Persecution Of Juliet In William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet
In this soliloquy, we see Juliet in her final moments prior to drinking the vial that is meant to stop her heart. Beginning her passage she bids farewell to her Mother and Nurse, who each have no knowledge of the plan Juliet and the Friar have made to stop her impending marriage to the Paris. The Friar gave her a potion made from a poisonous flower, intending for her to use it to fake her own death. At the time the Friar gave to potion to her, she indicated that she would do anything it takes to get out of a new marriage, even threatening to take her own life. Yet now Juliet expresses to the audience (or reader) that she is a bit skeptical of the plan, true to her natural character, being a skeptic who thinks things through fully. For the remainder of the passage we see her debate with herself and explore many possible
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outcomes of drinking the potion. At first, the young woman ponders the strength of the potion, questioning if it may work at all, and in response to this thought she takes out a knife, for use as a failsafe if she wakes up in the morning.
After addressing the strength of the poison she moves on to investigate the motives of the Friar, contemplating the possibility that this potion he has given her is actually a poison, meant to kill her entirely to prevent himself from needing to perform a marriage on an already married woman. Juliet meditates on this for a short time, but finds that the Friar is a holy man who would not do anything of that sort. At this point Juliet begins to express her fear of the tomb itself, first wondering if there will be enough air to keep her from suffocating, then considering the dead bodies and possibility of ghosts, stressing over the effects either of these would have on her mind. Finally we see Juliet relating back to her thought of ghosts, exclaiming that she sees Tybalt, he cousin who Romeo killed. The sight of Tyblat seemingly triggers a sudden longing for Romeo, as after calling out to him, she drinks the vial in his honor, and falls
asleep.
outcomes of drinking the potion. At first, the young woman ponders the strength of the potion, questioning if it may work at all, and in response to this thought she takes out a knife, for use as a failsafe if she wakes up in the morning.
After addressing the strength of the poison she moves on to investigate the motives of the Friar, contemplating the possibility that this potion he has given her is actually a poison, meant to kill her entirely to prevent himself from needing to perform a marriage on an already married woman. Juliet meditates on this for a short time, but finds that the Friar is a holy man who would not do anything of that sort. At this point Juliet begins to express her fear of the tomb itself, first wondering if there will be enough air to keep her from suffocating, then considering the dead bodies and possibility of ghosts, stressing over the effects either of these would have on her mind. Finally we see Juliet relating back to her thought of ghosts, exclaiming that she sees Tybalt, he cousin who Romeo killed. The sight of Tyblat seemingly triggers a sudden longing for Romeo, as after calling out to him, she drinks the vial in his honor, and falls
asleep.