Romeo and Juliet

Act II summary

Name Nathan

Prologue:

Now that Romeo is in love with Juliet he has forgotten his old love, Rosaline. However,
because the two lovers are from enemy families, he does not have access to her, and she
does not have the means to meet him anywhere.

Scene 1:

Romeo’s friends search for him, but he leaps over an orchard wall. The friends try to get
Romeo to reveal his hiding place by saying rude things about Rosaline but he is not in love
with her any more, so it does not work.

Scene 2:

In the Capulet’s orchard, Romeo sees Juliet talking to herself and is overwhelmed by her
beauty. He compares her to the sun in the east. He says her eyes are brighter than stars. He
says he would like to be a glove on her hand so he could touch her cheek. He calls her a
bright angel from the heavens. Juliet, unaware of Romeo’s presence, says a name is not
really a part of a person and therefore not important. Even so, Romeo is afraid she will not
accept him because his last name is Montague. Juliet is afraid her relatives may find Romeo
and kill him. She asks Romeo to swear his love to her, but then changes her mind, thinking
their actions are “too rash, too unadvised, too sudden.” They finally agree that Juliet will
send a messenger to Romeo at 9 o’clock the next day, and Romeo will send word to Juliet if
he intends to marry her.

Scene 3:

At the beginning of the scene, Friar Lawrence is gathering plants and herbs. He mentions
that even weak flowers have both poison and medicine in them, just like people, who have
both grace and rude will. When Romeo tells him that he wants to marry Juliet, the friar
cannot believe that Romeo has changed his mind so suddenly. However, he agrees to
perform the ceremony because it may turn the two families’ hate into “pure love.”

Scene 4:

Benvolio and Mercutio learn that ____________________, who is an excellent swordsman, sent a
letter challenging ____________________. When ____________________ shows up, he and Mercutio
have a battle of wits, which ends with Mercutio saying that being with friends is better than
“groaning for ____________________.” ____________________ and her servant,
____________________ enter, looking for ____________________. ____________________makes rude
comments and sings a rude song to her before he leaves with Benvolio. Alone with Romeo,
____________________ warns him not to seduce Juliet. Romeo responds by saying that he wants
to marry Juliet that afternoon at ____________________ cell. The nurse tells Romeo that
____________________ wants to marry Juliet, too, but that Juliet prefers Romeo.
Scene 5:

Juliet is impatient because the nurse has been gone ____________________ hours. The Nurse
returns, but tells Juliet that she is too out of ____________________ to deliver the message right
away. Then she says her ____________________ and ____________________ hurt. Then she asks
where Juliet’s ____________________ is. Finally, as Juliet becomes frantic, the Nurse gives her
the news that she will become a bride. Meanwhile, the Nurse will fetch a ____________________
so Romeo can climb to Juliet’s balcony for the honeymoon.

Scene 6:

Friar Lawrence is worried that Romeo and Juliet’s love is too passionate and will be brief, like
the explosion when ____________________ and ____________________ “kiss.” He also says they
may become sick of their sweet love, as one becomes sick of ____________________ when he
eats too much of it. His advice is to “love ____________________.” Romeo, however, is so in
love that he cannot find words to express his feelings. Juliet cannot, either, saying that “They
are but ____________________ who can count their ____________________,” meaning that she has
so much love that she cannot even sum it up. Friar Lawrence marries them.