What happens in Act 5 of Romeo and Juliet?

In Mantua, Balthasar tells Romeo that Juliet is dead. Romeo cries 'Then I defy you, stars,' buys poison from a starving apothecary, and rides to Verona. Friar Laurence learns his letter never reached Romeo because Friar John was quarantined in a plague house. At the tomb Romeo kills Paris, then drinks the poison beside Juliet. She wakes minutes later, finds him dead, kisses him and stabs herself with his dagger. Over their bodies, the Capulets and Montagues finally end the feud.

Why did Romeo not get the letter in Romeo and Juliet?

Friar Laurence sent his letter explaining the sleeping-potion plan with Friar John. In Act 5 Scene 2, Friar John explains that he called on another friar who had been visiting the sick, and town health officers, suspecting they had been exposed to plague, sealed the house and refused to let them out. The letter was returned undelivered, so Romeo only heard the false news that Juliet had died.

How do Romeo and Juliet die?

Romeo, believing Juliet is dead, drinks poison bought from a Mantuan apothecary and dies beside her in the Capulet tomb. Juliet wakes moments later, finds the empty cup, and kisses his lips hoping enough poison remains to kill her — finding them still warm. Hearing the watchmen approach, she takes Romeo's dagger and stabs herself, falling onto his body.

Who is to blame for Romeo and Juliet's deaths?

The play distributes blame widely rather than settling it. The Prince blames the families' feud and also himself for tolerating it: 'all are punish'd.' Friar Laurence's secret marriage and risky potion plan, Capulet's decision to force the wedding forward, the Nurse's abandonment of Juliet, and Romeo's own haste all contribute — as does sheer accident, in the quarantined letter that never arrives.

Shakespeare in Plain English

Romeo & Juliet · Tragedy · c. 1595

Act Five

The ending. A letter that never arrives, a starving apothecary, a tomb, and the worst timing in the history of the theatre — Romeo dies about three minutes too early. All three scenes.

Romeo & Juliet

The Original · First Folio

Plain Modern English

Hover or tap any line — its translation glows across the gutter.