Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

by

William Shakespeare

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Romeo and Juliet: Act 5, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis

Read our modern English translation of this scene.
Summary
Analysis
Another friar, Friar John, enters Friar Laurence’s chambers and greets him. Friar Laurence happily welcomes the man, who has come from Mantua. Laurence asks if John has any news from Romeo—it is clear that Laurence sent John to Mantua to inform Romeo of Juliet’s plan. Friar John, however, states that he was held up and unable to complete the mission because he was quarantined after coming into contact with the plague. Romeo has not received Friar Laurence’s letter, and knows nothing of Juliet’s plan. Friar Laurence orders Friar John to bring him a crowbar—he is going to rush to the Capulet crypt and break in, so that he can be there when Juliet awakes. He plans to keep Juliet hidden in his cloister and write to Romeo of the new plan. 
Fate seems to be conspiring against not just Romeo and Juliet, but all involved in their orbit. Unlikely obstacles and dramatic twists are cropping up at every turn, confirming that Romeo and Juliet’s “star-crossed” love was never meant to be actualized—they are only pawns in a larger scheme.
Themes
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