Patrick Costa Robles

Ms.Woelke

Pre-AP ELA

12 December 2019

​ ssay
“The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” E

In the play “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, it is a tale of tragic death of both

Romeo and Juliet. In this part of the play Romeo has been banished, and Juliet is being forced to

marry Paris, however she doesn’t give up on Romeo and looks to Friar Lawrence for help.

Lawrence gives her a potion that will put her in a death like coma state for 42 hours, so that she

can fake her death. Now Juliet is debating whether or not she will wake up after she drinks the

potion. In this Scene of, “Romeo and Juliet” William Shakespeare develops a tone and literary

devices that he uses to show Juliets struggle to drink the vile.

At first, Juliet questions what will happen when she will drink the vile and whether or not

she will die. As Juliet had the potion in hand she asks herself, “What if this mixture do not work

at all/Shall I be married to-morrow morning?” (Shakespeare IV.iii.22-3). Shakespeare has Juliet

questioning herself and fearful of what will happen when she does drink the potion.This helps

give insight on what Juliet thinks on how the vile will affect her. As Juliet begins to say her good

bye to everything she loves, “a faint cold fear thrills through (her) viens,” and as it flows through

her it, “almost freezes up the heat of life,” (Shakespeare IV.iii.16-7). Shakespeare uses

personification to give the fear a feeling, showing how Juliet was feeling at that moment. It also

tells us that Juliet is truly afraid of drinking the potion and that she does trust Friar Lawrence. In
Juliet's soliloquy she at first questions calmly of what will happen when she does drink the

potion.

Continuing on, as the soliloquy continues Juliet begins to question herself even more as

she thinks deeper about the potion and its effects. Juliet forgoes the idea of the potion not

working for the idea of, “What if it be poison,” or would friar lawrence , “Subtly hath minister’d

to have me dead,” (Shakespeare IV.iii.25-6). Juliet questions Friar lawrence in a fearful manner

by asking if he poisoned the potion to keep his place in life. Juliet is now starting to lose her

calm mentality and questions the very person that has helped in the past. Also a little bit further

in the play Juliet begins to think that, “Shall I not, then, be stifled in the vault,” and be trapped in

a tomb where I cannot have, “no healthsome air breathes in,” (Shakespeare IV.iii.34-5). She

thinks that the vile will put her in a death like coma, but when she awakes in the Capulet tomb

Romeo will not be their, so she will die from asphyxiation. Juliet is starting to over think

drinking the potion and now is only making it harder for her to drink the potion.

Near the end of this scene Juliet starts to be hysterical and asking some very questionable

theories on what will happen when she drinks the vile. She thinks that when she wakes up she’ll

be met with the, “loathsome smells,” and that she will hear the, “shrieking of Mandrakes’ torn

out of the earth,” (Shakespeare IV.iii.47-8). Shakespeare once again uses personification to give

the reader a feeling of being disturbed and makes Juliet seem as if she is starting to go crazy with

the idea that she will be trapped in that tomb of her ancestors. In Juliet's mind she is very afraid

of the aftermath of drinking this potion if she is making up all these crazy imaginative scenarios

in her head to try to avoid drinking it. Next Juliet takes it one step further and starts to imagine

herself. “Madly play with my forefather’s joints,” and she also, “pluck the mangled (cousin)
from his shroud,” (Shakespeare IV.iii.52-3). Juliet is trying to avoid taking the potion in fear that

she will go crazy in her family's grave. This shows us that Juliet is once again trying to avoid

drinking the potion, but she will avoid that fear and then later take the potion. To summarize

Juliet is struggling to drink the potion due to her own mind convincing her not to drink the vile.

To finish off, Juliet remains calm in the beginning of the scene asking appropriate

questions about drinking the potion. As the scene continues Juliet thinks that Friar Lawerance is

trying to poison her showing us that she is afraid of what will happen when she drinks the potion.

Next Juliet starts to thinks that while she's in the tomb that mandrakes will scream while she's in

the tomb showing that she doesn’t want to drink the potion, but she does drink it so she can see

Romeo.In conclusion, the play, “Romeo and Juliet,” Shakespeare shows Juliet’s inner struggle to

drink the potion.