to her problem  She believes she should kill herself before she marries someone else  Friar Lawrence has a plan for her to live and avoid marrying Paris

Scene One Continued  Friar Lawrence gives Juliet a potion to take that night which will make her appear as though she is dead  Her pulse will stop, she will stop breathing, and all the blood will leave her face and her body will be cold  This will last for 48 hours and her family will think she is dead and put her in an open casket in the family tomb

Scene One Continued  Friar Lawrence will send a letter explaining this to Romeo and he will come and meet Friar Lawrence in the Capulet tomb until Juliet wakes up  Romeo and Juliet will secretly leave and go to Mantua to live

Scene Two  The Capulets are preparing for the wedding  Juliet apologizes to her father and agrees to marry Paris in the morning

Scene Three  Juliet sends her nurse away when she goes to her room for the night  She is nervous about taking the potion but she does it anyway because it is the only way she may be able to still be with Romeo  She worries about the potion really killing her and about waking up too early and being alone and going crazy in her family’s tomb

Scene Four  The entire Capulet household is preparing for the wedding  Paris arrives with music and Capulet sends the nurse to wake Juliet and get her dressed for the wedding  This scene is meant to build suspense

Scene Five  The nurse finds Juliet dead when she tries to wake her up  The Capulets grieve for the loss of their only child  Paris is upset that his bride died before their wedding  Friar Lawrence tells them all to prepare her body and bring her to the church for her burial

Scene Five Continued  Capulet believes that now everything they prepared for a wedding celebration will be used for the funeral feast  Musicians argue with Peter because he wants them to play music at this inappropriate time