Romeo and Juliet · Chapter
Scene IV explained
In the Capulet household early on the morning of Juliet's planned wedding to Paris, Lady Capulet and the Nurse prepare for the feast.
What happens
In the Capulet household early on the morning of Juliet's planned wedding to Paris, Lady Capulet and the Nurse prepare for the feast. Capulet bustles about giving orders, then sends the Nurse to wake Juliet as Paris approaches with music.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This scene is the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of the Capulets' gr…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Family Feud and Conflict
Capulet's frantic wedding preparations for Juliet and Paris highlight the familial pressure and conflict that will soon erupt.
- Fate and Free Will
The forced wedding arrangement sets the stage for Juliet's desperate choice, intertwining fate and personal agency.
Characters to notice
- Capulet
Bustles about giving orders for the wedding feast, sends Nurse to wake Juliet.
- Lady Capulet
Helps with preparations and teases Capulet about his past.
- Nurse
Assists with spices and is sent to wake Juliet for her wedding.
- Paris
Approaching with music as the bridegroom, though not yet on stage.
Key passages
“Hold, take these keys, and fetch more spices, nurse.”
Take these keys and get more spices, Nurse.
Lady Capulet instructs the Nurse to gather additional spices for the wedding feast.
“Go waken Juliet, go and trim her up; I’ll go and chat with Paris: hie, make haste, Make haste; the bridegroom he is come already: Make haste, I say.”
Wake Juliet and get her ready; I'll go talk with Paris. Hurry, the groom has arrived.
Capulet urges the Nurse to prepare Juliet for her wedding to Paris.
