Act V

Even though you were expecting the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, the play still delivered a get-wrenching ending. In the end, the two main characters both commit suicide, and both families suffer tremendous tragedies. It is the pointless death and suffering that eventually causes Lord Capulet and Lord Montague to see the error of their feuding ways and to end the longstanding feud between the powerful families. While the end is tragic, a moral victory is won in the process.

In this topic, you not only read the captivating conclusion to Romeo and Juliet, but you also learned about several elements of dramatic plot structure. The conflicts, or problems between characters in the play, create a series of intense moments. The highest peak of emotional tension in a play is the climax, which usually occurs in the closing moments of the play right before the final resolution. In the resolution, all secrets are revealed, and a cathartic release of pent-up emotion and tension returns all things to normal, or at least, as normal as they can be.