PLUS

Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

Quotes Quick Quizzes Essays Further Study

What Does the Ending Mean?

Previous

At the end of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo returns to Verona because he believes Juliet is dead. When he arrives at her tomb she
appears lifeless, and in his grief he kills himself by drinking poison. Moments later Juliet wakes, and, finding Romeo dead, she
plunges his sword into her breast. This ending replays in miniature the structure of the play as a whole. Throughout their story, the
lovers have been drawn together by their love for one another, and yet they’ve simultaneously been pulled apart by the hatred and
violence that rages between their families. At the play’s end, the love they share and the violence that separates them become one
and the same. Though they shall be buried together, laying forever in each other’s arms, the lovers will also remain forever apart,
separated by death. Prince Escalus underscores this unity of love and death when he chastises Capulet and Montague: “See what a
scourge is laid upon your hate, / That Heaven finds means to kill your joys with love!” (V.iii.292–93). The Prince thus informs the men
that they have killed their own children, and the instrument of their murder has been Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other.
protected by reCAPTCHA
-

In addition to unifying the play’s themes of love and violence, the ending also brings an end to the longstanding feud between the
Privacy - Terms

Capulet and Montague families. However, peace between the families may turn out only to be temporary. After the Prince blames
Capulet and Montague for their children’s deaths, the two men pledge their desire to resolve their conflict. Capulet begins by
addressing Montague as his “brother,” then asks for his hand in friendship. Montague responds by one-upping Capulet. He claims
that he will commission a statue of Juliet to be fashioned from pure gold, and he concludes with a boast: “whiles Verona by that
name is known, / There shall no figure at such rate be set / As that of true and faithful Juliet” (V.iii.300–2). Capulet immediately
retorts: “As rich shall Romeo’s by his lady’s lie, / Poor sacrifices of our enmity” (V.iii.303–4). Reconciliation quickly becomes corrupted
by a contest of wealth, indicating that Romeo and Juliet’s tragedy will not bring full reconciliation so much as what the Prince calls
“A glooming peace” (V.iii.305).

Advertisement
:
 Previous section
Suggested Essay Topics
S
U

Notes See All Notes

PL

Add Note with SparkNotes PLUS

Romeo and Juliet

Add your thoughts right here!

Popular pages: Romeo and Juliet

No Fear Romeo and Juliet

NO FEAR

Full Play Analysis

SUMMARY

Character List
CHARACTERS

Romeo
CHARACTERS
:
 Themes
LITERARY DEVICES

Love
QUOTES

Full Play Quiz

QUICK QUIZZES
Take a Study Break

QUIZ: Is This a Taylor Swift Lyric or a Quote by Edgar Allan Poe?

The 7 Most Embarrassing Proposals in Literature

The 6 Best and Worst TV Show Adaptations of Books

QUIZ: Which Greek God Are You?

Sign up for our latest news and updates!

By entering your email address you agree to receive emails
from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13.
You can view our Privacy Policy here. Unsubscribe from our
emails at any time.

First Name Last Name

Email
Sign Up

SparkNotes—the stress-free way to a better GPA

Quick Links Premium Study Tools More

Literature SparkNotes PLUS Help

Shakespeare Sign Up How to Cite SparkNotes

:
 Other Subjects Log In How to Write Literary
Analysis
SparkTeach PLUS Help
About
Teacher’s Handbook
Contact Us
Blog

Copyright © 2024 SparkNotes LLC

Terms of Use | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Do Not Sell My Personal Information

: