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Summary of Act 4, Scenes 2-3

Here's a summary of what happens in Act 4, Scenes 2 and 3:

Scene 2

Scene 2

  • In Scene 2, Juliet returns home and agrees to marry Paris.
  • Lord and Lady Capulet are surprised but pleased with Juliet’s change of attitude – Lord Capulet is so happy that he decides to move the marriage to Wednesday instead.
Scene 3 - Juliet's worries

Scene 3 - Juliet's worries

  • In Scene 3, Juliet tells Lady Capulet that she wants to spend the night alone instead of having the Nurse sleep in the same room.
  • After Lady Capulet and the Nurse leave, Juliet holds the sleeping potion.
    • She worries about what will happen to her when she drinks it.
    • She wonders if Friar Laurence is genuinely trying to help her or if he is trying to kill her and hide the role he played in her and Romeo’s marriage.
    • She also worries that Romeo might be late to collect her at the tomb. She is scared of being locked inside for too long.
Scene 3 - Tybalt's spirit

Scene 3 - Tybalt's spirit

  • Juliet then speaks to Tybalt’s spirit. She asks him to stop haunting Romeo and to let them be together.
  • Finally, Juliet drinks the sleeping potion.

Key Quotes - Act 4, Scenes 2-3

Here are key quotes from Juliet in Act 4, Scenes 2 and 3:

Scene 2

Scene 2

  • 'I have learn’d me to repent the sin of disobedient opposition.'
    • When Juliet returns to her parents, she pretends that she is happy to marry Paris.
    • In this quote, she admits that disobeying her father was a 'sin'. She implies that she went to Friar Laurence to seek forgiveness for being 'disobedient'.
Scene 3

Scene 3

  • 'Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again.'
    • After Lady Capulet and the Nurse leave Juliet’s bedchamber, she says goodbye to them both.
    • In this quote, she says that only 'God knows' when she will see them again – she knows that she will not see them again during her own lifetime. She knows that she will only be with them in the afterlife.
Scene 3

Scene 3

  • 'What if it be poison, which the friar subtly hath minister’d to have me dead.'
    • Juliet worries about her fate. She is about to take a mysterious potion and cannot be completely certain about what will happen once she does.
    • She wonders if Friar Laurence has actually given her 'poison' so that she will die and he will avoid getting into trouble for marrying her and Romeo.
    • She is very anxious until she finally decides to trust him and take the potion.
Jump to other topics
1

Context

2

Plot Summary

3

Key Characters

4

Key Themes & Concepts

5

Writing Techniques

6

Recap: Main Quotes

Practice questions on Scenes 2-3

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Answer all questions on Scenes 2-3

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