Romeo thinks Juliet is dead
Doesn't want to live without her
The apothecary is poor, gets paid
The apothecary says this when he sells Romeo poison.
It's illegal to sell poisons and the apothecary is doubtful about breaking the law.
It's illegal to sell poisons in Mantua.
Poison so he can poison himself and lay next to "dead" Juliet. The apothecary actually can't sell it by law, but he is seduced by the gold of Romeo. It's a very strong poison that "could dispatch someone with the strength of twenty men straight away."
No, he bought it from an apothecary (pharmacist) in Mantua. Yes, it is and was illegal for pharmacists to sell poisons, but the apothecary was hard up for money.
The apothecary says this when he sells Romeo poison.
It's illegal to sell poisons and the apothecary is doubtful about breaking the law.
It's illegal to sell poisons in Mantua.
If the apothecary had refused to sell poison to Romeo, Romeo may have sought out another means to end his life, possibly resulting in a different turn of events for the tragic end of Romeo and Juliet. Alternatively, Romeo may have abandoned his plan altogether, leading to a potential alternative resolution for the story.
Because the apothecary said that he would sell the poison to Romeo only because he needed the money so badly (selling poison is illegal in Mantua). Therefore, the apothecary's poverty (state/situation) is forcing him to take Romeo's offer, not because he wants to disobey the law. Romeo is paying the apothecary's need, not his want.
Poison so he can poison himself and lay next to "dead" Juliet. The apothecary actually can't sell it by law, but he is seduced by the gold of Romeo. It's a very strong poison that "could dispatch someone with the strength of twenty men straight away."
No, he bought it from an apothecary (pharmacist) in Mantua. Yes, it is and was illegal for pharmacists to sell poisons, but the apothecary was hard up for money.
"My poverty but not my will consents." He does it because he is in desperate need of the money.
Romeo actually says: "There is thy gold--worse poison to men's souls, doing more murder in this loathsome world than these poor compounds that thou mayst not sell." Romeo isn't selling the apothecary poison: he's giving him gold which is worse than poison. It's a pretty good line, actually.
Romeo says, "There is thy gold, worse poison to men's souls, doing more murders in this loathsome world than these poor compounds that thou may'st not sell."
Apart from telling Romeo that Juliet is not really dead, giving the apothecary a whole bunch of money so he doesn't have to sell poisons in order to get his next meal might work.
Romeo persuades the Apothecary by offering him a large sum of money that the Apothecary desperately needs. He plays on the Apothecary's financial struggles, tempting him with the payment in exchange for the poison he requires to carry out his plan.