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
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, but
o 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
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. “Unhappy fortune.”
• Friar Laurence’s plans to
rescue Juliet and hide her
while he makes plans to
get her to Mantua.
DRAMATIC IRONY
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.
O true apothecary! Thy drugs are
quick: Thus with a kiss I die.
• Friar Laurence arrives too
late.
• Balthasar tells the friar that
Romeo and Paris fought.
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 Romeo
o 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
coming
o 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
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.
…let my old life be sacrificed some
hour before his time unto the rigor
of severest law.
The letter confirms everything that
Friar Laurence has said.
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.