Analysis of Act Four, Scenes 1-3

Question 1

According to Paris, why has Capulet brought the wedding forward?

Answer 1

Paris says that Capulet has brought Juliet’s marriage forward to “stop the inundation of her tears” (make her stop crying). Capulet thinks it’s “dangerous” to mourn so much.

Question 2

True or False? Juliet asks for Capulet’s forgiveness in Act 4, Scene 2.

Answer 2

True. She asks for his “pardon” and she will be “ruled” by him.

Question 3

Why is it ironic that Juliet worries she might wake up before Romeo reaches her?

Answer 3

It is ironic that Juliet worries she will wake up too early, because in Act 5, Scene 3 she wakes up too late — Romeo is already dead.

Question 4

How does Juliet’s exchange with Paris in Act 4, Scene 1 show her intelligence?

Answer 4

She avoids telling Paris how she feels about him. For example, Paris asks if she will confess for her love for him to Friar Lawrence, but she says the confession is more valuable spoken “behind” Paris’s “back”. Her ability to manipulate the conversation shows that she is quick-thinking and intelligent.

Question 5

What effect does Juliet’s gruesome language in Act 4, Scene 3 have on the audience?
Use examples to support your answer.

Answer 5

• The gruesome descriptions of
  “loathsome smells” and “shrieks
  like mandrakes” appeal to the
  senses, helping the audience to
  vividly imagine the tomb.
• The gruesome language used to
  describe Tybalt, such as
  “festering in his shroud”,
  emphasises t the audience how
  horrific it will be for Juliet to be
  with her cousin’s “mangles”
  corpse. This shows the great
  lengths Juliet is willing to go to
  for Romeo.