Romeo and Juliet: Act V Scene I
By Ryan Le
Act V Scene I Summary
On Thursday afternoon in Mantua, Romeo, while waiting for his servant Balthasar, recalls back to himself a dream he that that night. In his dream, Romeo was found dead on the floor, kissed by Juliet, and revived back to life. During his exile in Mantua, Romeo had been operating behind Friar Lawrence's back and outside of his plan: he brought his servant Balthasar along with him to Mantua. Romeo also used his servant to keep himself updated on what was going on with his family in Verona. While Romeo daydreams being with Juliet, Balthasar arrives with news of his wife and how she is dead. Romeo, shocked at this sudden news, immediately prepares to depart from Mantua to Verona. For a moment he actually thinks and asks Balthasar whether or not Friar Lawrence had sent him any letters, but he returns back to his old state of mind. Romeo comes to a conclusion that he must kill himself while laying next to Juliet so he could be with Juliet in heaven. Then he goes to a poor apothecary, or pharmacist, to buy some poison for his suicide. Since the sale of poison is illegal and punishable with death in Mantua, the apothecary at first didn't want to sell poison to Romeo. When Romeo points out the apothecary's poverty and how he is too poor to resist such a fine deal, he finally gives in and sells the poison to him. Romeo receives the poison, which the apothecary says can kill you even if you had the strength of twenty men. This refers to how Romeo had claimed earlier that love would make him stronger than twenty men. Even with the power of love, nothing can protect Romeo from the poison. Romeo, after receiving the poison, tells the apothecary that he had given him poison in the form of gold, as money is a toxin to mankind. Romeo then says that the poison he received was not figuratively poison, but a cordial: a restorative drink that will bring him back to Juliet. With his poison, Romeo sets out to Juliet in Verona.
Wiz Khalifa - See You Again ft. Charlie Puth [Official Video] Furious 7 Soundtrack
Why this song fits with Act V Scene I
This song, "See you again" by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth, fits with Act V Scene I because it refers to Romeo's intentions of killing himself in order to be with Juliet in heaven by buying poison in this scene. This song is largely about that type of scenario, in which a person wants to reunite with a friend after a long time. This song was also written about Paul Walker, an actor who was killed during the making of Fast and Furious 7, and how his friend and co-actor, Vin Diesel, wanted to reunite with his friend in heaven. This goes back to the portion of the scene in which Romeo buys potion from the apothecary, so he could kill himself while lying with Juliet in order to reunite with her in heaven. Romeo is longing to be with Juliet, and when he intends to kill himself, he will finally be able to see her again in heaven. The lines in the song "hard work forever pays, Now I'll see you in a better place" refers to how Juliet will not be forgotten and her legacy will live on. The chorus of the song also relates to Romeo's longing to be with Juliet and see her again.