R&J Act 4
Romeo and Juliet – Summary of Act IV
Summary:
Act 4, scene 1
In his cell,
Friar Lawrence speaks with Paris about the latter’s impending marriage to
Juliet. Paris says that Juliet’s grief about Tybalt’s death has made her
unbalanced, and that Capulet, in his wisdom, has determined they should marry
soon so that Juliet can stop crying and put an end to her period of mourning.
The friar remarks to himself that he wishes he were unaware of the reason that
Paris’s marriage to Juliet should be delayed.
Juliet
enters, and Paris speaks to her lovingly, if somewhat arrogantly. Juliet
responds indifferently, showing neither affection nor dislike. She remarks that
she has not married him yet. On the pretense that he must hear Juliet’s
confession, Friar Lawrence ushers Paris away, though not before Paris kisses
Juliet once. After Paris leaves, Juliet asks Friar Lawrence for help,
brandishing a knife and saying that she will kill herself rather than marry
Paris. The friar proposes a plan: Juliet must consent to marry Paris; then, on
the night before the wedding, she must drink a sleeping potion that will make
her appear to be dead; she will be laid to rest in the Capulet tomb, and the
friar will send word to Romeo in Mantua to help him retrieve her when she wakes
up. She will then return to Mantua with Romeo, and be free to live with him
away from their parents’ hatred. Juliet consents to the plan wholeheartedly.
Friar Lawrence gives her the sleeping potion.
In Summary: Scene 1
Paris shows
affection to Juliet when she comes to see Friar Lawrence. Friar Lawrence
proposes to Juliet that she take a sleeping potion to feign death on her and
Paris's wedding night, and Romeo and Juliet can live together in Mantua.
Summary:
Act 4, scene 2
Juliet
returns home, where she finds Capulet and Lady Capulet preparing for the
wedding. She surprises her parents by repenting her disobedience and cheerfully
agreeing to marry Paris. Capulet is so pleased that he insists on moving the
marriage up a day, to Wednesday—tomorrow. Juliet heads to her chambers to,
ostensibly, prepare for her wedding. Capulet heads off to tell Paris the news.
In
summary: Scene 2
Juliet tells
the Capulets she will marry Paris and they move the wedding up a day.
Summary:
Act 4, scene 3
In her
bedchamber, Juliet asks the Nurse to let her spend the night by herself, and
repeats the request to Lady Capulet when she arrives. Alone, clutching the vial
given to her by Friar Lawrence, she wonders what will happen when she drinks
it. If the friar is untrustworthy and seeks merely to hide his role in her
marriage to Romeo, she might die; or, if Romeo is late for some reason, she
might awaken in the tomb and go mad with fear. She has a vision in which she
sees Tybalt’s ghost searching for Romeo. She begs Tybalt’s ghost to quit its
search for Romeo, and toasting to Romeo, drinks the contents of the vial.
In
Summary: Scene 3
After
pondering what may go wrong and having a vision of Tybalt's ghost searching for
Romeo, Juliet drinks the sleeping potion.
Summary:
Act 4, scenes 4–5
Early the
next morning, the Capulet house is aflutter with preparations for the wedding.
Capulet sends the Nurse to go wake Juliet. She finds Juliet dead and begins to
wail, soon joined by both Lady Capulet and Capulet. Paris arrives with Friar
Lawrence and a group of musicians for the wedding. When he learns what has
happened, Paris joins in the lamentations. The friar reminds them all that Juliet
has gone to a better place, and urges them to make ready for her funeral.
Sorrowfully, they comply, and exit.
In Summary:
Scene 4
The Capulet
household prepares for Juliet's wedding to Paris.
Scene 5
The Nurse,
the Capulets, and Paris discover that Juliet is "dead," and mourn
extensively.
I will share it with my other friends as the information is really very useful. Keep sharing your excellent work. bridal nightwear sets
ReplyDelete