Act V
Romeo and Juliet both dead
Balthsahar tells Romeo that Juliet is dead.
This scene takes place in Mantua, Romeo is thinking of Juliet when his servant Balthasar comes with news. Balthasar does not know that Juliet is in a coma, and tells Romeo that Juliet is dead. Romeo is devastated, he decides that he does not want to live without Juliet, and says "I will lie with thee tonight"(5.4.34). He sees an apothecary and asks him for a deadly drug. The apothecary says that he does have a drug, but that Romeo would have to pay him. Romeo says that he will pay him, and the apothecary gives him a deadly potion. Romeo then makes plans to visit Juliet's grave to be with her.
Paris discovers Romeo has defaced the tomb and wants to duel him.
Romeo opens the tomb and Paris watches from his hiding place. Paris gets mad by Romeo's marring of the tomb, and wants to fight. Romeo begs Paris to not be angry and to leave him alone, but Paris is too upset to back down. They fight, and Romeo kills him. Paris, fatally wounded, begs to be buried in the tomb with Juliet. Romeo realizes who Paris is and promises to bury him in the tomb with her. Paris cries,"O, I am slain! If thou be merciful, Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet" (5.3.72-73)
Romeo takes the deadly potion.
Romeo goes to Juliet in the tomb and weeps for her in sorrow. Finally in the chaos of the incident, he drinks his deadly potion after kissing Juliet for the last time. As he dies, the Friar Laurence arrives and meets Balthasar. Balthasar tells the Friar that Romeo is in the tomb, and the Friar hurries to the tomb. As Friar Laurence enters the tomb, he sees Paris and Romeo dead and he notices Juliet awakening. Juliet asks for Romeo and the Friar dolefully tells her that Romeo and Paris are dead. He asks her to leave with him, but Juliet does not go, She kisses Romeo stabs herself with his dagger. "Yea, noise? Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust and let me die" (5.3.169-170).
Pictures my parents took while in Italy
"Love Wall"
Juliet's Balcony in Verona, Italy
Juliet's Balcony in Verona, Italy
Justification
I chose the events, where Balthsahar tells Romeo that Juliet is dead, where Paris discovers Romeo has defaced the tomb and wants to duel him, and where Romeo takes the deadly potion.
I chose these events because I feel these are some of the most crucial scenes in the play. If Romeo and Paris did not duel, this would change the play drastically. I feel the same way about Romeo drinking the poison and Balthsahar telling Romeo that Juliet is dead. These events are significant to the play.