This scene acts as a watershed — a defining moment — in the play's overall structure. In this scene, Juliet's decision to accept the Friar's potion demonstrates her commitment to defying her father's rule, asserting her independence, and accepting her resolution to die in order to be with Romeo.
Juliet's composure in this scene is exceptional. She is surprised to find Paris at the Friar's cell — a development that contributes significantly to the dramatic tension in the scene. The tension in the cell is electric as Juliet and Paris engage in a rigid and formal exchange known as stichomythia — an exchange between characters in which their dialogue switches back and forth across alternating lines. Paris shows himself to be a proper and courteous suitor, while Juliet proves her nimble mind as she evades Paris's questions and compliments.
Paris, like Capulet, believes that marriage will cure Juliet's grief, which if left unsupervised, may result in extreme melancholy. Ironically, Juliet recently has made a series of mature, reasoned decisions, such as defying her family, marrying, and now, sacrificing her life for her forbidden love — all of which are contrary to Paris and Capulet's paternalistic view of her need for adult male guidance. Juliet's conversation with the Friar parallels Act III, Scene 3, because Juliet, like Romeo, now believes that only death can offer a solution to her dilemma: "Be not so long to speak. I long to die / If what thou speak'st speak not of remedy."
