How Do Romeo and Juliet Die? The Ending Explained
Romeo dies by poison he bought in Mantua, drunk in the Capulet tomb. Juliet wakes a little later, finds him dead and stabs herself with a dagger.
Three other characters are killed earlier in the play, and a fourth dies of grief.
| Character | How they die | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Mercutio | Killed by Tybalt in a sword fight | A Verona street |
| Tybalt | Killed by Romeo | A Verona street |
| Paris | Killed by Romeo | The Capulet tomb |
| Romeo | Drinks poison | The Capulet tomb |
| Juliet | Stabs herself | The Capulet tomb |
| Lady Montague | Dies of grief over Romeo's exile (reported) | Offstage |
Why does the plan fail?
Friar Laurence's plan was simple: Juliet drinks a potion that makes her look dead, the family lays her in the tomb, and Romeo comes from Mantua to take her away. The Friar sends Friar John with a letter explaining it all.
Friar John never reaches Mantua. He is shut in a house suspected of plague and cannot leave. Romeo knows nothing of the plan when his servant Balthasar arrives from Verona and says that Juliet is dead.
↑ Back to the topHow does Romeo die?
Romeo buys poison from an apothecary in Mantua and rides to Verona. At the tomb he meets Paris, who has come to mourn Juliet. They fight, and Romeo kills Paris. Romeo carries Paris's body into the tomb, looks at Juliet once more, kisses her and drinks the poison.
↑ Back to the topHow does Juliet die?
Friar Laurence reaches the tomb just after Romeo has died. Juliet wakes, sees Romeo dead and tries to find any poison left on his lips. The watch is coming. The Friar tells her to leave with him, but she refuses and stabs herself with a dagger.
In Shakespeare's version Romeo is already dead when she wakes. In the earlier Italian versions by da Porto and Bandello, she wakes while he is still alive, so the two have a last exchange. Shakespeare gives them no such moment.
↑ Back to the topWho else dies in the play?
Mercutio is stabbed by Tybalt in Act 3 after taking Romeo's place in a duel, and Romeo kills Tybalt in revenge. Paris dies in the tomb. Lady Montague dies of grief for her son's exile, and Montague reports it when he arrives at the tomb in the last scene.
↑ Back to the topWhat happens after they die?
The Friar tells the whole story and Romeo's letter confirms it. The Prince tells Capulet and Montague that their hatred has cost them their children. The two men shake hands. Montague promises a gold statue of Juliet, and Capulet answers that Romeo's will lie beside it, a pair of poor sacrifices of their enmity.
The Prince ends the play: a gloomy peace this morning, and never was there a story of more woe.
↑ Back to the topMore about Romeo and Juliet
This guide covers the play only. Film and stage versions differ in places.