Romeo and Juliet, Act IV, Scene 1

Romeo and Juliet
Act IV, Scene 1

[previous scene] [Romeo and Juliet page] [next scene]

You can listen to some
music as you read.
Click on the icon above.
(You can also shut if off,
if you find it annoying.)

Shakespeare
for Scholars: Shakespeare
for Everyone Else:

Friar Lawrence's cell.
Enter FRIAR LAWRENCE and PARIS
FRIAR LAWRENCE
On Thursday, sir? the time is very short.

PARIS
My father Capulet will have it so;
And I am nothing slow to slack his haste.

At Friar Lawrence’s cell, it is early the next morning, and Paris is visiting. He has come to ask the Friar to perform a wedding.
Paris also explains that it is Capulet who wants the wedding to take place this coming Thursday.

FRIAR LAWRENCE
You say you do not know the lady's mind:
Uneven is the course, I like it not.
Friar Lawrence is troubled by this (perhaps the girl’s name has a familiar ring to it?)

PARIS
Immoderately she weeps for Tybalt's death,
And therefore have I little talk'd of love;
For Venus smiles not in a house of tears.
Now, sir, her father counts it dangerous
That she doth give her sorrow so much sway,
And in his wisdom hastes our marriage,
To stop the inundation of her tears;
Which, too much minded by herself alone,
May be put from her by society:
Now do you know the reason of this haste.
Paris explains that Juliet has been weeping a lot, and that Juliet's father wants to hurry the wedding up to try to "cheer" the girl up.

FRIAR LAWRENCE
[Aside]
I would I knew not why it should be slow'd.

[Speaking to Paris.]
Look, sir, here comes the lady towards my cell.

Friar Lawrence lets loose with another of those "asides." He carefully modulates his volume to the precise level so that Paris (who is standing three feet away) cannot hear. Those in the audience, of course, have no problem.

Enter JULIET At this point, Juliet arrives.

PARIS
Happily met, my lady and my wife!

JULIET
That may be, sir, when I may be a wife.

Paris reminds Juliet of the upcoming blessed event.

Juliet says she will be happy once she is allowed to be a wife.

PARIS
That may be must be, love, on Thursday next.

JULIET
What must be shall be.
"Que Sera, Sera," sings Juliet.

FRIAR LAWRENCE
(That's a certain text.) Friar Lawrence imitates his best Doris Day, and joins in.

PARIS
Come you to make confession to this father?

JULIET
To answer that, I should confess to you.

Paris asks Juliet why she is here. The girl does not really answer him.

PARIS
Do not deny to him that you love me.

Paris would like for Juliet to give him some indication of how much she "loves" him.

JULIET
I will confess to you that I love him.

PARIS
So will ye, I am sure, that you love me.

JULIET
If I do so, it will be of more price,
Being spoke behind your back, than to your face.

Juliet is clever, of course, and avoids falling into that trap.

PARIS
Poor soul, thy face is much abused with tears.

JULIET
The tears have got small victory by that;
For it was bad enough before their spite.

PARIS
Thou wrong'st it, more than tears, with that report.

JULIET
That is no slander, sir, which is a truth;
And what I spake, I spake it to my face.

PARIS
Thy face is mine, and thou hast slander'd it.

JULIET
It may be so, for it is not mine own.

Paris notices the fresh tears on Juliet's face.

Are you at leisure, holy father, now;
Or shall I come to you at evening mass?

FRIAR LAWRENCE
My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now.

Juliet grows annoyed with Paris' questions, and tries to change the subject. She asks Friar Lawrence if she can make a confession to him.

[To Paris.]
My lord, we must entreat the time alone.

Friar Lawrence is quick to pick up on Juliet's hint, and he reminds Paris that confession is supposed to be private.

PARIS
God shield I should disturb devotion!
Juliet, on Thursday early will I rouse ye;

Till then, adieu; and keep this holy kiss.

Paris was always a bit slow, but he finally does realize that he is supposed to leave.

Before he does, however, he manages to steal one kiss.

Exit

Paris is worn out from all this clever bantering and word-play, so he leaves.

JULIET
O shut the door! and when thou hast done so,
Come weep with me; past hope, past cure, past help!

FRIAR LAWRENCE
Ah, Juliet, I already know thy grief;
It strains me past the compass of my wits:
I hear thou must, and nothing may prorogue it,
On Thursday next be married to this county.

JULIET
Tell me not, friar, that thou hear'st of this,
Unless thou tell me how I may prevent it:
If, in thy wisdom, thou canst give no help,
Do thou but call my resolution wise,

Juliet asks the Friar for some help, and also tells him that she is beyond all hope.

And with this knife I'll help it presently.
God join'd my heart and Romeo's, thou our hands;
And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo seal'd,
Shall be the label to another deed,
Or my true heart with treacherous revolt
Turn to another, this shall slay them both:
Therefore, out of thy long-experienced time,
Again, she mentions the “S” word: suicide. Juliet snatches up a knife, which some props person conveniently left lying around.

Give me some present counsel, or, behold,
'Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife
Shall play the umpire, arbitrating that
Which the commission of thy years and art
Could to no issue of true honour bring.
Be not so long to speak; I long to die,
If what thou speak'st speak not of remedy.
Juliet says that the dagger will play the "umpire" between herself and her extremities.

Apparenly, sports metaphors were already popular in Shakespeare's day.

FRIAR LAWRENCE
Hold, daughter: I do spy a kind of hope,
Which craves as desperate an execution.
As that is desperate which we would prevent.
If, rather than to marry County Paris,
Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself,
Then is it likely thou wilt undertake
A thing like death to chide away this shame,
That copest with death himself to scape from it:
And, if thou darest, I'll give thee remedy.
Friar Lawrence tells Juliet that he has a plan.
However, he also explains that it is a very "desperate" plan.

JULIET
O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris,
From off the battlements of yonder tower;
Or walk in thievish ways; or bid me lurk
Where serpents are; chain me with roaring bears;
Or shut me nightly in a charnel-house,
O'er-cover'd quite with dead men's rattling bones,
With reeky shanks and yellow chapless skulls;
Or bid me go into a new-made grave
And hide me with a dead man in his shroud;
Things that, to hear them told, have made me tremble;
And I will do it without fear or doubt,
To live an unstain'd wife to my sweet love.

Juliet assures the Friar that she is not afraid. She claims that she would leap from the battlements of a tower, or bid me lurk with serpents, or be chained up bears. She also says she would be shut in a charnel-house, which is a place where dead bodies are taken.
She even says she would go into a new grave and hide with a dead man in his shroud.

Obviously, this girl has guts.

FRIAR LAWRENCE
Hold, then; go home, be merry, give consent
To marry Paris: Wednesday is to-morrow:
To-morrow night look that thou lie alone;
Let not thy nurse lie with thee in thy chamber:
The Friar tells Juliet to go home, and pretend that everything is well. He also warns her to make sure that she sleeps alone tomorrow night.

Take thou this vial, being then in bed,
And this distilled liquor drink thou off;
When presently through all thy veins shall run
A cold and drowsy humor, for no pulse
Shall keep his native progress, but surcease:
Then, Friar Lawrence shows her a vial of liquid. It is a potion. The Friar tells her to drink it tomorrow night, and it will cause a "cold and drowsy humor" to come upon her.
Someone in this play needs to get a sense of humor.

No warmth, no breath, shall testify thou livest;
The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade
To paly ashes, thy eyes' windows fall,
Like death, when he shuts up the day of life;
Each part, deprived of supple government,
Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death:
Friar Lawrence explains that the potion will completely stop her pulse, take away all of her breathing, and cause her to appear to be in a state of death.

Funny, I always thought that WAS the definition of death.

And in this borrow'd likeness of shrunk death
Thou shalt continue two and forty hours,
And then awake as from a pleasant sleep.
The Friar assures her that this potion will last "two and forty hours," and then she shall wake up. The Friar’s Timex runs on the Metric system, apparently.

Now, when the bridegroom in the morning comes
To rouse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead:

He continues to explain that Paris would probably no longer look forward to a wedding with a cold, dead corpse.

Then, as the manner of our country is,
In thy best robes uncover'd on the bier
Then, according to Friar Lawrence, her body would be laid on a "bier." Remember that "bier" means the platform upon which a corpse is laid.

Thou shalt be borne to that same ancient vault
Where all the kindred of the Capulets lie.
Then, after a "bier" or two, the girl would be buried. Alive. In the Capulet's family tomb.

In the mean time, against thou shalt awake,
Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift,
Friar Lawrence also mentions that he will send a letter to Romeo so that he knows of this plan, and can come and dig the corpse, uh, I mean girl, up.

And hither shall he come: and he and I
Will watch thy waking, and that very night
Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua.
And this shall free thee from this present shame;
If no inconstant toy, nor womanish fear,
Abate thy valour in the acting it.
Then, Friar Lawrence explains, at the time of her awakening, both he and Romeo will be there, and Romeo can "bear thee hence to Mantua” (line 119).

JULIET
Give me, give me! O, tell not me of fear!

FRIAR LAWRENCE
Hold; get you gone, be strong and prosperous
In this resolve: I'll send a friar with speed
To Mantua, with my letters to thy lord.

JULIET
Love give me strength! and strength shall help afford.
Farewell, dear father!

Exeunt

Juliet takes the vial from his hands, greedily: “Give me! Give me!” With this bit of bad poetry, the scene ends.

The summaries provided
herein are protected by copyright.

Do not reproduce without
permission of the author.

	You can listen to some music as you read. Click on the icon above. (You can also shut if off, if you find it annoying.)

Shakespeare for Scholars:	Shakespeare for Everyone Else:
Friar Lawrence's cell. Enter FRIAR LAWRENCE and PARIS FRIAR LAWRENCE On Thursday, sir? the time is very short. PARIS My father Capulet will have it so; And I am nothing slow to slack his haste.	At Friar Lawrence’s cell, it is early the next morning, and Paris is visiting. He has come to ask the Friar to perform a wedding. Paris also explains that it is Capulet who wants the wedding to take place this coming Thursday.
FRIAR LAWRENCE You say you do not know the lady's mind: Uneven is the course, I like it not.	Friar Lawrence is troubled by this (perhaps the girl’s name has a familiar ring to it?)
PARIS Immoderately she weeps for Tybalt's death, And therefore have I little talk'd of love; For Venus smiles not in a house of tears. Now, sir, her father counts it dangerous That she doth give her sorrow so much sway, And in his wisdom hastes our marriage, To stop the inundation of her tears; Which, too much minded by herself alone, May be put from her by society: Now do you know the reason of this haste.	Paris explains that Juliet has been weeping a lot, and that Juliet's father wants to hurry the wedding up to try to "cheer" the girl up.
FRIAR LAWRENCE [Aside] I would I knew not why it should be slow'd. [Speaking to Paris.] Look, sir, here comes the lady towards my cell.	Friar Lawrence lets loose with another of those "asides." He carefully modulates his volume to the precise level so that Paris (who is standing three feet away) cannot hear. Those in the audience, of course, have no problem.
Enter JULIET	At this point, Juliet arrives.
PARIS Happily met, my lady and my wife! JULIET That may be, sir, when I may be a wife.	Paris reminds Juliet of the upcoming blessed event. Juliet says she will be happy once she is allowed to be a wife.
PARIS That may be must be, love, on Thursday next.
JULIET What must be shall be.	"Que Sera, Sera," sings Juliet.
FRIAR LAWRENCE (That's a certain text.)	Friar Lawrence imitates his best Doris Day, and joins in.
PARIS Come you to make confession to this father? JULIET To answer that, I should confess to you.	Paris asks Juliet why she is here. The girl does not really answer him.
PARIS Do not deny to him that you love me.	Paris would like for Juliet to give him some indication of how much she "loves" him.
JULIET I will confess to you that I love him. PARIS So will ye, I am sure, that you love me. JULIET If I do so, it will be of more price, Being spoke behind your back, than to your face.	Juliet is clever, of course, and avoids falling into that trap.
PARIS Poor soul, thy face is much abused with tears. JULIET The tears have got small victory by that; For it was bad enough before their spite. PARIS Thou wrong'st it, more than tears, with that report. JULIET That is no slander, sir, which is a truth; And what I spake, I spake it to my face. PARIS Thy face is mine, and thou hast slander'd it. JULIET It may be so, for it is not mine own.	Paris notices the fresh tears on Juliet's face.
Are you at leisure, holy father, now; Or shall I come to you at evening mass? FRIAR LAWRENCE My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now.	Juliet grows annoyed with Paris' questions, and tries to change the subject. She asks Friar Lawrence if she can make a confession to him.
[To Paris.] My lord, we must entreat the time alone.	Friar Lawrence is quick to pick up on Juliet's hint, and he reminds Paris that confession is supposed to be private.
PARIS God shield I should disturb devotion! Juliet, on Thursday early will I rouse ye; Till then, adieu; and keep this holy kiss.	Paris was always a bit slow, but he finally does realize that he is supposed to leave. Before he does, however, he manages to steal one kiss.
Exit	Paris is worn out from all this clever bantering and word-play, so he leaves.
JULIET O shut the door! and when thou hast done so, Come weep with me; past hope, past cure, past help! FRIAR LAWRENCE Ah, Juliet, I already know thy grief; It strains me past the compass of my wits: I hear thou must, and nothing may prorogue it, On Thursday next be married to this county. JULIET Tell me not, friar, that thou hear'st of this, Unless thou tell me how I may prevent it: If, in thy wisdom, thou canst give no help, Do thou but call my resolution wise,	Juliet asks the Friar for some help, and also tells him that she is beyond all hope.
And with this knife I'll help it presently. God join'd my heart and Romeo's, thou our hands; And ere this hand, by thee to Romeo seal'd, Shall be the label to another deed, Or my true heart with treacherous revolt Turn to another, this shall slay them both: Therefore, out of thy long-experienced time,	Again, she mentions the “S” word: suicide. Juliet snatches up a knife, which some props person conveniently left lying around.
Give me some present counsel, or, behold, 'Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife Shall play the umpire, arbitrating that Which the commission of thy years and art Could to no issue of true honour bring. Be not so long to speak; I long to die, If what thou speak'st speak not of remedy.	Juliet says that the dagger will play the "umpire" between herself and her extremities. Apparenly, sports metaphors were already popular in Shakespeare's day.
FRIAR LAWRENCE Hold, daughter: I do spy a kind of hope, Which craves as desperate an execution. As that is desperate which we would prevent. If, rather than to marry County Paris, Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself, Then is it likely thou wilt undertake A thing like death to chide away this shame, That copest with death himself to scape from it: And, if thou darest, I'll give thee remedy.	Friar Lawrence tells Juliet that he has a plan. However, he also explains that it is a very "desperate" plan.
JULIET O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, From off the battlements of yonder tower; Or walk in thievish ways; or bid me lurk Where serpents are; chain me with roaring bears; Or shut me nightly in a charnel-house, O'er-cover'd quite with dead men's rattling bones, With reeky shanks and yellow chapless skulls; Or bid me go into a new-made grave And hide me with a dead man in his shroud; Things that, to hear them told, have made me tremble; And I will do it without fear or doubt, To live an unstain'd wife to my sweet love.	Juliet assures the Friar that she is not afraid. She claims that she would leap from the battlements of a tower, or bid me lurk with serpents, or be chained up bears. She also says she would be shut in a charnel-house, which is a place where dead bodies are taken. She even says she would go into a new grave and hide with a dead man in his shroud. Obviously, this girl has guts.
FRIAR LAWRENCE Hold, then; go home, be merry, give consent To marry Paris: Wednesday is to-morrow: To-morrow night look that thou lie alone; Let not thy nurse lie with thee in thy chamber:	The Friar tells Juliet to go home, and pretend that everything is well. He also warns her to make sure that she sleeps alone tomorrow night.
Take thou this vial, being then in bed, And this distilled liquor drink thou off; When presently through all thy veins shall run A cold and drowsy humor, for no pulse Shall keep his native progress, but surcease:	Then, Friar Lawrence shows her a vial of liquid. It is a potion. The Friar tells her to drink it tomorrow night, and it will cause a "cold and drowsy humor" to come upon her. Someone in this play needs to get a sense of humor.
No warmth, no breath, shall testify thou livest; The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade To paly ashes, thy eyes' windows fall, Like death, when he shuts up the day of life; Each part, deprived of supple government, Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death:	Friar Lawrence explains that the potion will completely stop her pulse, take away all of her breathing, and cause her to appear to be in a state of death. Funny, I always thought that WAS the definition of death.
And in this borrow'd likeness of shrunk death Thou shalt continue two and forty hours, And then awake as from a pleasant sleep.	The Friar assures her that this potion will last "two and forty hours," and then she shall wake up. The Friar’s Timex runs on the Metric system, apparently.
Now, when the bridegroom in the morning comes To rouse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead:	He continues to explain that Paris would probably no longer look forward to a wedding with a cold, dead corpse.
Then, as the manner of our country is, In thy best robes uncover'd on the bier	Then, according to Friar Lawrence, her body would be laid on a "bier." Remember that "bier" means the platform upon which a corpse is laid.
Thou shalt be borne to that same ancient vault Where all the kindred of the Capulets lie.	Then, after a "bier" or two, the girl would be buried. Alive. In the Capulet's family tomb.
In the mean time, against thou shalt awake, Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift,	Friar Lawrence also mentions that he will send a letter to Romeo so that he knows of this plan, and can come and dig the corpse, uh, I mean girl, up.
And hither shall he come: and he and I Will watch thy waking, and that very night Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua. And this shall free thee from this present shame; If no inconstant toy, nor womanish fear, Abate thy valour in the acting it.	Then, Friar Lawrence explains, at the time of her awakening, both he and Romeo will be there, and Romeo can "bear thee hence to Mantua” (line 119).
JULIET Give me, give me! O, tell not me of fear! FRIAR LAWRENCE Hold; get you gone, be strong and prosperous In this resolve: I'll send a friar with speed To Mantua, with my letters to thy lord. JULIET Love give me strength! and strength shall help afford. Farewell, dear father! Exeunt	Juliet takes the vial from his hands, greedily: “Give me! Give me!” With this bit of bad poetry, the scene ends.