The Scheme Unleashed

Romeo and Juliet dead

The friar tells Juliet to agree to the marriage, but to take a sleeping potion made from herbs he has gathered.
The potion will mimic the appearance of death and she can be brought to the Capulet burial vault, while the Friar has Romeo brought back from Mantua (V,i.).
She takes the potion and is found, apparently dead, the morning of her planned wedding. She is “buried” in the same tomb as Tybalt (IV,iii.-IV,v.). Fate and accident prevent Friar Laurence’s letter form reaching Romeo who hears of Juliet’s death from his servant. Romeo decides to kill himself and seeks poison from an  apothecary (V,i.). He slips back into Verona, finds Paris mourning Juliet at the tomb, kills him, enters the tomb, and finding the “dead” Juliet, takes the poison (V,iii.). The Friar arrives just as Juliet awakens, but he is unable to persuade her to leave Romeo. And, after the Friar leaves, Juliet takes her own life with Romeo’s dagger (V,iii.). The Capulets and the elder Montague, whose wife has died that night of a broken heart over Romeo’s banishment, arrive at the tomb to discover the entire younger generation dead. They
agree to end their feud (V,iii.).

Questions:

1. Why is the Friar helping Romeo and Juliet?
2. How come Romeo thought that Juliet is dead?
3. According to the hints in the text, where is the main setting of the tragedy?
1. Rome, Italy.
2. Florence, Italy.
3. Verona, Italy.
4. Naples, Italy.

References:

• Kinsella, K., & Feldman, K., & Stump, C.S. (2002). Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes: Gold Level. In Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet (pp.67-90). New Jersey: Prentice Hall Press.
• Romeo and Juliet dead [photo]. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from: http://dgonzalez86.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/romeo-juliet-tomb2.jpg