In Romeo and Juliet, what does her placing the dagger beside herelf as she drinks the potion signify?

The
dagger signifies 's intention to take her
own life if 's cunning plan doesn't come off. Juliet
has a bad feeling about
all this; she's genuinely worried that she won't be reunited with , the
love
of her life. She'll hope for the best but prepare for the worst. And that means having
a
dagger on standby just in case it all goes south.

Which
of course it does.
Tragically, Friar Laurence's best laid plans come to
nothing as Romeo, believing that Juliet is
actually dead rather than just
sleeping, kills himself by taking the poison he brought with him
from Mantua.
When Juliet wakes from her slumbers and sees her dead
beloved,...