Class

Notes

The Prologue• Expresses the hatred separating the

Montagues and Capulets• Use of Foreshadowing/Metaphor– “A Pair of star-crossed lovers take their life”

Act I, Scene 1

• Setting - Verona in Italy

The Capulets(Juliet’s side)

The Montagues(Romeo’s side)

SamsonGregory Abram- Servant to

MontagueTybalt- Nephew of Lady Capulet

Benvolio- Nephew of Montague, friend to Romeo

Act I, Scene 1

Act I, Scene 4• Romeo, Mercutio,

Benvolio, others about to make an appearance at the feast.

• Romeo and Benvolio, Montague kin are not invited. – Enter wearing masks

Act I, Scene 4• Benvolio wants to have

fun• Mercutio tries to talk

Romeo into a better mood.

• Romeo replies that he can't borrow Cupid's wings because he has been so badly wounded by Cupid's arrow.

Act I, Scene 4- Mercutio

• Uses several puns, dirty jokes, and vivid descriptions.

• "sink in it, should you burden love -- / Too great oppression for a tender thing" (1.4.24). – means that if Romeo is going to blame

("burden") love for his state of mind, he will only sink further into love.

– also means that if he gets what he wants (sex) he will sink into the woman and be a burden to her.

• Thinks Romeo is too serious• Love-sickness is caused by a lack of

sex.

Act I, Scene 4- Mercutio

• Romeo doesn’t believe that he can win the game of love and doesn’t want to play.

• Mercutio tells Romeo to shut up about being "done" and to quit being a do-nothing. – Says that if Romeo is "done," he's Dun the horse

(name of a log that people pulled out of mud during a Christmas game.)

• Mercutio says that love is “bullcrap,” and that Romeo is stuck in it up to the ears.

Act I, Scene 4- Romeo’s Speech

• Foreshadowing • chain of events ("consequence") • chain of events does terminate

the duration ("expire the term") of Romeo's life with premature ("untimely") death.

• Despite his premonitions, Romeo goes to Capulet's house.

• Says that he is doing so because he is entrusting his fate to "He, that hath the steerage of my course." (God)

Act I, Scene 5- Romeo and Juliet Meet

• The servant's bustle picks up the pace of the play.

• Everything is speeding up. • Capulet welcomes everyone – speaks to Romeo's company when he

says, "Welcome, gentlemen! ladies that have their toes / Unplagued with corns will walk a bout with you" (1.5.16-17).

– Making sure that these strangers in masks feel welcome.

Act I, Scene 5- Romeo and Juliet Meet

• Romeo sees Juliet and falls in love with her instantly.

• Tybalt recognizes Romeo’s voice and sends for his rapier to kill him.

• Capulet insists on Tybalt’s obedience, reminding him of Romeo’s good character.

Act I, Scene 5- Romeo and Juliet Meet

• Romeo and Juliet continue their exchanges and they kiss– interrupted by the Nurse, (sends

Juliet to find her mother.) • Romeo realizes the grave

consequences of their love.• Juliet discovers from the Nurse

that Romeo is a Montague.

Act II, Prologue–Quatrian (first four lines) has a sarcastic

tone–Chorus foreshadows death• “desire death in his deathbead lie.”• “…love groaned for and would die.”

–Romeo is willing to die for beauty

Act II, Scene 1• Romeo enters and

speaks of his love for Juliet. He jumps over a Capulet wall, hoping to see her.

• Mercutio mocks Romeo's feelings for Rosaline.

• Benvolio suggests that they leave and go look for him.

Act II, Scene II• The Capulet orchard • Romeo watches Juliet and starts

to speak with her. • They proclaim their love for each

other here. • Romeo and Juliet quickly agree to

marry the next day at nine o'clock.

• The Nurse calls for Juliet and she has to go. They say goodbye to each other for the night and exit.

Act II, Scene II - Juliet

• Willing to denounce her family name to be with him: – "O Romeo, Romeo!

Wherefore art thou Romeo?/ Deny thy father and refuse thy name;/ Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,/ And I'll no longer be a Capulet.“

Act II, Scene II - Names

• The lovers go into a long discourse about names and how they are nothing more than words.

• The fact that she is a Capulet by name and he is a Montague by name should not affect their love for each other like it does.– "'Tis but thy name that is my enemy.

Thou art thyself, thou not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet." Act 2, Scene 2, lines 38-44