Romeo & Juliet Notes The Basics Written about 1595 Considered a About lovers from feuding families: The Montagues and The Capulets Setting: The play/story takes place over the course of days. o Starts on a Sunday and ends on a Thursday Who s Who? The Montagues: o o Lord and Lady Montague o (Romeo s cousin and one of his best friends) o Friar Laurence (a friend and spiritual leader to Romeo) The Capulets: o o Lord and Lady Capulet o Nurse (Juliet s nanny and confidante) o (Juliet s favorite cousin) Other: o Prince of Verona kinda like a mayor o (relative of the Prince and Romeo s best friend) o Count Paris (related to the Prince and wants to marry Juliet)
Highlights of Act I Starts off with the Prologue telling you everything about the play, including how long it will take the actors to present the play. The play begins with servants from each house fighting in the city streets on a Sunday morning. The walks by to discover the fighting (even the oldest member of the houses are involved) and threatens to whoever starts the next fight because enough is enough. Romeo, a year-old boy, was not at the fight as he has been depressed about his unrequited love for a woman that wants to be a Nun (the audience learns she is a, the enemy to his family) Now we look into the lives of the Capulets as Count Paris has asked to Juliet, but Lord Capulet wants him to wait two years (mind you that she is only right now) They plan a masquerade party for Paris and Juliet to meet, but while the invites go out, Romeo and Benvolio manage to get one. Romeo finds out the girl he loves ( Capulet) will be there so they decide to crash. Benvolio wants him to go and meet other girls; forget the Rosaline chick. Before entering the party, Romeo acts like a big dope saying he won t dance because he feels too. Mercutio tells him to get over it and talk about how love is over-rated. Once at the party, Romeo sees across the room and falls with the other girl and with Juliet. While talking about J, Tybalt (Juliet s cousin) recognizes Romeo s voice and want to fight him, but Lord Capulet commands him to chill and Tybalt then storms away. R gets to dance with J and her well enough that she with him and lets him her twice even though they do not know each other s name. The act ends with Romeo discovering who she is by asking around and Juliet learns who he is after asking her nurse. Scandal!
Highlights of Act II Remember, it hasn t even been hours and Romeo has fallen out of love with one girl and in love with another that he just learned the name of. This is late Sunday night/early Monday morning. His friends (Benvolio and Mercutio) make fun of him for running to the Capulet s home to hook up with who they think is Rosaline (no one knows about R and J). The famous balcony scene occurs now. Juliet is out on the balcony of her bedroom where she goes on and on about her love for Romeo. She is that R is below listening. Romeo is speaking to himself about how lovely and beautiful she is. Once J talks R shuts up to listen to her only to interrupt her offering to disown his name if it will make her happy. Juliet is more worried about his (if daddy finds out he will be a dead boy) than about the fact that he s creeping around her bedroom window. She about not being able to play hard to get since he overheard her and so makes him that he won t think less of her. Then she decided they are moving too fast and tries to say. She then tells Romeo that if he loves her like he says, he should propose to her latter that day. (Yep, let s marry less than 24 hours after meeting) He of course thinks it s a great idea. Romeo rushes off to find the to get him to marry them. The Friar, who knew about his love for Rosaline, thinks he s moving too fast. However, he does agree to marry R & J because it might bring peace to the families. (Remember, this is a tragedy so it ends bad) He leaves only to find Benvolio and Mercutio talking about how much they Rosaline for tormenting R and how Tybalt has Romeo. The nurse then enters to get the wedding details from Romeo: if Juliet comes to cell this afternoon, they will marry. Juliet gets the word and the two marry in secret that afternoon and then must part.
Highlights of Act III This scene opens with Mercutio and Benvolio taunting each other about who is the bigger. Tybalt then shows up only to have Mercutio him. Tybalt says he s looking for. Romeo then shows up (he just got married remember) and responds to Tybalt s name calling with love as they are now related. Mercutio thinks Romeo is being a wimp and so draws his sward to fight for Rome s honor During the fight, Romeo gets between Tybalt and Mercutio to stop them, but this results in Tybalt taking a cheap shot at with his sword. Mercutio, knowing the stab was, blames them both and so both house. Remember that M is related to the Prince. R blames himself and his love for Juliet for this death and so goes after and Tybalt. The Prince is then called, and finding that there are two deaths, hears Benvolio recount everything that happens and then Romeo from the city. Juliet is getting impatient for her wedding night when she learns that her dear cousin Tybalt is dead by Romeo s hands. She questions Romeo s love but when the nurse joins in, Juliet gets mad at herself for her husband. Just as she makes peace with what has happened she learns that Romeo has been. This causes new and swears they won t stop till she sees her Romeo. R is hiding out at the Friar s and crying like a baby because he can t see his wife. The nurse and the Friar, so over the crying, make for them to get together for their wedding night (24 hours after they have first met). Meanwhile, Paris and Lord Capulet think a wedding would cure Juliet of her depression. They plan for P and J to marry on Thursday (It is ) Tuesday morning, before dawn, we greet R and J after a little couple time. The say a long good-bye, and just as R has climbed down the ladder momma comes in bad-mouthing Romeo. She says she knows what will cheer up J: a marriage to Paris. She says no and daddy is called and he says he will her if she won t marry Paris. After everyone leaves she heads to Friar s so he will fix it or she will herself.
Highlights of Act IV After Juliet threatens to kill herself in front of the Friar if he won t help, he comes up with a plan: o Act like she is to get married. o Make sure she sleeps in her room Wednesday (the night before the wedding) o Drink the vial of stuff o The stuff will make her look for hours. o The family will bury her in the family s grave right away, where, o Romeo will come to her after the Friar sends him word of the plan, and o They run to (where he is banished) to live happily. Yeah, nothing will go wrong with that plan Late that day, Juliet tells Lord Capulet that she marry Paris (the start of the Friar s plan). He is so excited that he moves the wedding day up. It is now for (we are on Tuesday right now). After successfully getting her room to herself, she takes the potion. Not before she give lots of for what is to come. This scene ends with the nurse screaming the next morning because Juliet is. Highlights of Act V It is now Wednesday morning. This acts starts with Romeo telling us about a dream he had and thinks good things are to come (a title character in a tragedy is to say things like that) when a servant comes bearding news of Juliet s death. This of course upsets him (he hasn t gotten the letter about the plan because the messenger was locked up) and he goes to an apothecary to get some poison. He then rushes to Juliet s grave to die by her side.
Highlights of Act V This is it. The love affair comes to this final tragic scene. It takes place late night and early morning. Count Paris is at Juliet s vowing to cry over her grave every night. Or at least moan. When his page whistles that someone is coming, P hides. Romeo comes with his own servant and tells him to stay back. R then speaks to the tomb before entering but P jumps out to. R begs him to leave him alone and P doesn t and so R him. He then goes inside while his servant flees to seek help. Romeo has also moved Paris s body into the tomb. Romeo then gives a long focusing on: o 1 st Juliet s : death has not taken it away from her yet (no duh, the potion is starting to wear off) o 2 nd Tybalt: he points out that he is Tybalt by killing himself o 3 rd Juliet s again: has death kept her beautiful to take her as his lover? To ensure against that, Romeo say he will himself and stay with her. He says goodbye, gives one last kiss, and takes the potion Friar Laurence has come to get Juliet since the letter never got to Romeo only to discover that Romeo s page is there. Once in the tomb, he sees a dead Paris. Juliet asking for her Romeo. Both discover his dead body. The Friar her to leave with him, but she orders him away. She then gives R one last kiss and herself. By now everyone else has come to discover the dead bodies. The scolds the families and himself. The families declare a. It ends with the Prince pointing out how sad the story is. (Hello, that s why it s a tragedy)