Act IV

Scene I

141. Paris goes to Fr. Laurence and tells him that He is to Marry Juliet on Thursday. Fr. Laurence tries to postpone it.

142. Juliet arrives and says that she doesn’t want to marry; but, she has to make confession before anything happens.

143. After Paris leaves, Juliet tells Fr. Laurence that if he can’t help her avoid this marriage, she’ll kill herself.

144. Fr. Laurence has a plan. Juliet must be strong and pretend to die.

145A. Plan: Juliet is to go home, agree to marry Paris. On Wednesday night she is to drink a sleeping potion. She will sleep for 42 hours.

145B. Juliet’s family will think she is dead and bury her in the Capulet tomb. Fr. Laurence will send a letter to Mantua and tell him to return to be there when she wakes up. They’ll get her out of the tomb and she will go with Romeo.

Scene II

146. Juliet returns home and agrees to marry Paris. Her family happily prepares for the wedding. Wedding is moved to Wednesday

Scene III

147. Juliet goes to bed and tells the Nurse to leave her alone.

148. Soliloquy: A4, S3, L15-55

149. Juliet worries that the potion won’t work right. She is afraid that might die or wake up to soon and be trapped inside the tomb. She thinks she’ll see Tybalt’s ghost.

150. Juliet drinks the potion anyway.

Scene IV

151. On Wednesday morning, wedding preparations continue happily.

152. The Nurse is sent to wake Juliet up.

Scene V.

153. The Nurse finds Juliet “dead”.

154. Juliet’s parents, Paris, and Fr. Laurence arrive and mourn her death.

155. Theme: A4, S5, L46

156. Fr. Laurence blames Juliet’s parents for her death because they pushed to marry Paris.

157. They leave and take Juliet to be buried in the Capulet’s tomb.