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What happens in Act 4, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet?
Paris shows affection to Juliet when she comes to see Friar Lawrence. Friar Lawrence proposes to Juliet that she take a sleeping potion to feign death on her and Paris's wedding night, and Romeo and Juliet can live together in Mantua.
What happens in Act 4, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet?
Juliet tells her parents she will marry Paris and Capulet moves up the wedding one day.
Read our Summary & Analysis of Act 4, Scenes 1 & 2. (3-minute read)
How does Juliet react to being underestimated in Act 4, Scenes 1 & 2?
Twice in these brief scenes focused on Juliet, we see her forcefully respond to being underestimated because she is a young woman. In Scene 1, she reacts with fury (“Give me, give me, O tell not me of fear!”) when Friar Lawrence admonishes her to not show “womanish fear” in carrying out his death-faking plan. In Scene 2, Juliet cleverly pretends to give in to her father’s demand that she marry Paris, and he is completely fooled by her. Despite her youth and innocence at the start of the play, Juliet was never a weak character, and her resolve and strength have only increased as it has continued.
Read about Juliet’s retort to the Friar’s patronizing comment in Scene 1. (1-minute read)
Read about Juliet’s pretend apology to her father in Scene 2. (1-minute read)
Read our in-depth Character Analysis of Juliet. (3-minute read)
Is the accelerated timeline of Romeo and Juliet plausible?
Romeo and Juliet is based on an earlier work with a similar plot in which the action was stretched out over nine months. Shakespeare’s decision to compress events into just a four-day period in his telling of the story might stretch plausibility at times, but the play benefits from the injection of the intensity and tension that the compression of time creates. Every important decision each character makes comes under the pressure of not having enough time to fully consider either consequences or alternatives. It heightens to the drama that not only do characters have to make the right decision (i.e., “Should I go along with this plan to fake my death?”), they must make the right decision right now.
Read a Mini Essay about the play’s accelerated time scheme. (1-minute read)
