Question

At the beginning of act four scene one of Romeo and Juliet Juliet decide to visit friar laurence for advice. She enters his home and discovers Paris her arranged husband to be already speaking with friar laurence. Explain the dramatic irony in Juliets conversation with Paris

Answer 1

She visited friar Laurence for advice on what to do about marrying Paris because she knows that she is in love with Romeo. She went to Friar to work out a way to get out of marrying Paris and wether that was the right thing to do or not. To see Paris with no intention to marry him when that was what he was talking about doing is very ironic. Paris says to Juliet he's happy to meet her ' my wife'. Juliet replies by saying 'that may be sir, when I may be a wife' which suggests she isn't classing herself as his wife yet as deep down she doesn't have any intention in marrying him. Visiting Friar was a way for Juliet to try and escape from something she doesn't want to do to only be confronted with the situation by being called the only thing she doesn't want to be called; his wife. Shakespeare did this to create a dramatic irony in Juliets situation and create a tense atmosphere for the reader not knowing how Juliet is going to react or possibly have her feelings change once speaking to her arranged husband. this creates suspense and keeps the reader intrigued in the story.