Act IV
- Juliet’s attitude toward Paris at Friar Lawrence’s cell is distant, non-committal, formal, and very composed - the remarks she makes are designed to conceal meaning rather than reveal it
- Juliet is deceitful in Act IV, but we, as an audience, cheer her on for her deceit - we are in her corner - she leads the nurse to believe she has repented her disobedience and plans to marry Paris - her dilemma, actually, is not primarily of her making, and for that reason, we feel sorry for her
a. the Friar acted with undue haste in marrying her to Romeo
b. her parents have refused her a delay in the marriage to Paris
- Juliet should have confessed her marriage and thrown herself on her parents’ mercy, but in society at that time, the result of that action might have been the secret murder of Romeo so Juliet would be free to marry Paris - Juliet was fully aware of that danger and kept quiet about her marriage to Romeo
Juliet’s 4 Doubts about the poison
a. what if it doesn’t work and she awakes the next morning - she has a knife to kill herself with in the case that the potion is a fake
b. what if the potion given to her by the Friar is poison so he can save face because of marrying her already to Romeo - she convinces herself that the Friar is a holy man and would not commit murder
c. what if she awakes before the Friar and Romeo get to the tomb and she suffocates because of so little air in the vault
d. what if she awakes before the Friar and Romeo get to the tomb and she doesn’t suffocate but is forced to lie there surrounded by death and spirits and loses her mind and kills herself by bashing her brains out with the bones of her ancestors
Juliet in Act IV
a. shows strength and courage
1. she keeps her composure when she unexpectedly meets Paris at the Friar’s
2. she is brave enough to accept the Friar’s drastic potion plan
3. she calmly can deceive the Capulet household about her repentance for disobedience
4. she drinks the potion even though she is scared beyond belief
b. is frantic - how can she avoid the marriage to Paris and remain true to Romeo
c. is desperate will do anything to avoid the marriage no matter how drastic or dangerous
d. is resolute - she isn’t broken by desperation - her energy and intensity is almost frightening - the harder things get, the more determined she becomes
e. is new in the art of intrigue - Juliet performs beautifully and convinces the entire family that she is eager to marry Paris
f. is imaginative - she conjures up frightening images and thinks of awful consequences - however, these never shake her determination but seem to give her more conviction and added courage
IRONY - when the opposite of what is expected to happen happens - preparations are being made for a wedding that turns into a funeral
Lord Capulet in Act IV
a. contrary to his words
1. says Juliet can pick her own husband, and yet he chooses one for her
2. says Juliet is the center of his existence, and yet he refuses to consider her feelings
3. out of respect for Tybalt, he says he is going to have a small wedding and then proceeds to plan a major bash that twenty cooks are needed to prepare the food
b. he is a stubborn old man and to be in his favor everyone must be in agreement with his views - he is quick to turn his favors when his is challenged by an opposing view
c. he is a man filled with good intentions - he always speaks of doing the right thing, but he fails to succeed because he is too selfish and too pompous - he is too quick to place his own desires above the wishes of others
Supernatural Elements in the Plot of Romeo and Juliet
1. the potion was not known to science during that time and would have been considered supernatural because no one understood its power
2. the play is set in the 16th century in Italy, a time in history when witchcraft flourished in Europe - the Elizabethans considered Italian black magic to be the most powerful in the world - the potion would have frightened them greatly
3. Shakespeare makes the Friar seem to have an air of mysterious wisdom and that makes it easier for readers to believe he is capable of performing strange wonders on people
4. Tybalt’s ghost appears in Juliet’s bedroom right before she drinks the potion
- Juliet is deceitful in Act IV, but we, as an audience, cheer her on for her deceit - we are in her corner - she leads the nurse to believe she has repented her disobedience and plans to marry Paris - her dilemma, actually, is not primarily of her making, and for that reason, we feel sorry for her
a. the Friar acted with undue haste in marrying her to Romeo
b. her parents have refused her a delay in the marriage to Paris
- Juliet should have confessed her marriage and thrown herself on her parents’ mercy, but in society at that time, the result of that action might have been the secret murder of Romeo so Juliet would be free to marry Paris - Juliet was fully aware of that danger and kept quiet about her marriage to Romeo
Juliet’s 4 Doubts about the poison
a. what if it doesn’t work and she awakes the next morning - she has a knife to kill herself with in the case that the potion is a fake
b. what if the potion given to her by the Friar is poison so he can save face because of marrying her already to Romeo - she convinces herself that the Friar is a holy man and would not commit murder
c. what if she awakes before the Friar and Romeo get to the tomb and she suffocates because of so little air in the vault
d. what if she awakes before the Friar and Romeo get to the tomb and she doesn’t suffocate but is forced to lie there surrounded by death and spirits and loses her mind and kills herself by bashing her brains out with the bones of her ancestors
Juliet in Act IV
a. shows strength and courage
1. she keeps her composure when she unexpectedly meets Paris at the Friar’s
2. she is brave enough to accept the Friar’s drastic potion plan
3. she calmly can deceive the Capulet household about her repentance for disobedience
4. she drinks the potion even though she is scared beyond belief
b. is frantic - how can she avoid the marriage to Paris and remain true to Romeo
c. is desperate will do anything to avoid the marriage no matter how drastic or dangerous
d. is resolute - she isn’t broken by desperation - her energy and intensity is almost frightening - the harder things get, the more determined she becomes
e. is new in the art of intrigue - Juliet performs beautifully and convinces the entire family that she is eager to marry Paris
f. is imaginative - she conjures up frightening images and thinks of awful consequences - however, these never shake her determination but seem to give her more conviction and added courage
IRONY - when the opposite of what is expected to happen happens - preparations are being made for a wedding that turns into a funeral
Lord Capulet in Act IV
a. contrary to his words
1. says Juliet can pick her own husband, and yet he chooses one for her
2. says Juliet is the center of his existence, and yet he refuses to consider her feelings
3. out of respect for Tybalt, he says he is going to have a small wedding and then proceeds to plan a major bash that twenty cooks are needed to prepare the food
b. he is a stubborn old man and to be in his favor everyone must be in agreement with his views - he is quick to turn his favors when his is challenged by an opposing view
c. he is a man filled with good intentions - he always speaks of doing the right thing, but he fails to succeed because he is too selfish and too pompous - he is too quick to place his own desires above the wishes of others
Supernatural Elements in the Plot of Romeo and Juliet
1. the potion was not known to science during that time and would have been considered supernatural because no one understood its power
2. the play is set in the 16th century in Italy, a time in history when witchcraft flourished in Europe - the Elizabethans considered Italian black magic to be the most powerful in the world - the potion would have frightened them greatly
3. Shakespeare makes the Friar seem to have an air of mysterious wisdom and that makes it easier for readers to believe he is capable of performing strange wonders on people
4. Tybalt’s ghost appears in Juliet’s bedroom right before she drinks the potion
