ACT IV, SCENE III

The women go to Juliet's bedroom. Juliet sends the Nurse and her mother away so she can pray. Again we feel that Lady Capulet has a genuine empathy for her daughter's feelings. As soon as they've left, Juliet has second thoughts. She wants to be a child again; to call them back to comfort her, but she realizes, "My dismal scene I needs must act alone." This painful part of growing up is something all of us can relate to.

She takes out the drug, and by her speech we know how far she is from the innocent young girl she was at the beginning of the play. Then the world was full of hope and promise for her; now she dearly sees the power and threat of evil. She wonders about the consequences of taking the drug:

• what if the Friar, not wanting anyone to find out he'd married them, gave her poison?
• what if she wakes up in the tomb by herself and suffocates?
• what if she wakes up in the tomb, and she's so terrified by the bodies and the spirits that she goes crazy? She might even dash her brains out with some kinsman's bone.
• Her courage and love prevail, however, and she downs the Friar's drug.

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