Romeo and Juliet's Deaths

Act 5 Scene 3 – Key Scene

In this scene Romeo finds Juliet’s body and takes the poison he has purchased, rather than live without her. His body is then found by Friar Laurence who realises what has happened and is there when Juliet wakes up. Rather than stay with her, the Friar leaves the tomb and Juliet is left alone. She then kills herself with Romeo’s dagger.

You can take a look at the whole scene here. Using the following steps, remember to look at it line by line and if you’re looking at the scene for the first time, don’t worry if you don’t understand everything at once.

• Look

  Take a look at the scene. Are they using prose or verse? Are there shared lines or couplets? Actors at the RSC often put the language into their own words to help them understand what they are saying. We’ve added some definitions (in green), questions (in red) and paraphrased some sections (in blue) to help with this. You can click on the text that is highlighted for extra guidance.

  Close

  Romeo

  For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes
  This vault a feasting presence full of light.
  O my love, my wife!
  Death that hath sucked the honey of thy breath,
  Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty:
  Thou art not conquered, beauty’s ensign yet
  Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,
  And death’s pale flag is not advancèd there.—
  Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet?
  O, what more favour can I do to thee
  Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain
  To sunder his that was thy enemy?
  Forgive me, cousin.— Ah, dear Juliet,
  Why art thou yet so fair? I will stay with thee,
  And never from this palace of dim night
  Depart again. Here, here will I remain
  With worms that are thy chambermaids:
  O, here Will I set up my everlasting rest,
  And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars
  From this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last!
  Arms, take your last embrace! And, lips, O you
  The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss
  A dateless bargain to engrossing death!
  Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide!
  Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on
  The dashing rocks thy sea-sick weary bark!
  Here’s to my love. O true apothecary,
  Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.

  Close

  Here’s Juliet’s body and she’s so beautiful that it makes this dark place a positive one, full of light.

  Close

  Despite the fact that Juliet is dead and her breath has stopped, she is still beautiful and her skin is not pale. Romeo’s language suggests that Juliet does not look dead. What effect would this have on the audience? Why would Shakespeare do this?

  Close

  Why do you still look so beautiful?

  Close

  Romeo describes the tomb as 'palace of dim night' and a vault with a 'feasting presence full of light'. How many descriptions of the tomb can you find? What do they tell you about the place they are in? Who else and what else is there?

  Close

  Honest apothecary, or person who prepares and sells medicines and drugs.

  Dies.

  Enter FRIAR LAURENCE with lantern, crow and spade.

  Friar Laurence

  Saint Francis be my speed! How oft tonight
  Have my old feet stumbled at graves! Who’s there?

  Balthasar

  Here’s one, a friend, and one that knows you well.

  Friar Laurence

  Bliss be upon you! Tell me, good my friend,
  What torch is yon that vainly lends his light
  To grubs and eyeless skulls? As I discern,
  It burneth in the Capels’ monument.

  Close

  The tomb belonging to the Capulet family.

  Balthasar

  It doth so, holy sir, and there’s my master,
  One that you love.

  Friar Laurence

  Who is it?

  Balthasar

  Romeo.

  Friar Laurence

  How long hath he been there?

  Balthasar

  Full half an hour.

  Friar Laurence

  Go with me to the vault.

  Balthasar

  I dare not, sir.
  My master knows not but I am gone hence,
  And fearfully did menace me with death
  If I did stay to look on his intents.
  

  Friar Laurence

  Stay then, I’ll go alone. Fear comes upon me:
  O, much I fear some ill unlucky thing.
  Romeo!
  Alack, alack, what blood is this which stains
  The stony entrance of this sepulchre?
  Romeo! O, pale! Who else? What, Paris too?
  And steeped in blood? Ah, what an unkind hour
  Is guilty of this lamentable chance!
  The lady stirs.

  Close

  A tomb.

  Close

  Is Paris dead as well? And covered in blood? What a horrific coincidence that they should come here at the same time!

  Juliet

  O, comfortable friar, where’s my lord? (Waking)
  I do remember well where I should be,
  And there I am. Where is my Romeo?

  Friar Laurence

  I hear some noise. Lady, come from that nest
  Of death, contagion, and unnatural sleep:
  A greater power than we can contradict
  Hath thwarted our intents. Come, come away.
  Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead,
  And Paris too. Come, go, good Juliet, I dare no longer stay.

  Close

  Forces outside of our control have stopped our plan. Come on, come away. Your husband, lying in your arms, is dead. And Paris as well.

  Close

   Friar Laurence leaves Juliet behind in the tomb. Why would he do that? What drives him?

  Exit FRIAR LAURENCE.

  Juliet

  Go, get thee hence, for I will not away.
  What’s here? A cup closed in my true love’s hand?
  Poison I see hath been his timeless end.
  O churl, drink all and left no friendly drop
  To help me after? I will kiss thy lips,
  Haply some poison yet doth hang on them,

  Close

  Hopefully there is still poison on them.

  Kisses him.

  Juliet

  Thy lips are warm.

  Close

  Why do you think Shakespeare tells us Romeo’s lips are still warm? What impact does this have on an audience watching Juliet?

  Enter Boy and Watch (Constable and other Watchmen) at a distance.

  Cousin Capulet

  Lead, boy, which way?

  Juliet

  Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger,
  This is thy sheath: there rust, and let me die.

  Close

  Juliet refers to her body as a 'sheath' for the dagger.

  (Text edited for rehearsals by Erica Whyman)
• Listen

  Read the scene aloud. Are there any words or lines that really stand out? How do the characters come across?
• Watch

  Take a look at the actors performing this scene. How do the characters come across in this version?

  

  Play the scene in performance
• Imagine

  Explore some images from past versions of Romeo and Juliet at the RSC. Which sets and staging choices for the death scene feel right to you?