Class Notes

The Montagues
Romeo
The son of Lord and Lady Montague Handsome, intelligent, and sensitive 16 years old

Lord and Lady Romeos parents who have been feuding with Montague
the Capulets

The Montagues
Benvolio
a nephew of Montague/ cousin to Romeo.

Mercutio

Romeos friend who provides comic relief when Romeo is down Believed to be bisexual

The Capulets
Juliet
the heroine and one of the protagonists of the play. She is the thirteen-year-old daughter of Capulet. She is a happy, romantic, and an innocent girl who falls in love with Romeo. Juliets parents who feud with the Montagues

Lord/ Lady Capulet

The Capulets Nurse

a friend, guide, confidante, and educator of Juliet. Has raised Juliet Talks and jokes a lot, and provides comic relief to the play.

The Capulets Tybalt

Lady Capulet's nephew Has a short temper Constantly provokes Romeo to fight. Romeo kills him.

Other Characters
Prince Escalus
the Prince of Verona. tired of the fighting in his city threatens anyone who disturbs the peace with death.

Other Characters
Paris
a young nobleman and kinsman of the Prince. Juliet is supposed to marry him. The young girl Romeo thinks he is in love with when the play opens

Rosaline

Other Characeters
Peter Sampson Gregory Servants in the Capulet household

Balthasar Abram

Servants in the Montague household

Other Characters
the priest who is responsible Friar Lawrence for helping Romeo and Juliet. He is a good man with good intentions. A priest in the same church as Friar Lawrence. Sent to deliver a message to Friar John Romeo in Mantua about Friar Lawrence's plan for the lovers.

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

Act I, Scene 1
The Capulets (Juliets side) Samson Gregory The Montagues (Romeos side) Abram- Servant to Montague Benvolio- Nephew of Montague, friend to Romeo

Tybalt- Nephew of Lady Capulet

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 doesnt believe that he can win the game of love and doesnt want to play. Mercutio tells Romeo to shut up about being "done" and to quit being a donothing.
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- Romeos 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 Romeos voice and sends for his rapier to kill him. Capulet insists on Tybalts obedience, reminding him of Romeos 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 I

Begins with a soliloquy from Romeo Soliloquy - A speech revealing a characters thoughts, actions, and/or emotions that are only heard by the audience and not by the other characters.

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

Act II, Scene 3 Friar Lawrence

Friar Laurence
uses a plant metaphor to comment on how -- in both plants and people -everything has some good, and every good can be abused and turned to evil meditating on the struggle between good and evil in nature and man Criticizes Romeo for jumping from Rosaline to Juliet Agrees to perform the ceremony thinks that the marriage may end the hatred between the Capulets and Montagues.

Act II, Scene 4

Tone of this scene is humorous as everyone jokes around Benvolio
says that Tybalt has sent a challenge to Romeo

Mercutio
switches from making fun of Tybalt to making fun of Romeo. Romeo and Mercutio exchange a series of puns

Act II, Scene 4

The Nurse (enters with Peter)
Becomes the target of more jokes complains about Mercutio receives from Romeo the information about time and place of the wedding chatters on about how sweet Juliet is.

Act II, Scene 5

Plot is fast-paced. Scene 5 is about anticipation, not information. Juliet impatiently awaits the return of the Nurse with news from Romeo The Nurse teases Juliet by finding all kinds of ways to not deliver the joyful news Finally tells her that she is to go Friar Laurence's cell to be married to Romeo.

Act II, Scene 6

Just before the wedding, Friar Laurence advises Romeo to love moderately. Romeo and Juliet tell each other how much they love one another. Friar Laurence leads them off to be married.

Act III, Scene 1

The climax of the play Benvolio tries to persuade Mercutio that it's best to stay out of the way of the Capulets and a quarrel Mercutio jokingly claims that Benvolio is as much of a quarreler as anyone. Tybalt, looking for Romeo, is challenged to a fight by Mercutio Tybalt challenges Romeo to fight. Romeo refuses Mercutio steps forward and fights Tybalt.

Act III, Scene 1

As Romeo is trying to stop the fight, Tybalt gives Mercutio a wound, then runs away. Mercutio dies. Romeo is ashamed of himself for letting Mercutio do the fighting Romeo kills Tybalt and leaves the scene. Benvolio tells the Prince what happened. Lady Capulet wants Romeo's life, The Prince exiles Romeo.