Romeo and Juliet: Plot Summary, Act 5 Act 5, Scene 1

1 Romeo and juliet : Plot Summary, Act 5 Act 5, Scene 1 Act V opens in Mantua, where Romeo is waiting anxiously for news of juliet and his family. He greets his servant, Balthasar with excitement: Dost thou not bring me letters from the friar? How doth my lady? Is mt father well? How fairs mt juliet ? that I ask again; For nothing can be ill, if she be well. ( ) With deep regret, Balthasar tells him that juliet has died and that her body rests in the Capulet tomb. Romeo puts on a brave face for his faithful servant, but when Balthasar departs, he reveals with despair that the only thing left to do is return to Verona and join juliet in death.

2 Romeo calls for the apothecary and demands a vial of poison. The apothecary reluctantly gives him a potion and Romeo thanks him greatly for the gift. Indeed, to Romeo , it is a most wonderful gift: "Come, cordial and not poison, go with me/To juliet 's grave; for there I must use thee" ( ). Act 5, Scene 2 Back at Friar Laurence's cell, Friar John reports that he has been unable to deliver the vital letter to Romeo . A plague had broken out and Friar John was quarantined for fear he was infected. Friar Laurence sends John to find an iron bar with which they can pry open the tomb, for it is only three hours until juliet will awake afraid and alone amongst the corpses.

3 Friar Laurence, knowing he can trust no one but himself, plans to keep juliet safe in his own cell until Romeo can be reached. Act 5, Scene 3 Paris and his page enter the churchyard and stand before the Capulet tomb. Paris orders the page to stand watch so that he can be alone in his grief. He strews the vault with flowers and speaks to juliet : O woe! thy canopy is dust and stones-- Which with sweet water nightly I will dew, Or, wanting that, with tears distill'd by moans. ( ) He is interrupted by his page's whistle, warning him that someone approaches.

4 He hides in the darkness and sees Romeo and Balthasar enter with a torch, a mattock, and a wrenching iron. Romeo hands Balthasar a letter and asks him to deliver it to Lord Montague in the morning. He next cracks open the tomb and tells Balthasar that he must not interfere with the actions that he will now take. Balthasar agrees to leave, but he instead hides in the shadows to observe his master. Paris, who still believes Romeo to be the murderous villain who has slain Tybalt and, indirectly, juliet , steps out of the dark to challenge Romeo to a duel. Romeo warns Paris to leave him be: "Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man" ( ).

5 Romeo does not want another to die at his hands and he implores Paris to put away his sword. But Paris attacks and Romeo is forced to fight. Skilled at the art of combat, Romeo has no trouble defeating Paris. As Paris lay dying he requests that Romeo place his body beside juliet 's and Romeo , knowing Paris' anguish far too well, gladly agrees. He carries Paris inside the crypt, where he sees his beloved juliet , as beautiful as ever in her best clothes. Standing above her, Romeo begins his farewell to his young bride, "O my love! my wife!" ( ). He drinks the poison, and with one last kiss he falls dead to the earthen floor of the tomb.

6 Friar Laurence arrives and Balthasar comes out of hiding to tell him that Romeo has been in the vault for at least half an hour. Friar Laurence rushes in to find Romeo dead and juliet awakening from her death-like slumber. Confused, juliet asks Friar Laurence where her Romeo is, and he can do nothing but tell her the horrible truth. Hearing the Watchmen in the distance and fearing they will be caught, Friar Laurence begs juliet to hurry. juliet refuses to go and the Friar, desperately afraid for his own life and reputation, runs outside, leaving juliet behind.

7 She sees the vial of poison still enclosed in Romeo 's hand, and she drinks from it, but there is no poison left. Then she kisses her love with the hopes that there is enough poison on his lips to kill her, but she lives on. She hears the Watchmen draw closer and she knows she must act quickly. She grabs Romeo 's dagger and stabs herself, falling dead upon Romeo 's body. The Watchmen rush in and are shocked at the bloody Scene . They capture Balthasar and Friar Laurence as Prince Escalus arrives, along with the Capulets and Lord Montague. The Friar recounts the whole tragic story to the Prince and the feuding families, and they realize that their hate is the reason why their children lay dead.

8 Capulet and Montague vow to end their war and they decide to erect golden statues of the star-crossed lovers as a beautiful yet painful reminder of their lives and extraordinary love. The play comes to a close with the mournful words of Prince Escalus: A glooming peace this morning with it brings; The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head. Go hence to have more talk on these sad things; Some shall be pardon'd, and some punish'd: For never was a story of more woe Than this of juliet and her Romeo . ( ) Mabillard, Amanda. Romeo and juliet Plot Summary. Shakespeare Online.

9 18 Sept. 2008. < >.