Deborah Chan
In Act 4, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet, Paris informs Friar Laurence that Lord Capulet has moved the wedding to Thursday. In the next scene, Capulet moves the wedding to Wednesday. This means that Friar Laurence has to send a letter to Romeo in Mantua immediately, explaining the situation and instructing him to arrive at the Capulet tomb on time. It is imperative that Romeo receives this letter so that he can rescue Juliet from the Capulet tomb before she wakes up and so he does not think that she is actually dead.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| The wedding date is moved up | From Thursday to Wednesday |
| The sleeping potion lasts for 42 hours | Friar Lawrence has to inform Romeo about the change of plans immediately |
| Friar Lawrence sends a letter to Romeo | Explaining the situation and instructing him to arrive at the Capulet tomb on time |
| Romeo must receive the letter | So he can rescue Juliet before she wakes up and so he doesn't think she is dead |
What You'll Learn
The wedding date is moved up to Wednesday
Even if Romeo had got the letter, the time in it would have been wrong. Friar Lawrence should have stayed with Juliet until she woke up. Instead, he sends Friar John to deliver the letter, but Friar John is prevented from giving the message. This means that even if Romeo had got the letter, he would not have arrived in time. The friar should have said that it didn't really matter, but that he had to wait all night in Juliet's tomb because she was going to wake up soon and he couldn't be certain when.
The change of the wedding date does not happen in Shakespeare's source; in that poem, the friar writes to Romeus after Juliet is found apparently dead. Shakespeare must have thought this was a way to make the action more urgent and breathless, but he didn't really think it through.
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Friar Lawrence must inform Romeo immediately
When Lord Capulet moves the wedding to Wednesday, Friar Lawrence realises that he must inform Romeo immediately about the change of plans. The sleeping potion will only last for 42 hours, so it is imperative that Romeo receives the letter explaining the situation and instructing him to arrive at the Capulet tomb on time. If Romeo does not receive the letter, he will not be able to rescue Juliet from the tomb before she wakes up, and he will think that she is dead.
Friar Lawrence sends another friar to deliver a letter to Romeo in Mantua. However, even if Romeo receives the letter, the time in it will be wrong. The friar should have stayed with Juliet until she woke up, but instead, he sends word to Romeo on Tuesday to say that Juliet will be waking up on Friday evening. This means that even if Romeo arrives at the tomb on time, he will not be able to rescue Juliet before she wakes up.
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A letter is sent to Romeo in Mantua
Lord Capulet's decision to move the wedding to Wednesday throws Friar Lawrence's plan into disarray. The friar realises that he must inform Romeo immediately about the change of plans, so he sends another friar to deliver a letter to Romeo in Mantua. The letter explains the situation and instructs Romeo to arrive at the Capulet tomb on time. It is imperative that Romeo receives this letter so that he can rescue Juliet from the tomb before she wakes up and so he does not think that she is actually dead.
The letter is of the utmost importance. If Romeo does not receive the letter, he will not arrive in time to rescue Juliet. Even if he does receive the letter, the time in it will be wrong. The friar should have stayed with Juliet until she woke up, but instead he sends a letter with the wrong time. The letter says that Juliet will wake up on Friday evening, but the wedding has been moved to Wednesday, which means that Romeo will not arrive in time.
The change of the wedding date does not happen in Shakespeare's source material. In the poem, the friar writes to Romeo after Juliet is found apparently dead. Shakespeare must have thought that moving the wedding date would make the action more urgent and breathless, but he did not think it through properly. The change of the wedding date makes it impossible for the friar's plan to work.
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Romeo must arrive at the Capulet tomb on time
When Lord Capulet moves the wedding to Wednesday, Friar Laurence realises that he must inform Romeo immediately about the change of plans. The sleeping potion will only last for 42 hours, so Romeo must arrive at the Capulet tomb on time to rescue Juliet before she wakes up. Friar Laurence sends another friar to deliver a letter to Romeo in Mantua, explaining the situation and instructing him to arrive at the tomb on time. It is imperative that Romeo receives this letter, so he does not think that Juliet is actually dead.
Even if Romeo had received the letter, the time in it would have been wrong. Friar Lawrence should have stayed with Juliet until she woke up, but instead, he sent word to Romeo on Tuesday to say that Juliet would be waking up on Friday evening. This means that even if Romeo had got the letter, he would not have arrived in time. The friar should have said that it didn't really matter, but that he had to wait all night in Juliet's tomb because she was going to wake up soon and he couldn't be certain when.
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The letter must be received by Romeo
Romeo must be in Mantua, ready to ride to the Capulet tomb. He must arrive on time. He must be there to rescue Juliet. If he is not there, she will wake up alone. She will be trapped in the tomb. She will not know what to do. She will be scared. She will not know where to go or who to turn to. She will be all alone.
Friar Laurence must make sure that the letter is delivered to Romeo. He must send a reliable friar to deliver the letter. He must make sure that the friar understands the urgency of the situation. He must tell the friar that Romeo's life depends on this letter. He must tell him to ride as fast as he can to Mantua. He must tell him not to stop until he reaches Romeo.
The friar must also make sure that Romeo understands the letter. He must write clearly and concisely. He must explain the situation to Romeo. He must tell him that Juliet is not really dead. He must tell him that she is only sleeping. He must tell him that he must arrive at the Capulet tomb on time. He must tell him that if he is late, Juliet will wake up alone.
Romeo must read the letter carefully. He must understand the urgency of the situation. He must not delay. He must ride as fast as he can to the Capulet tomb. He must not stop until he gets there. He must arrive on time. He must be there to rescue Juliet. He must take her away from the tomb. He must keep her safe. He must protect her. He must never let her go.
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Frequently asked questions
The friar's plans are changed because he now has to inform Romeo about the change of plans. He sends another friar to deliver a letter to Romeo explaining the situation and instructing him to arrive at the Capulet tomb on time.
The letter explains the situation and instructs Romeo to arrive at the Capulet tomb on time so that he can rescue Juliet before she wakes up and so he does not think that she is actually dead.
The wedding being moved up means that the sleeping potion will only last for 42 hours. The friar realises that he needs to inform Romeo immediately about the change of plans.
If Romeo doesn't get the letter, he won't arrive at the Capulet tomb in time to rescue Juliet. Even if he does get the letter, he might not arrive in time.
