In Shakespeare’s famous play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is put to sleep by drinking a potion given to her by Friar Laurence. The potion makes it appear as if Juliet is dead, allowing her to avoid an unwanted marriage to Paris. This leads to the tragic misunderstanding that results in the deaths of both Romeo and Juliet.
What potion does Friar Laurence give Juliet?
Friar Laurence gives Juliet a potion that will make her fall into a deep sleep for 42 hours. He describes it as a potion that “will throughout the entire body spread; The blood all bating, each part deprived of strength, Shall like death seem, and cease breath” (4.1.104-106). Essentially the potion will slow Juliet’s breathing and heart rate to make her appear dead.
Why does Juliet take the potion?
Juliet is set to marry Paris, after her parents Lord and Lady Capulet arrange the marriage, but she does not want to marry him. She is already secretly married to Romeo and wants to avoid the unwanted marriage to Paris. When she confides in Friar Laurence and threatens suicide, he comes up with the plan involving the sleeping potion to fake her death and prevent the marriage.
How is the potion administered?
Juliet takes the potion at home in her bedroom just before going to sleep. Friar Laurence instructs her, “And presently through all thy veins shall run / A cold and drowsy humour; for no pulse / Shall keep his native progress, but surcease; / No warmth, no breath, shall testify thou livest” (4.1.95-98). So Juliet drinks the potion before getting into bed, and soon falls into a deathlike sleep.
What happens after Juliet takes the potion?
After drinking the potion, Juliet falls asleep and appears to be dead. Her family discovers her and believes she has passed away. Friar Laurence’s letter explaining the plan to Romeo never reaches him, so Romeo also thinks Juliet is dead. Romeo then buys poison and goes to Juliet’s tomb to kill himself. When Juliet wakes from her sleep she finds Romeo dead and then kills herself with his dagger. The potion leads to the tragic ending of the star-crossed lovers.
What goes wrong with Friar Laurence’s plan?
Several things go wrong with Friar Laurence’s plan involving the sleeping potion:
- The letter he sends to Romeo explaining the plan does not reach him, so Romeo never learns that Juliet is not really dead.
- Friar John, who was supposed to deliver the letter to Romeo, ends up quarantined in a sickhouse due to an outbreak of plague.
- Romeo learns of Juliet’s “death” from his servant Balthasar before the letter arrives, so he rushes back to Verona.
- Romeo is able to buy poison and get into Juliet’s tomb to kill himself before she wakes up.
- Friar Laurence arrives too late to the tomb to stop Romeo or tell him Juliet is alive.
If even one of these things had gone differently, the tragic ending might have been avoided.
Could the potion have killed Juliet?
It does not seem that the potion itself could have killed Juliet. Friar Laurence is an expert on plants, herbs, and potions, so he would know how to properly prepare the sleeping draught. The amount he gave Juliet was meant to make her sleep for 42 hours, not cause her harm. However, there were still risks involved:
- If she took too much of the potion, it could have depressed her systems so much it killed her.
- If no one realized she was just sleeping, she could have been buried alive and suffocated.
- Being in a deathlike sleep made her vulnerable to suicide when she awoke.
So while the potion itself was likely not lethal, it still placed Juliet in great danger given the circumstances.
Did Juliet have any other options?
Juliet was in a difficult situation, but she did have some other options besides taking the sleeping potion:
- She could have refused to marry Paris and relied on her father’s love to understand her wishes.
- She could have confessed everything to her parents and asked for their blessings.
- Juliet and Romeo could have run away together.
- They might have been able to plead their case before the Prince.
- She could have gone to the Friar for advice but refused to take such a risky potion.
However, Juliet felt trapped by her circumstances and did not believe her parents would understand. Running away with Romeo would have damaged their reputation. Confessing probably felt too risky. So in her desperation, taking the potion seemed like the only choice.
Could Friar Laurence have done anything differently?
As an older, wiser mentor, Friar Laurence certainly could have approached things differently. Here are some of his options:
- He could have gone to Lord and Lady Capulet directly to reason with them about Juliet’s wishes.
- He could have counseled Juliet to be honest with her parents instead of enabling the deception.
- He could have found another way to get his letter to Romeo more reliability.
- He could have had Juliet drink the potion somewhere safer than the family tomb.
- He could have gotten to the tomb sooner to prevent disaster.
While Friar Laurence wanted to help the young lovers, he took great risks with their lives. Some different choices could potentially have led to a better outcome.
Who is most responsible for the tragic ending?
There are several people who bear some responsibility for how things end tragically:
- Romeo and Juliet – They made rash, impulsive decisions and snuck around behind their parents’ backs.
- Lord and Lady Capulet – They tried to force Juliet to marry against her wishes.
- Friar Laurence – His risky plan backfired dangerously.
- Friar John – He failed to deliver the crucial letter to Romeo.
- The Feuding Families – Their long rivalry led to an environment where the young lovers felt a need to hide.
But no one person can take full blame. It was a combination of many choices, accidents, and misunderstandings that led to the heartbreaking outcome.
Conclusion
In Romeo and Juliet, a sleeping potion given to Juliet by Friar Laurence is the catalyst for the play’s tragic ending. Juliet takes the potion to avoid marriage to Paris and appear dead, allowing her to reunite with Romeo. However, a series of unfortunate events prevents the message from reaching Romeo, leading him to kill himself in grief. When Juliet awakens she finds Romeo dead and takes her own life. While the potion itself did not kill Juliet, it set in motion a chain of devastating consequences. With some different choices by the characters, especially Friar Laurence, the greatest tragedy could perhaps have been avoided.