Class

Notes

Literary Terms• Allusion– A reference another literary work, person, place, or

event that the average reader may be unfamiliar with.• Aside–When a character speaks his or her thoughts aloud and

is heard by the audience, but not by other characters• Blank Verse–Unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter

Literary Terms• Comic Relief– A humorous scene or speech that is included

in drama• Foil– A character who contrasts another character

• Foreshadowing–When a writer uses hints or clues to indicate

events or situations that will occur later in the plot

Literary Terms• Irony– The contrast between appearance and reality. Reality is

opposite of what it seems• Paradox– A statement that seems to contradict itself but is actually

true• Pun– A joke that comes from a play on words. Words can have

multiple meanings• Soliloquy– A speech in which a character speaks thoughts out loud.

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 I • Begins with a soliloquy from

Romeo• Soliloquy - A speech

revealing a character’s 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.