Act IV

The Purpose of Soliloquy

Recall that a soliloquy is a long speech by a character who is alone on stage. Soliloquies appear numerous times in Romeo and Juliet, and the use of soliloquy is very important in Act IV. When you think about it, a soliloquy can seem like a very curious thing; a single character is alone on the stage, speaking to no one in particular. But why? What would you think if you were to come across a person who is talking out loud to himself or herself?

Drama has a very good reason for the use of soliloquies. If the play were a novel or short story, it would have a narrator who could speak directly to the reader, explaining and revealing the characters' feelings, thoughts, or inner turmoil. When watching movies or TV shows, you might hear a voice-over that reveals the protagonist's inner thoughts. However, in drama there is usually no omniscient narrator who knows everything and can explain things to the audience.

When you hear "omniscient narrator," you may be thinking of the chorus that Shakespeare uses in some of his plays. Usually a single actor, the chorus recites prologues and is able to comment on the plot directly with the audience. However, it would not be practical to bring in a chorus to comment on the characters' feelings in every scene. It would feel disruptive to the performance. If you are watching the romantic balcony scenes between Romeo and Juliet and getting swept up in the passionate emotion, you cannot have the chorus abruptly jumping into the scene and adding commentary. The chorus would end up turning a sensitive scene into a humorous one.

Because dramas are meant to be performed, the playwright has to work all of the feelings, thoughts, and actions into the spoken dialogue. Therefore, when the audience needs to know the inner thoughts, feelings, or turmoil of a character, the character needs to somehow show or tell them to the audience. A soliloquy is an excellent way for the character to speak to the audience because it helps the audience understand why something has happened or is about to happen.

The soliloquy in Act III is in Scene ii, when Juliet is alone waiting for the nurse to bring the ropes for the honeymoon night. She describes how impatient she is for night and for Romeo to arrive.

Dramatic Irony in Romeo and Juliet

You have already learned that irony in literature takes three forms: situational, verbal, and dramatic. Recall that dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something that the characters in the play do not know. Writers use dramatic irony in literary works to add suspense to the story and keep the audience engaged. It is the same principle that keeps you rooting for the hero to defeat the enemy in an action film or urging a character not to open the door in a horror movie. Because you know more information than the protagonist, you know what is about to happen and can anticipate what the character is about to experience. It is this knowing that makes the moment suspenseful when you are emotionally invested in the characters.

There are a number of examples of dramatic irony in the play Romeo and Juliet. Did you spot instances of dramatic irony while you were reading the first three acts? The most significant dramatic irony comes toward the end of Act III when the Capulets arrange for Juliet's marriage to Paris, not knowing that she is secretly married to Romeo. In this interactivity, review these examples of dramatic irony from the first three acts of Romeo and Juliet. Click the player button to begin.

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Reading Act IV of Romeo and Juliet

Act III presents a number of dilemmas for Romeo and Juliet, and the situation increasingly becomes more complicated for the couple. After Romeo is banished from Verona, Juliet's father threatens to abandon her if she refuses to marry Paris. How will Juliet try to reunite with Romeo? Access and read Act IV of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Use this interactivity as an accompaniment to studying the fourth act. Before you read each scene from Act IV, scroll down the parchment paper for a brief introduction to the scene. Click the player button to begin.

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Act IV of Romeo and Juliet Review

Now that you have explored the use of soliloquy and dramatic irony in the fourth act of Romeo and Juliet, it is time to review your knowledge and practice what you have learned. In this non-graded activity, read the descriptions and select whether they describe the literary term soliloquy or dramatic irony. Click the player button to get started.