Even before Romeo finds out that Juliet had supposedly died, he has an uneasy feeling and foreshadows, “I dreamt my lady came and found me dead.” (V, I, 6) But then, Romeo finds out from his servant who has just arrived that Juliet has died (supposedly). As at the beginning of the play, when the Chorus referred to the “star-crossed lovers,” Romeo now rebels against Fate, “Is it e'en so? Then I defy you, stars!” He decides that he can’t live without her, blaming mischief (personification) “O mischief, thou art swift/ To enter in the thoughts of desperate men!” (V, I, 37-38) which gives him the idea to buy some poison and goes to her tomb.
Friar Laurence finds out that his letter never got through to Romeo because the messenger was delayed. (He was visiting a family thought to have the plague and the house was quarantined so he couldn’t get out to deliver the message to Romeo.) Friar Laurence has to go get Juliet from the tomb himself.
In the meantime, Paris goes to Juliet’s tomb to put flowers on her grave when he sees Romeo. Romeo fights Paris and kills him. As he is dying, Paris asks Romeo to lay him beside Juliet and Romeo complies. Romeo then drinks the poison and dies. Juliet awakens and sees that Romeo is dead so she grabs his dagger and kills herself.
Both families, the Prince and the townspeople go to the tomb. Friar Laurence tells of the marriage of Romeo and Juliet and the plan to get them together. The Montagues and Capulets decide that the feud has gone on long enough and it is time to end it. As a monument to their children and a reminder of the end of the feud, they also plan to build golden statues of Romeo and Juliet.
In the end, the Prince wraps up the Light to Dark theme by stating: “A glooming peace this morning with it brings/ The sun for sorrow will not show his head.” (V, iii, 321-322) He also has the last word on Fate, telling the two feuding families:
“See what a scourge is laid upon your hate,
That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love!” (V, iii, 309-310)
