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Romeo and Juliet Act 5, Scene 3
Paris and his servant, who is carrying flowers, sweet water, and a torch, enter Juliet's tomb. The flowers and sweet water are strewn about her tomb. His servant leaves and Paris mourns for Juliet.
Paris hears his servant warn him (by whistling) that someone is coming. Paris hides and Romeo and Romeo's servant Balthasar, who is carrying a pickaxe, a crow of iron, and a torch, enter the tomb. Romeo gives Balthasar a letter to give to Romeo's father. He tells Balthasar not to pay attention to what he is about to do and then bids him to leave. Romeo says that he must open Juliet's tomb to retrieve a ring. This is a diversion so that Balthasar does not question what Romeo really intends to do. He really intends to climb into the tomb with Juliet, so that he may die there with her. He gives Balthasar some money and Balthasar hides, for he wants to see what Romeo will do.
Romeo begins to open to the tomb. Paris recognizes that Romeo is a Montague; he comes out of hiding and tries to stop Romeo. Paris threatens Romeo and says that he is going to apprehend him and that he must die. Romeo does not obey his orders and they fight. Paris' servant calls for help, and while he is gone, Romeo kills Paris. While dying, Paris asks Romeo to lay him in the tomb with Juliet. Romeo quickly realizes that the man he has just killed is Paris, Juliet's supposed suitor. He feels so guilty that he decides to fulfill Paris' wishes by placing him in the tomb with Juliet.
When he sees Juliet, he is overcome by her beauty. He says that death may have taken her breath, but it has not taken her beauty: "O my love! my wife!/ Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath,/ Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty." Act 5, Scene 3, lines 91-3 He promises that he will not leave her ever again, and sleep beside her forever in death. He drinks the poison and dies.
Friar Laurence enters and sees the blood and swords that Romeo and Paris fought with. He discovers their dead bodies. Juliet awakens and asks the friar where her Romeo is, with a fully conscious memory of what her and the friar's original plans were. The friar tells her that, by some higher power, their plans have been changed: "A greater power than we can contradict/ Hath thwarted our intents." Act 5, Scene 3, lines 153-4
He hears noises within the tomb, and begs for Juliet to get up and leave with him. He tells her that Romeo and Paris are dead. She refuses to go with him and he leaves alone. She sees that Romeo drank some type of poison, and kisses his lips to try and get some of the remaining poison for herself. This does not work, and so she takes his sword, stabs herself, and dies.
Paris' servant and a watchman enter and find Paris, Juliet, and Romeo all dead. The watchman tells the servant to get the Prince, the Capulets, and the Montagues. Two more watchmen find Balthasar and Friar Laurence; they are to be held until the Prince arrives. The Prince enters and Capulet and his wife enter also. They see what has happened and grieve greatly over their dead daughter, who is covered with blood. Montague soon enters and says that his wife has died over Romeo being exiled from Verona.
The Prince orders that the tomb be sealed up until the series of events that took place can be understood. The friar comes forward and explains everything that took place, leading up to the dreadful deaths of Romeo and Juliet. He explains that he did what he did because he wanted to end the age-old fight between the two families. The Prince releases him of any fault because the friar has always been known to be a holy man. Romeo's letter that he gave to Balthasar to give to his father proves that the friar is telling the truth. The Prince is angered at the Capulets and Montagues for allowing their feud to get so out of hand that their children are now dead. The two families agree to end their fight and decide to erect statues of gold. The Capulets will erect a statue of Romeo and the Montagues will erect one of Juliet. The Prince makes his parting words: "For never was a story of more woe/ Than this of Juliet and her Romeo." Act 5, Scene 3, lines 309-310 All exit.
