Act 5 scene 3

Act 5 scene 3 summary of key points:

• Paris visits the Capulet family vault to lay flowers and grieve for Juliet.

• He hides when Romeo and Balthasar approach.

• Having sent Balthasar away, Romeo breaks into the vault.

• Paris steps forward to challenge Romeo; they fight, and Paris is killed.

• Romeo realises who he has killed and lays Paris beside the 'dead' body of Juliet.

• Believing Juliet to be dead, he takes the poison and dies 'with a kiss'

• Friar Lawrence arrives and meets Balthasar, learning that Romeo is in the vault.

• He hurries inside to see Paris and Romeo dead. Juliet begins to wake up.

• The Friar hears the sounds of people approaching and tries to persuade Juliet to leave with him. She refuses. Frightened for his own safety, the Friar leaves the vault.

• Juliet gazes at her dead husbnd. There is no poison left, so she takes Romeo's dagger and stabs herself.

• The grief produced by the death of the lovers leads directly to the reconciliation of the Montagues and Capulets.

Why is this scene important?

• The prologue has come true.

• In the warring tension between the strong forces of love and hate in the play, love ultimately wins. Although the two lovers have died, it has resolved the conflict, bringing peace to the two households.

• Provides an opportunity for moral reflection about the behaviours of the adults in this world and the examples they should be setting.