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Breakdown of Romeo and Juliet Act 4 Scene 1

Nutshell Summary:
- At Friar Laurence’s cell, Paris and Laurence discuss his upcoming hasty marriage with Juliet.
- Juliet enters distraught and wishes to speak alone with Friar Laurence; she is, as usual, clever and equivocating with the clueless Paris.
- Juliet says she’ll kill herself before marrying Paris.
- Laurence says he has a desperate plan: Juliet will feign death by drinking a “distilling liquor.” Once she is in the crypt, Romeo will come wake her up and they can escape Verona together.
- Because Romeo is in Mantua, Laurence will send a messenger to tell him of the plan.

Themes Discussed:
(For more detailed discussion of THEME in Romeo and Juliet see https://dai.ly/x80qt0r)

- T1 Wasteland
- T3 Self vs Society
- T7 Sacred Marriage: eyes are the conduit to the true, receptive heart
- T11 Fate: cosmic / bad luck vs fate of personality

Characters Discussed:
(For more detailed discussion of CHARACTER in Romeo and Juliet see https://dai.ly/x80pud8)

- C5 Friar Laurence: wise old man or meddling fool?
- C6 Juliet: worthy hero; adolescent, all-or-nothing thinking
- C6 Juliet: clever, equivocating, courageous, presence of mind
- C11 Paris: unworthy suitor, dorky foil, unaware of Juliet’s needs (unfair?)

This video on Shakespeare’s LANGUAGE might also help: https://dai.ly/x80qtdh


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