• OVERVIEW
• PROLOGUE
• ACT 1
• ACT 2
• ACT 3
• ACT 4
• ACT 5

OVERVIEW

Vocabulary for Romeo and Juliet

 Understanding Shakespeare’s Language

Shakespeare wrote his plays in the English that was spoken over 400 years ago. No wonder it is sometimes difficult for us to understand! Many of the unfamiliar words in the play will be explained in the notes, or glossary, in your copy of the play.
It is also very important that you have a dictionary and that you use it to look up unfamiliar words which may not be in the glossary.
But there are some typical words, used every day by the Elizabethans in Shakespeare’s time, which may not be explained. We have given you an alphabetical list of many of these words, below. You may notice that some words which we use now had different meanings in Elizabethan times. Do not worry – you will get used to many of these words, as you read the play.
First of all, some of the basic differences between Shakespeare’s English and ours:

Order of Words

Sometimes the Elizabethans put their words in a different order from the order we use today. For example:

• Elizabethan: ‘Hold me not...’ (Act 1, Scene 1, line 68)
• Modern: ‘Do not hold me.’ (Notice addition of ‘do’ and position of ‘not’ and verb ‘hold’, swapped around.)

Another example is:

• Elizabethan: ‘Why call you for a sword?’ (Act 1, Scene 1, l.63)
• Modern: ‘Why are you calling for a sword?’ (Notice addition of ‘are’ and ‘you’ and ‘calling’ swapped around.)

And another example:

• Elizabethan: ‘...tell me not ...’ (Act 1, Scene 1, l.161)
• Modern: ‘Do not tell me.’

This sounds very complicated, but do not worry; as you read the play, you will get used to it.

Verbs

A reminder: verbs are the ‘doing’ or ‘being’ words in a sentence, like sit, stand, walk, be, have.

The Elizabethans often put ‘st’ or ‘t’ at the end of verbs:

• Elizabethan: I hadst;
  Modern: I had
• Elizabethan: Wouldst thou?;
  Modern: Would you?
• Elizabethan: He wilt;
  Modern: He will

They also often inserted the verb ‘do’ in front of a verb, where we would not:

• Elizabethan: “I do remember ...” (Act V, Scene 1, l.38);
  Modern: I remember
• Elizabethan: “Where the infectious pestilence did reign.” (Act V, Scene 2, l.10);
  Modern: “Where the infectious disease reigned (or was widespread).”

Thee/thou/thy/thine and you
You

In modern English, we use the word ‘you’ when speaking directly to someone else, or when speaking to many people.
The Elizabethans used ‘you’ when speaking to someone older, higher in society or rank: in other words, it was more formal than thee/thou. It was also used when speaking to several people.
For example: Apothecary: “Put this in any liquid thing you will ...” (Act 5, Scene 1, l.78) The Apothecary is speaking to Romeo, his social ‘superior’.

Thee/thou

The Elizabethans used ‘thou’ when speaking to one person who was either a friend, a child, or to someone of lower social rank. In other words, it was more informal. ‘Thou’ was used when the person was the subject (the person ‘doing’ the verb) of the sentence:
Gregory: “Thou art moved ...” (Act 1, Scene 1, l.9) Gregory is speaking to Sampson, his social ‘equal’.
If the person they were speaking to was the object (the person the verb is being ‘done to’) of the sentence, they would have used ‘thee’:
“I will back thee.”
Another example, is when Romeo is speaking to Balthazar, his servant towards the end of the play, at the tomb:
Balthazar: “I will be gone, sir and not trouble you.”
Romeo: “So shalt thou show me friendship ...” (Act V, Scene 3, l.40-41)

Thy/thine

These were the Elizabethan’s possessive pronouns (our modern day ‘yours’). They would have used ‘thy’ before a word beginning with a consonant, and ‘thine’ before a vowel.
“Turn thy back and run.” (Act 1, Scene 1, l.30)
“Were not I thine only Nurse ...” (Act 1, Scene 3, l.54)

Elizabethan contractions

You will notice many words such as ’tis, e’en, ne’er, is’t, th’, stol’n, oe’r.
These are simply Elizabethan contractions. Just as we say ‘don’t’ instead of ‘do not’ and ‘I’ll’ instead of ‘I will’, they too left out certain letters and used an apostrophe ( ’ ) to show where the missing letter was. So, ‘’tis’ mean ‘it is’, ‘e’en’ means ‘even’, ‘oe’r’ means ‘over’. If you say these words out loud, and in context, you will get their meanings.
For example:

• “...’tis not hard, I think...’ (Act 1, Scene 2, l.2)
• And: ‘The all-seeing sun/Ne’er saw her match...’ (Act 1, Scene 2, l.93-4)

Some common Elizabethan words
A

• aye: yes
• art: are
• alas or alack: how sad
• apparelled: dressed
• anon: soon
• at odds: enemies with
• adieu: good-bye anon: in a moment

B

• be (I/he/she/we/you/they): am, is, are
• bid/bade: ask/tell/asked
• bliss: happiness
• behold: see
• beseech: ask, beg
• beget: get
• b’yr lady: by mary (mother of jesus)
• befits: suits
• bawd: brothel-keeper
• beshrew: a curse
• bosom: usually means heart

C

• coz: cousin
• cheerly: enthusiastically
• cock-a-hoop: fight
• choler: anger
• crave: want
• chinks: money, wealth
• conjure: create, as in conjure up
• clout: dishcloth
• commend me to ... : remember me to ...

D

• dignity: social rank/standing
• drave: drove
• doth: does
• doff: cast off
• divers: several

E

• ere: before
• e’en: even or evening
• even so?: is it true?

F

• fray: fight
• fled: ran away
• forsworn: have taken an oath
• forth: out of
• faith: in truth
• foe: enemy
• fair: beautiful
• fain: willing
• forsaken: given up
• fie!: exclamation of disapproval
• fiend: devil
• forbear: be patient

G

• grudge: quarrel
• go to!: let it go!
• gall: vinegar

H

• hadst: had
• hath: has
• heavy: sad
• hence: away, go there
• how now?: what’s going on?
• humours: Elizabethans believed that fluids, or humours, in the body, affected your personality.
• hie: go

I

• ill: bad or wrong
• i’faith: truthfully

K

• knave: a cheeky young man
• kin: relations

L

• list: listen or like
• lest: in case
• livery: uniform

M

• mutiny: fight
• marry: indeed, well. (refers to mary, mother of jesus)
• marred: spoilt
• mine: my
• maidenhead: virginity
• mark: give, notice, listen to
• misgive: worry
• measure: dance matched: compared
• mickle: great, much
• methinks: i think

N

• nought: nothing
• ne’er: never
• nay: no

O

• of an age: the same age
• oft: often
• orisons: prayers

P

• pray: ask
• peace: be quiet
• princox: cheeky person
• profane: disrespect something sacred, holy
• purged: removed
• posterity: future generations
• prolixity: long speeches
• prate: chatter
• perchance: perhaps
• pray: ask
• perforce: by force
• privy: to know a secret

Q

• quoth: said

R

• rood: Christ’s cross or crucifix
• rude: rough
• rite: ceremony

S

• strive: try
• shalt: shall
• shun: avoid
• sought: looked for
• shrift: Christian confession
• soft: be quiet (verb)
• suit: request
• sirrah: young man
• slain: killed
• sojourn: stay

T

• traffic: performance
• toil: work
• ’tis: it is
• thrice: three times
• tut or tush: shows impatience
• thither: there
• tetchy: cross, angry
• ’twas: it was
• trow: think, believe
• twain: two

U

• unto: up to or into

V

• vault: tomb
• vial: a small bottle used for medicine or poison
• visage: face
• visor: mask
• vexed: annoyed

W

• wilt: will
• withal: with or by
• ware: aware
• whence: where
• wert: were
• would: wish
• whereto: to which or to where
• writ: written
• whither: from where
• wit: intelligence
• warrant (verb): guarantee
• wanton: loose woman
• weal: good fortune
• woe: sadness
• what ho!: hey!

Y

• ye: you (polite)
• yea: yes
• yonder (or yond): over there

Introduction

Romeo and Juliet was written by William Shakespeare. He was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, a small town in England.
His plays were written about 400 years ago, but they are still popular today. They have been performed in hundreds of countries and translated into nearly every language. By the time he died in 1610, he had written about 38 plays and over 150 poems.

1. Background

Four hundred years ago the world was very different from today. For example, in 1564 in South Africa, many African groups had only recently moved southwards to join the San and Khoi-Khoi in the area that was to become South Africa. London, where Shakespeare mostly lived and worked, was also very different from the city it is today. Knowing what life was like in Shakespeare’s time helps us to understand his plays.
For most of Shakespeare’s life, Elizabeth I was Queen of England. During the Elizabethan times, English explorers sailed to countries that they had not known about before, bringing back new types of fruit, vegetables, spices and other resources. During this time, London was the fastest-growing city in the world. People from rural areas in England as well as from other countries went to London to find work. Shakespeare met different types of people from many places and he wrote about them in his plays.

Elizabethan society

In Shakespeare’s time, England had a very unequal society. Some people were very rich, but most were poor, although a middle class was developing. The powerful people were wealthy landowners. Mostly these were the nobles, with titles like ‘Lord’ and ‘Lady’. They inherited their wealth and high position in society. There was no democracy, like we have today, and ordinary people could not vote for their rulers.
Women did not have equal rights to men. They could not inherit titles from their fathers, and there were restrictions about women inheriting money. Only women from very wealthy families were educated. Women were usually expected to be domestic servants or housewives. Unlike many poor people, rich men were usually educated and could read and write.
Most people were Christians and attended church regularly. The Church played an important part in people’s lives.
People did not live as long then as they do today – a person was old at
40. Terrible diseases were common, like the plague, which was spread by rats and killed thousands of people. Doctors did not have the skills or knowledge to cure many diseases.

Shakespeare’s English

Four hundred years ago the English language was very different from what it is today. For example, a person would refer to a good friend or child as “thee” rather than “you”, as we do today.
In Shakespeare’s time, the English language was mostly spoken, not written down. Most books were written in Latin. There were no English dictionaries and no one studied English in schools. By writing his popular plays in English, Shakespeare helped to develop the language.

Shakespeare’s theatre

In Shakespeare’s time, people went to the theatre like people today go to the movies or a soccer match. It was popular entertainment for both poor and rich people. Even Queen Elizabeth I went to see Shakespeare’s plays. The plays were performed in different theatres around London. A famous theatre was the Globe Theatre. It could seat 3000 people.
The audience did not watch quietly, they showed how they felt about the play. They cheered and clapped at what they liked, and shouted and threw rotten vegetables if they didn’t like it! Plays were also used to comment on issues in society.
People enjoyed listening to clever, funny language in the theatre. Often this language was poetic and sometimes it was sexual, which would have delighted, not shocked, the audience. Just as people today enjoy comedy shows and television soaps, so would people in Shakespeare’s time have loved the jokes and drama in his plays.

2. How the play is told
2.1 Setting

The setting is where and when the story in the play takes place. The story of Romeo and Juliet took place in a town called Verona in Italy during the 1400s (fifteenth century). Italy wasn’t a united country at the time. It was divided up into small city-states which would fight between themselves for control of cities like Verona. The people were governed by nobles, such as a prince.
Most people in Italy at that time were Roman Catholic and attended church regularly. There are many references to religious images and symbols in the play, for example, shrines, saints and pilgrims.

2.2 Characters

There is a large cast of characters. The main characters appear most often and are known as the protagonists. In this play, the protagonists are Romeo and Juliet, as the play mainly involves them – their actions and the decisions they make.
Other characters in the play take the role of antagonists – they stand in opposition to the main characters. One of the roles of the antagonist characters is to help create tension or conflict in the plot and to keep the action of the play going. Examples of antagonists in the play are Paris and Tybalt.
The play has many minor characters, who appear less often. Their role is often to support the protagonists and to give us more information about them. For example, Mercutio often teases and mocks Romeo about his romantic love of Rosaline.

Classes of characters

There are also different classes of characters, as Shakespeare placed his play in a social setting that the Elizabethan public would recognise.

The nobility

The nobility were rich people whose wealth and position in society was inherited. They had political power and owned most of the land. The nobles in the play include the Prince, Count Paris and the Montague and Capulet families.

The commoners

People who had no inherited title or wealth were called commoners. Most of them had little chance of improving their social status and could not read or write. Many worked as servants for a noble family. Juliet’s nurse and the servants of the Montague and Capulet families would be known as commoners.
The servant characters are often used to provide humour and to comment on things the other characters are doing.

Clergy

The clergy in Elizabethan times was given a special role in society. Representing the church, they were not commoners and were often in the service of the nobility.
In the play, the clergy is represented by the friars. Friars belong to the Catholic church and are like priests. They lived a simple life, in service to the community. People would make their “confessions” to a friar. This follows the Catholic belief that if you confess your sins, God will forgive you. The clergy is represented in the play by Friar Lawrence and Friar John.
Friar Lawrence has many dealings with the nobility. He is a friend to both Romeo and Juliet, and has a good reputation with Prince Escalus. His role in the play is complex as his well-meaning involvement with Romeo and Juliet’s problem is, unfortunately, partly responsible for their deaths.

Important characters

The nobles: These were rich people whose wealth and position in society was inherited. They had political power and owned most of the land.
Prince Escalus, ruler of Verona: He is a stern and strict ruler. He is able to take charge and stop the street fighting between the Montagues and Capulets. He is also merciful and just. For example, even though he says the next person caught fighting will be executed, when Romeo kills Tybalt he only exiles him, as he understands that Tybalt killed Mercutio.

The Montagues

• Lord Montague, Romeo’s father: He is a nobleman in a feud with the Capulet family. He is stubborn and not willing to forgive.
• Lady Montague, Romeo’s mother: She does not like violence. She does not seem close to Romeo, but she dies of grief after Romeo’s death.
• Romeo Montague: He thinks he is in love with Rosaline at the beginning of the play, and appears to be very immature. His love for Juliet seems to make him more mature. Although he is sensitive and romantic, he can be over-dramatic about his feelings. He has a good reputation in Verona (even Lord Capulet thinks he is virtuous and well disciplined). However, he makes decisions too quickly and can be aggressive and quick to fight. It is because of this that he kills Tybalt and Paris.
• Mercutio, Romeo’s friend: He is clever with words and is very energetic and lively. He often makes fun of Romeo’s romantic passions. He loves an argument and is quick to get angry and fight. He is also cynical and melancholic.
• Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin: He always tries to keep the peace and often tries to keep Romeo’s thoughts away from Rosaline, even after Romeo is in love with Juliet. He is kind and gentle.
• Friar Lawrence: He is a secret advisor to both Romeo and Juliet. He is a kind man who preaches self-control. He tries to help the couple, but his plans fail and end in tragedy. He is not only a victim of fate; the lies he tells are partly the cause of the tragic fate of the lovers.
• The apothecary: This is a person who prepared and sold medicines and drugs. The apothecary in the play lives in Mantua, where Romeo was exiled. He is a poor man, and eager to sell poison to Romeo for money, despite the consequences.
• Commoners on Montague side: These include Balthasar (Romeo’s servant) and Abram.

The Capulets

• Lord Capulet, Juliet’s father: He is a nobleman whose family hates the Montague family. Juliet is his only child. He is a controlling father. He gets angry easily, especially when he cannot have his own way or when his wishes are opposed. He is moody, hypocritical and selfish.
• Lady Capulet, Juliet’s mother: She is only about 28 years’ old! She has not been very involved with her daughter and shows little understanding of Juliet.
• Juliet Capulet: She is a privileged, sheltered young woman. Although she is only 13, she shows bravery, determination and more maturity than Romeo. She is practical and reasonable and often recognises the challenges of their situation. Sometimes, though, she shows her immaturity by making decisions too quickly.
• Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin: He is arrogant and a troublemaker. He picks a fight with Mercutio and Romeo. Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo’s friend. Romeo kills Tybalt in revenge, and because of that Romeo is exiled from Verona.
• Juliet’s nurse: She is over-talkative and often uses coarse language. She has looked after Juliet since she was born and is closer to her than Juliet’s mother. She is a faithful friend and confidante to Juliet but doesn’t understand Juliet’s love of Romeo.

• Count Paris, relative of Prince Escalus: He is a very polite nobleman and does seem to love Juliet. Paris’s role in the play helps to create conflict in the plot, because Juliet’s parents want him to marry her, but Juliet marries Romeo.

 2.4 Themes

A theme is a message that runs through a play or story. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses a number of themes to tell his story of the tragic lovers.

Fate (destiny) and free will

The Elizabethans believed that everything that happens to a person is controlled by God. Everyone’s fate, or destiny, has already been decided. Throughout the play, many of the characters refer to this belief.
Against this is the idea of free will, or being able to make one’s own decisions and choices in life.
Many Elizabethans believed in the Chain of Being where everything had its place. God was at the head of the Chain of Being, then the angels, and then the stars. Under these came everything on the earth, beginning with the king and going down to ordinary men, women, animals and plants. To change the Chain of Being in any way, they believed, would result in disaster.

Love and hate

There are many references to love and hate in the play. Two young people, from two families that hate each other, fall in love. Look out for other ways in which Shakespeare contrasts love and hate. For example, read Romeo’s words to Tybalt and Paris before they fight. Romeo is secretly related to them through his marriage to Juliet, so he says he loves them, but they hate him.

True love and romantic love

Shakespeare explores the difference between the true love that Romeo and Juliet feel for each other and romantic love – the obsessive passion that Romeo felt for Rosaline:

“… A madness, most discreet,
A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.”

In contrast, when Romeo meets Juliet for the first time, he says:

“If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine …”

Passion and reason

Passion means having very strong emotions or feelings about something, without having much control over those feelings. Reason is the ability to think, consider and to make informed decisions. In our lives, passion and reason sometimes conflict with each other.
For example, Romeo has no control over his emotions when thinking about Rosaline: “O brawling love, O loving hate …” (Act 1, Scene 1)
However, when Romeo wants Juliet to swear her love for him although they have only just met, she says:

“I have no joy of this contract tonight:
It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden …” (Act 2, Scene 2)

She loves Romeo, but she still allows her reason to control her responses.

Appearance and reality

Sometimes things are not what they first seem: we can be fooled by appearances. Some of the characters in the play are confused by appearances. For example, Juliet appears to be dead in Act 5, Scene 3, and Romeo is fooled. As readers, we know, of course, that she has taken a potion and is actually alive.
In Romeo and Juliet, the themes of appearance and reality can also be linked to the theme of secrecy and lies. Both Romeo and Juliet tell lies about their relationship. They keep their relationship and marriage a secret, which adds to the conflict in the plot and ultimately works against their happiness.

Order and disorder

People who govern cities like things to be orderly. They like people to obey the rules and not cause trouble.
In Romeo and Juliet, feuding families represent disorder and can be harmful to the smooth running of the society. For example, at the beginning of the play, when the Montague and Capulet servants are fighting (disorder), Prince Escalus enters and says:

“Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,” (Act 1, Scene 1)
He attempts to restore order on the streets of Verona.

Youth and old age: the ‘generation gap’

A breakdown in understanding between the young and their elders is known as a ‘generation gap’. The elders think that they know everything and want to control the young; the young rebel against this. Romeo and Juliet rebel against the custom of their society which says that parents decide who their children should marry. This conflict results, in part, in the death of the young lovers.

Honour and reputation

A person who is honourable has firm values and always does what he or she believes is right. A person’s reputation depends on what other people think of them.
For example, Tybalt insults Romeo by saying:

“Thou art a villain.” (Act 3, Scene 1)

Tybalt then fights with and kills Romeo’s friend, Mercutio. Romeo says:

“My reputation stained
With Tybalt’s slander …”

He then fights with and kills Tybalt to avenge Mercutio’s death and to defend his honour. His family would have considered that to be the honourable thing to do, even though it results in Romeo’s banishment.

3. Style

In a play, the conversation between characters tells the story. Their speech is called the dialogue.
Sometimes characters talk alone on stage to the audience about what they think or feel. This type of speech is called a soliloquy. For example, Act 5 Scene 1 begins with a soliloquy from Romeo. Only the audience knows what Romeo says in his soliloquy; the other characters in the play do not.

3.1 Poetry and prose

In Romeo and Juliet some lines are written like a poem. The place where the lines end depends on the rhythm of the words. Shakespeare used poetry for the dialogue of the nobles and elite, like Lord and Lady Capulet.
Other lines, usually with words said by servants and other ordinary people, are written in paragraphs that don’t rhyme, which is called prose. However, sometimes when the nobles are joking they speak in prose, too. For example, the nobles Mercutio and Benvolio joke in prose with Romeo in Act 2, Scene 4.

Blank verse

Most of Romeo and Juliet is written in a type of poetry called blank verse. The lines do not rhyme but the words have a regular rhythm, called iambic pentameter. The pattern for each line is one soft-sounding syllable followed by one strong-sounding syllable, repeated five times.

Rhyming couplet

If the last words in two lines sound similiar (rhyme), it is a rhyming couplet. Here is an example of a rhyming couplet, from the Prince’s speech at the end of the play:

For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo. (Act 5,Scene 3)

Sonnet

A sonnet is a type of poem. It has 14 lines, made up of:

• Three quatrains. Each quatrain has four lines; and
• One rhyming couplet at the end.

There are three sonnets in Romeo and Juliet. Look at:

• Act 1, Prologue
• Act 1, Scene 5 when Romeo and Juliet first meet. They speak to each other in a sonnet. The sonnet begins with, “If I profane with my unworthiest hand …” and ends with the last line, “Then move not while my prayer’s effect I take.”
• Act 2, Prologue

Shakespeare uses the sonnet form when he wants to make us aware of the importance of what is being said. Using the sonnet also makes the mood of the scene and the tone of the words more serious.

3.2 Diction and figurative language

Shakespeare was very skilled at using language to describe things and to communicate his ideas in interesting ways:

• He used figures of speech such as metaphors, similes, personification.
• He played with the sound of the words, using alliteration, assonance and onomatopoeia.
• He used imagery and symbols to help us imagine what he describes. A symbol is something which represents something else. For example, a dove is a symbol of peace.
• He makes jokes, using words that sound the same, or similar, but which have different meanings. This type of joke is called a pun. For example, ‘she walked on the souls of her feet’.
• He uses dramatic irony to increase the tension and involve the audience in the story.

3.3 Stage directions

Romeo and Juliet is a play to be performed on stage, as well as read. Stage directions are instructions in the play, usually written in italics and in square brackets. They tell us:

• Where each scene takes place, such as a street or a room in a house.
• When each character comes on to the stage (enters) and when they leave (exits).
• Objects that the actors need to hold or use on stage. These objects are called props.
• What a character has to do in certain parts of the play, for example, kiss another actor, or fight.
• When a character speaks so that the audience hears what is said but the other characters on stage do not. This is called an aside.

Shakespeare only wrote down a few stage directions to guide the actors. It is the job of the play’s director to give more guidance. For example, the director decides where the actors stand on stage, how they move, and what the scenery and lighting should be like.
All these are important for creating the mood on stage and bringing the play to life. Each production of a Shakespeare play will be different because each director brings his or her own ideas about how the play should be performed on stage.

3.4 Tone and mood

In a play, tone is not only the feelings created by the language of the writer. Tone is also created by the sound of the actor’s voice which expresses the emotion in the words. Does the actor’s voice sound anxious, excited, happy or angry? Tone is important for expressing what the character feels.
In a play, the mood is the feeling, or atmosphere, that is created on stage. A combination of things can help to create the mood: the actors’ expression of the characters feelings, or emotions, their costumes, the scenery and lighting.
For example, at the Capulet’s party in Act 1 Scene 5, the mood is festive, with music, dancing and light. In contrast, what do you think the mood is like in Act 5 Scene 3, in the Capulet’s tomb after Juliet has died?

PROLOGUE

Setting: The chorus speaks the Prologue on stage
What happens?

The Prologue is the introduction to the play. It gives an outline of the plot. It prepares the audience for a sad story.
The structure of this poem in the Prologue is a Shakespearean Sonnet. It is 14 lines long, divided into three quatrains, and ends in a rhyming couplet. The rhyming pattern is abab cdcd efef gg.

 Note:

• Read this Prologue aloud and with feeling. At first the sentence structures may feel and sound a bit strange, but you will soon enjoy the peculiar rhythm and formality.

 Activity 1

1. Closely study the lines from this Prologue (above). Quote one of the following literary terms:

1.1 Repetition (1)
1.2 Alliteration (1)
1.3 Metaphor (1)

2. Identify four main themes introduced in the Prologue? (4)  [7]

ACT 1

• Act 1, Scene 1: A street in Verona
• Act 1, Scene 2: Capulet mansion
• Act 1, Scene 3: Capulet mansion
• Act 1, Scene 4: Street outside the Capulet mansion
• Act 1, Scene 5: Hall in the Capulet mansion

Act 1, Scene 1

• A fight between the Montagues and Capulets
• Setting: A public street in Verona

What happens?

• Sampson and Gregory are Capulet servants. They are boasting and joking in the street.
• Abraham and Balthasar, two Montague servants, arrive. The Capulet servants deliberately insult the others to start a fight.
• Benvolio, Romeo’s friend, arrives and stops their fight.
• Tybalt arrives and fights Benvolio.
• Officers of the law come with some other citizens and try to stop the fighting.
• Lords Capulet and Montague arrive and want to fight each other, but their wives try to stop them.
• Prince Escalus arrives and orders them all to throw down their weapons. There have been three street fights now between the Capulets and Montagues. He warns them that if they fight again they will be put to death (executed). He wants to see Lord Montague and Lord Capulet at his palace.
• Benvolio explains to Lord Montague how the fight started.
• Lady Montague asks Benvolio if he knows where Romeo is. Lord Montague has noticed that Romeo seems sad these days. Benvolio says that he will find out why Romeo is upset.
• When Romeo arrives, he tells Benvolio that he is in love with Rosaline. He is sad because Rosaline is not interested in him.

Activity 2

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[Prince Escalus demands peace on the streets.]

 Note; The prince is moved. This means that he is very angry. This shows the theme of order and disorder.

Questions

1. What does the extract tell us about how Verona is governed at the time the action of the play is set? (3)
2. Where is Verona? (1)
3. What indication is there in the passage that

3.1. violent feelings have been bubbling just beneath the surface and need very little to boil over. (2)
3.2. hardly anyone is neutral? (2)

4. What does the Prince mean by the words

a) cankered with peace? (1)
b) cankered with hate? (1)

5. What modern word is derived from “cankered” and how are the two words similar in meaning? (2) [12]

 Act 1, Scene 2

• Lord Capulet plans his party
• Setting: Capulet’s Mansion

What happens?

• The scene opens with Lord Capulet telling Paris that he and Lord Montague have been ordered not to fight, and he thinks they will be able to “keep the peace”.
• Paris asks Lord Capulet for permission to marry Juliet.
• Lord Capulet explains to Paris that Juliet is only 13, too young to marry. He suggests waiting another two years. He also says that Juliet needs to agree to the marriage.
• Lord Capulet invites Paris to a party (feast) that night. There he will see Juliet, as well as other ladies with whom to compare her.
• Lord Capulet gives his servant a list of people and tells him to invite them to the party. But the servant cannot read, so when he meets Romeo and Benvolio in the street, he asks them to read the names for him.
• Romeo sees that Rosaline, the woman he loves, is invited.
• The servant says that if Romeo and Benvolio are not Montagues, they can come to the party.
• Benvolio tells Romeo that many ladies will be at the party, and maybe Romeo might meet someone new.

In some exam questions, the feast is called a ball which is a formal dancing party.

Activity 3

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[Capulet and Paris discuss Juliet]

 Questions

1. Read the following statement from the play and complete it by filling in the missing words. Write only the question number and the word.
   Lord Capulet is talking about his a) , Lord Montague.
   The two families do not get along because of a long-standing b) between them. (2)
2. Explain why Montague and Capulet are being punished. (2)
3. In lines 4 - 5 Paris says that both Montague and Capulet are “of honourable reckoning”.
   1. Explain what Paris’s words reveal about the characters of the two lords. (1)
   2. Use your own words to explain how Paris feels about this state of affairs. (2)
4. What “suit” is Paris referring to in line 6? (1)
5. Refer to lines 14 and 15, “Earth hath swallowed ... my earth”.
   1. Name the figures of speech used by Capulet in these lines. (1)
   2. Use your own words to explain what Capulet means in these lines. (2)
6. State whether the following statement is true or false and support your answer from the extract.
   Capulet refuses to allow Paris to marry Juliet. (2)
7. Capulet invites Paris to his feast that night. What does he intend Paris to do there? (1)
   Write down a, b, c or d as your choice of answer to the following questions.
8. Paris is
   1. Capulet’s best friend.
   2. related to the Prince.
   3. Romeo’s cousin.
   4. Juliet’s beloved fiancé. (2)
9. In line 5, Paris says “And pity ’tis”. He means that
   1. he feels sorry for Capulet.
   2. he thinks the feud is so senseless.
   3. it is a pity Capulet has become so old.
   4. Capulet has had to live in fear all these years. (2)
10. Paris visits Capulet because he
    1. wants Capulet’s advice on his new suit.
    2. is concerned about the ongoing fued.
    3. wants Capulet’s final answer to his proposal.
    4. has come to ask Capulet’s permission to marry Juliet. (2)
       Answer the following questions in your own words:
11. Why does Capulet call Juliet “a stranger in the world” (line 8)? (2)
12. What is Juliet’s age? Quote the phrase from the extract that tells you this. (3)
13. Capulet asks a favour of Paris concerning the wedding. What is his request? (lines 10 and 11). (2)
14. Do you think Paris is pleased with Capulet’s request? What answer does he give? (2)
15. Explain line 14 in your own words. (2)
16. Capulet encourages Paris to “woo” Juliet. What is a modern English word for “woo”? (2)
17. Read lines 17 to 19. Would you agree that Capulet means it when he tells Paris that Juliet has the final say in the choice of a husband? (4) [37]

Act 1, Scene 3

• Lady Capulet wants Juliet to marry Paris
• Setting: Capulet’s Mansion

What happens?

• Lady Capulet tells the Nurse that Juliet is ready for marriage, as it is only two weeks until her fourteenth birthday. The nurse remembers Juliet’s childhood well - she raised Juliet.
• Lady Capulet tells Juliet that Paris has asked to marry Juliet, and he would be an excellent choice of husband.
• Juliet says she will look at Paris to see if she finds him attractive.

In those days, amny noble women did not breastfeed their own babies and had a nursemaid do it for them. Juliet's nurse would have cared for her since she was a baby and probably knew her better then Juliet's mother.

Activity 4

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[Lady Capulet and nurse talk to Juliet in her bedroom.]

 Questions

1. In which city is Romeo and Juliet set? (1)
2. Which other character in the play is a relative of Paris? (1)
3. Refer to line 6 – “The valiant Paris ... for his love”. Earlier Paris asks Capulet if he may marry Juliet. What is Capulet’s answer to Paris’s request? (2)
4. What does the nurse mean when she says Paris is “a man of wax”? (1)
5. Explain why the nurse, who is not a family member, is present during this very personal conversation that Lady Capulet is having with her daughter. (2)
6.  In lines 9 – 10 “Verona’s summer hath ... a very flower”, both Lady Capulet and the Nurse are praising Paris.
   1. Identify the figure of speech in these lines. (1)
   2. Explain why the use of this figure of speech is effective here. (2)
7. Refer to Lady Capulet’s second question in line 11, “... can you love the gentleman?”
   1. What is Juliet’s reply to this question? (1)
   2. Explain how the Capulets’ attitude here differs from their later treatment of Juliet. State two points. (2)
8. In lines 13 – 14 (“Read o’er the volume … with beauty’s pen”), Lady Capulet describes Paris.
   1. To what does she compare Paris’s face? (1)
   2. What does Lady Capulet expect Juliet to discover later about Paris’s feelings? (1)
   3. Do you think Paris would have made a good husband for Juliet if Romeo had not appeared in her life? Give a reason for your answer. (1)
   4. The Capulets are eager to arrange a marriage for their daughter. Do you think their actions are in Juliet’s best interests? Discuss your view. (2) [18]

 Act 1, Scene 4

• Romeo and friends on their way to the party
• Setting: Street outside the Capulet’s mansion

What happens?

• Romeo and his friends chat on their way to the party. They put on masks. At such parties, or balls, young people wore masks so they could flirt without being recognised.
• Mercutio tells them the story of Mab, the queen of the fairies, who delivers dreams. She can also bring nightmares. He does this to stop Romeo from feeling so sad.
• Romeo still suffers from the pain of his love for Rosaline. At the end of the scene, he feels that something bad will begin that night. Dramatic irony is also used because the audience knows from the prologue what Romeo doesn’t know.
• The theme of Fate/Destiny versus free will is stressed.

Activity 5

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[On their way to the Capulet’s feast]

Mercutio uses a simile to compare dreams to air. The wind is also personified because it is described as a person blowing.

Questions

For questions 1 – 3 answer A, B, C or D.

1. In line 13, Romeo says “I fear too early”. This means
   1. it was not polite to arrive at a party too early.
   2. he fears that this night might eventually cause his death.
   3. he is frightened he might be recognised.
   4. he isn’t willing to forget about Rosaline yet. (2)
2. In line 14, Romeo refers to something “yet hanging in the stars”. He sees this as something
   1. evil, which he has read in his horoscope.
   2. evil, which somebody else wishes on him.
   3. bad, brought on by fate, which will cause suffering.
   4. exciting, that he never expected to happen. (2)
3. In lines 16 – 18 Romeo says
   1. fate will prevent him from seeing Rosaline.
   2. his life will end because of this night’s events.
   3. he hates his life and has decided to commit suicide.
   4. he does not fear, since God will guide him in all danger. (2)
4. The men mentioned in the extract are on their way to an important destination. Where are they going to? (2)
5. Why is it necessary for Romeo to try and calm Mercutio? What happens just before this passage, which causes Mercutio to rant and rave like a madman? (3)
6. What is Mercutio’s opinion of the value of dreams? (2)
7. Quote a line spoken by the practical, good Benvolio, proving that he thinks nothing of all the emotional outbursts around him. (1)
8. How was it possible for Romeo and Benvolio to accompany Mercutio? (4) [18]

Act 1, Scene 5

• The Capulet party – Romeo meets Juliet
• Setting: The hall in Capulet’s mansion

What happens?

• Lord Capulet’s servants prepare for the party.
• Lord Capulet welcomes his guests.
• Romeo sees Juliet and is immediately attracted to her. He asks a servant if he knows who she is, but the servant does not.
• Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, recognises Romeo by his voice. He wants to fight him. Lord Capulet stops him. He thinks Romeo will not cause trouble, and he wants no fighting at his party.
• Romeo and Juliet meet and express their love.
• The nurse interrupts them; Juliet’s mother wants to see her.
• Later, Romeo and Juliet each learn the terrible news from the nurse that their families are enemies

Activity 6

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[At the Capulets’ feast]

 Questions

1. In the context of the story, who is likely to be Juliet’s partner at her father’s ball? Give reasons for your answer. (3)
2. Why does Romeo compare the night to “an Ethiope” in line 6? (2)
3. How does he propose to approach Juliet? (2)
4. Romeo’s instant fascination with Juliet means the betrayal of another person and of his own integrity. Comment briefly on both aspects of this betrayal. (4)
5. Why has Romeo come to the feast “covered with an antic face?” (2)
6. Would an Elizabethan audience have been familiar with this kind of disguise? Explain. (2)
7. The clash of personalities between Tybalt and Romeo is responsible for much of the heartache in this play. How are the differences in their characters illustrated by what they do and
   say in the extract above? (4) [19]

ACT 2

• Act 2, Scene 1: Outside the Capulet orchard
• Act 2, Scene 2: Capulet orchard
• Act 2, Scene 3: Friar Lawrence’s cell
• Act 2, Scene 4: A street in Verona
• Act 2, Scene 5: Capulet garden
• Act 2, Scene 6: Friar Lawrence’s cell

Act 2, Scene 1

• Prologue
• Setting: The Chorus speaks the Prologue on stage

The Chorus summarises what has happened so far and tells what is going to happen in this Act.
Like the Prologue in Act 1, the 14 lines are divided into 3 quatrains and a rhyming couplet. The rhyming pattern is abab cdcd efef gg.

In lines 1 and 2 there are examples of personification. Both the emotions “desire” and “young affection” are personified.
Line 8 is an example of a metaphor. Just like a fish that is attracted by the bait and almost caught, she is at risk loving Romeo.

Act 2, Scene 1

• Romeo is teased by his friends
• Setting: Outside Capulet’s orchard

What happens?

• Romeo and his friends have left the Capulet party, but Romeo hides from them. He climbs over the wall into Capulet’s orchard. He intends to go back to find Juliet.
• Benvolio and Mercutio look for Romeo. Mercutio realises that Romeo is hiding. He makes fun of Romeo and makes sexual jokes about Romeo’s love for Rosaline. This gives the scene comic relief.
• The friends do not know yet that Romeo is now in love with Juliet. This is dramatic irony, since the audience and Romeo do know.

 Act 2, Scene 2

• The famous balcony scene
• Setting: Capulet’s orchard 

What happens?

• Romeo, hiding in the orchard, sees Juliet appear on her balcony.
• She speaks of her love for him. She wishes he was not a member of the Montague family.
• Romeo listens. Juliet notices someone is there. He dares not say his name, for he is a Montague, but Juliet recognises his voice.
• Romeo says that his love for her made him come to find her.
• Juliet is afraid that things may be moving too quickly but agrees that they should marry.
• She explains she will send a messenger to Romeo the next day to find out the arrangements Romeo has made for their marriage ceremony.

Activity 7

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[Romeo in the orchard below Juliet’s balcony]

 Questions

1. Explain why Romeo’s attraction to Juliet is surprising at this stage in the play. (3)
2. Refer to line 3, “It is the east … Juliet is the sun!”. Identify the figure of speech used. (1)
3. Explain the figure of speech in question 2. (2)
4. Refer to lines 35 – 38, “O Romeo, Romeo … be a Capulet”.
   Discuss Juliet’s feelings at this stage of the play. (2)
5. Identify and discuss the theme of the play revealed in lines 35 – 38. (3)
6. Do you think Romeo and Juliet’s decision to marry was wise? Support your answer. (3) [14]

 Act 2, Scene 3

• Romeo asks Friar Lawrence to help arrange his marriage to Juliet
• Setting: Outside Friar Lawrence’s cell

What happens?

• Friar Lawrence is collecting plants and herbs to make medicine. It is early in the morning.
• Romeo arrives and the Friar guesses there is something wrong as it is very early for Romeo to be up. The Friar thinks he has been with Rosaline.
• Romeo says he has forgotten Rosaline. He tells the Friar of his new love, Juliet, and asks the Friar to marry them that day.
• The Friar is surprised that Romeo has changed his feelings for Rosaline so quickly.
• The Friar agrees to help Romeo, because he thinks the marriage might help end the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. 

Activity 8

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[Romeo visits Friar Lawrence.]

Questions

1. Give two reasons why Romeo visits Friar Lawrence at this point. (2)
2. Refer to lines 2 – 3 – “Is Rosaline, that … so soon forsaken”. Discuss why Friar Lawrence mentions Rosaline. (3)
3. Choose the correct answer.
   The word “chid’st” (line 17) has the same meaning as
   1. hit.
   2. scolded.
   3. punished.
   4. advised. (1)
4. Refer to lines 22 – 23, “Her I love … for love allow”. Discuss the events leading to Romeo’s meeting with Juliet. (3)
5. Refer to lines 29 – 30, “For this alliance … to pure love”.
   Explain how the two families are reconciled later in the play. (2)
6. Refer to line 32, “Wisely and slow … that run fast”. Is the Friar’s advice good? Give a reason for your answer. (2)
7.  What does the above extract reveal about the characters of:
   1. Friar Lawrence? (2)
   2. Romeo? (2)
8. From your knowledge of the play as a whole, discuss Friar Lawrence’s role in the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet. (3) [20]

 Act 2, Scene 4

• Romeo and the nurse confirm the marriage plans
• Setting: A street in Verona

What happens?

• Benvolio and Mercutio still think that Romeo is in love with Rosaline, and they joke about this.
• Benvolio says that Tybalt has sent a letter to Romeo’s father, challenging Romeo to a fight. Mercutio criticises and makes fun of Tybalt. But Mercutio also says that Tybalt is a good swordsman. Mercutio does not think that Romeo will be able to fight Tybalt because he has already been ‘killed’ by his love for Rosaline.
• Romeo arrives and Mercutio jokes with him; he still does not know about Romeo’s love for Juliet.
• The nurse arrives to ask Romeo if he is serious about Juliet and to find out his plans for the wedding. Romeo tells her to make sure Juliet comes to “shrift” (confession) at Friar Lawrence’s cell that afternoon, where they will be married.

Activity 9

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[On a street in Verona]

 Questions

1. How would you describe Mercutio’s attitude to love? (2)
2. Romeo is quiet, often depressed, and a dreamer. What qualities possessed by Mercutio are in direct contrast to these? (3)  [5]

 Act 2, Scene 5

• The nurse tells Juliet the plan for her marriage to Romeo
• Setting: Capulet’s orchard

What happens?

• Juliet is waiting patiently for the Nurse to return with news from Romeo.
• The Nurse arrives but teases Juliet by not giving her the news immediately. She delays it by complaining about feeling tired. This creates comedy as Juliet is impatient to hear the news.
• The Nurse tells Juliet that she must go to Friar Lawrence for confession (“shrift”) and Romeo will meet her there. They will then get married.
• The nurse also says that she will fetch a ladder so that Romeo can climb to Juliet’s bedroom that night.
• The nurse returns after being away for a few hours.

Activity 10

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[In the Capulet’s garden]

 Questions

1. From what errand has the Nurse returned? (2)
2.  Refer to the lines 28 – 30, “what a head … back, my back!”. Why does the nurse claim that her head and back ache?
   Give two points. (2)
3. Refer to the lines 49 – 50, “Then hie you … you a wife”.
   Discuss how these lines make Juliet feel. (2)
4. What does the extract tell you about the relationship between the nurse and Juliet? (2)
5. Do you think the nurse is justified in helping Juliet at this point in the play? Discuss your view. (2) [10]

 Act 2, Scene 6

• Romeo and Juliet meet Friar Lawrence to be married
• Setting: Friar’s Lawrence’s cell

What happens?

• As Romeo and Friar Lawrence wait for Juliet, we hear that the Friar is worried that this marriage is happening too quickly.
• The theme of fate/destiny versus free will is emphasised.
• When Juliet arrives, Romeo and Juliet express their love again. The Friar sees how happy they are together and prepares to marry them

Activity 11

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[Romeo and Friar Lawrence in the Friar’s cell]

 Questions

1. The Friar agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet, but it is his failure to inform the Capulets and Montagues that advances the plot.
   Explain the truth of this statement as it relates to Romeo and Juliet. (5)
2. Rewrite in your own words what Romeo says in lines 3 – 4, “but come what sorrow can, It cannot countervail the exchange of joy”. (2)
3. What does Romeo declare in lines 6 – 8? (2)
4. What is ironic about his challenge in lines 6 - 8? (1)
5. Against what does Friar Lawrence warn Romeo? (2)
6. Quote the simile used to describe excessive love. (2)
7. In your own words, describe how Friar Lawrence says one should love, and why. (2) [16]

ACT 3

• Act 3, Scene 1: A public place in Verona
• Act 3, Scene 2: Capulet mansion
• Act 3, Scene 3: Friar Lawrence’s cell
• Act 3, Scene 4: Capulet mansion
• Act 3, Scene 5: Capulet orchard

Act 3, Scene 1

• Tybalt kills Mercutio
• Romeo kills Tybalt
• Prince Escalus banishes Romeo from Verona
• Setting: Verona – a public place

What happens?

• The scene begins with Benvolio and Mercutio talking.
• Benvolio wants to leave the place in case they meet the Capulets. He does not want a fight.
• Tybalt and other Capulets arrive. Mercutio provokes Tybalt, but it is Romeo with whom Tybalt has a grievance.
• Tybalt insults Romeo and challenges him to a fight. Romeo says he does not want to fight Tybalt.
• Mercutio fights Tybalt.
• Romeo tries to stop them and Mercutio is fatally wounded by Tybalt’s sword. Tybalt and his friends run away.
• Mercutio blames Romeo for interfering in the fight. Benvolio takes Mercutio to a house where he can get help for his wound. They go offstage with Mercutio cursing the Capulets and Montagues.
• Benvolio soon returns to say Mercutio has died.
• To avenge his friend, Romeo fights and kills Tybalt.
• The Prince arrives and Benvolio explains what has happened.
• The Prince banishes (exiles) Romeo from Verona. He does not punish Romeo with a death sentence, because he understands that Tybalt killed Romeo’s friend Mercutio in a fight that Romeo tried to stop.

Activity 12

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[The Prince investigates the death of Tybalt.]

 Questions

1. Earlier, Romeo refuses to take up Tybalt’s challenge to a duel.
   1. Why does Tybalt challenge Romeo to a duel? (2)
   2. Give TWO reasons why Romeo is unwilling to fight Tybalt. (4)
   3. Do you think Romeo is justified in eventually killing Tybalt?
      Give reasons for your answer. (2)
   4. Describe Romeo’s feelings about Tybalt’s death. (2)
2. Refer to line 1, “Where are the … of this fray?”.
   1. Explain how the Prince feels towards the Montagues and Capulets at this stage in the play. (2)
   2. Is the Prince justified in feeling this way? Give a reason for your answer. (2)
3. Refer to lines 6 – 10, “Tybalt, my cousin! … O cousin, cousin!”.
   What do these lines reveal about Lady Capulet’s character? (2)
4. Refer to lines 33 – 35, “Tybalt, here slain … let Benvolio die”.
   Does Benvolio give the Prince a true account of what happened? Support your answer. (2)
5. Consider the play as a whole and describe the qualities of the following characters. Give TWO points about each character:
   1. Benvolio (2)
   2. Tybalt (2)
6. How do the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt contribute to the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet? (3)  [25]

Answers to Activity 12

1.                              
   1. Romeo attended a party at Capulet’s house without an invitation. When Tybalt discovered this and wanted to fight him, old Capulet stopped him and invited Romeo to stay.✓ This angered Tybalt and encouraged him to challenge Romeo.✓
   2. He is in love with Juliet and sees Tybalt, who is Juliet’s cousin, as family.✓✓ He remembers the Prince’s warning that whoever fights again will be put to death.✓✓
   3. Yes, Tybalt killed Mercutio in a cowardly way while Romeo was trying to separate them.✓✓
      OR
      No, Romeo shouldn’t have taken the law into his own hands. Also, he should have avoided a fight as Tybalt was now related to him because of his marriage to Juliet.✓✓
   4. He feels remorseful and guilty because he acted hastily.✓✓
      OR
      He fears that this is going to hurt Juliet and may damage their relationship.✓✓
2.                                    
   1. The Prince is angry with them because they did not heed his warning against violence.✓✓
      OR
      He is angry because more lives have been lost as a result of the feud.✓✓
   2. Yes, the Prince is justified in feeling angry. Innocent people are dying because of the feud.✓✓
      OR
      No, he should be disappointed with himself for not acting earlier to stop the violence.✓✓
3. She is mean, as she wants Tybalt’s death to be avenged, which will result in more death.✓✓
   OR
   She is blinded by the feud and allows her feelings to cloud her judgement.✓✓
4. Yes, he talks honestly about the role everyone played in the fight.✓ He clearly states what Romeo’s involvement was in the deaths.✓
5.                            
   1. Benvolio is peace-loving and tries to avoid trouble at all costs.✓ He is truthful.✓
   2. Tybalt is hot-tempered.✓ He is obsessive about the reputation and honour of the Capulets.✓
6. The deaths of Tybalt and Mercutio lead to Romeo’s banishment.✓ Her father misunderstands Juliet’s grief and forces her to marry Paris. Juliet takes a potion to avoid
   marriage.✓ Romeo gets a message that she is dead, comes to the tomb and commits suicide. Juliet wakes up, finds Romeo dead and commits suicide as well.✓

Act 3, Scene 2

• The nurse tells Juliet that Romeo has been banished from Verona
• Setting: Capulet’s mansion

What happens?

• Earlier on this day, Juliet married Romeo. Now we see Juliet waiting impatiently for the night to come, when Romeo will visit her.
• The Nurse arrives, very upset, to tell Juliet of Tybalt’s death. At first, Juliet thinks that the Nurse is talking about Romeo’s death.
• The Nurse is carrying the rope (cords) that Romeo has asked for so he can climb up to the balcony and into Juliet’s bedroom.
• Juliet is very upset when she hears that Romeo killed Tybalt, but she remains loyal to her husband.
• The Nurse says that Romeo is hiding at Friar Lawrence’s cell. She will arrange for Romeo to spend the night with Juliet.
• Juliet gives the Nurse a ring to give to Romeo. She tells the Nurse to find him and tell him to come to say goodbye to her.

Activity 13

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[In the Capulet’s orchard]

 Questions

1. Juliet finally calms down after she has worked things out for herself.
   1. What causes this dramatic change in emotion? (1)
   2.  At what comforting conclusion does Juliet eventually arrive? (2)
   3. Write down two one-word qualities to describe Juliet’s attitude to her new husband. (2)
2. Write a short paragraph explaining who helped Romeo become Juliet’s husband and how this happened. (4)
3. What has happened to cause Juliet’s distress? (2)
4. “But wherefore, villain, didst thou kill my cousin? That villain cousin would have killed my husband.”
   What mixed emotions are evident in Juliet’s words? (2)
5. What strong characteristic of Juliet’s emerges from this extract? (1)
6. If you had to advise Juliet at this point, knowing, as you do, how the play ends, what would you tell her to do and why? (4) [18]

 Act 3, Scene 3

• Friar Lawrence’s plan to help Romeo
• Setting: Friar Lawrence’s cell

What happens?

• Romeo is hiding in Friar Lawrence’s cell. The Friar tells Romeo about the Prince’s judgement – that he will be exiled, not sentenced to death.
• Romeo is upset, the Friar tries to calm him.
• The Nurse arrives and explains that Juliet is very upset. Juliet weeps for Tybalt death and Romeo’s banishment.
• Romeo tries to kill himself, but is stopped by the Friar.
• Friar Lawrence tells Romeo that all is not bad. He is alive when he could have been killed, and he is only exiled. The Friar advises Romeo to spend the night with Juliet, then in the morning to go to a nearby city, Mantua, until things calm down. When they can tell people about the marriage, and ask the Prince’s pardon, Romeo may be able to return to Verona.
• The Nurse gives Romeo a ring from Juliet.
• The Friar says that when Romeo is in Mantua he will send news to him through Romeo’s servant, Balthasar.

Activity 14

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[The nurse visits Friar Lawrence’s cell after Romeo’s banishment.]

 Questions

1. Complete the following sentence by filling in the missing words. Write down only the question number and the words.
   Juliet sends the nurse to Friar Lawrence’s cell to take Romeo a a)....................................... and tell him to come to her that night and say b).................................... . (2)
2. Juliet sends the nurse to Romeo. What does this show the audience about the relationship between Juliet and the nurse?
   State two points. (2)
3. Quote no more than two lines from the extract which show that Romeo and Juliet are equally upset. (1)
4. Refer to line 3, “ … with his own tears made drunk”.
   Briefly explain why Romeo is crying. State two points. (2)
5. Refer to line 7, “Blubbering and weeping, weeping and blubbering”.
   1. How do the events that caused Juliet’s “blubbering and weeping” affect her personal life? (2)
   2. Explain why the nurse repeats the words “blubbering and weeping”. (2)
6. Refer to line 8, “Stand up, stand up! Stand and you be a man!”
   1. What would Romeo’s posture on the stage be at this moment in the play? (1)
   2. Do you think that the nurse is being cruel and unkind here? Discuss your view. (2)
7. Soon after this scene in the play, Friar Lawrence reminds Romeo that he has many reasons to be grateful. Give three reasons why Romeo should be grateful. (3)
8. Refer to the words “cancelled love” in line 18. Are these words a prediction of the future of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship.
   Give a reason for your answer. (1) [18]

 Act 3, Scene 4

• Paris visits the Capulets
• Setting: Capulet’s mansion

What happens?

• It is still Monday, the same day as the wedding and Tybalt’s death.
• Paris visits Lord and Lady Capulet to express his sorrow about Tybalt’s death and to discuss his marriage to Juliet.
• Lord Capulet explains that he has not had time to discuss the marriage with his daughter, but he thinks she will be advised by her father and agree to the marriage.
• Lord Capulet tells his wife to tell Juliet that she will be married to Paris on Thursday. He says that they will only have a small wedding due to Tybalt’s death.

Act 3, Scene 5

• Juiet refuses to marry Paris
• Setting: Capulet’s orchard / Capulet’s mansion

What happens?

• Romeo and Juliet have to part after spending the night together. Romeo leaves for Mantua.
• The Nurse arrives to warn them that Juliet’s mother is coming. So the lovers have to say farewell quickly.
• Lady Capulet tells Juliet that Juliet will marry Paris on Thursday. Juliet refuses to marry Paris; her parents are angry.
• Juliet turns to the Nurse for support, but she too says Juliet should marry Paris.
• Juliet decides to go to the Friar for help. She pretends to the nurse that she is going to the Friar for confession (to ask God’s forgiveness) because she has disobeyed her parents.

Activity 15

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[Juliet’s chamber.]

Questions

1. Put the above extract into context of the play as a whole. (2)
2. “Is there no pity sitting in the clouds
   That sees into the bottom of my grief?” (lines 1 – 2)
   1. Name the figure of speech used in the above quotation. (1)
   2. Explain your choice. (1)
   3. Explain why the figure of speech is effective. (1)
3. What does Juliet want from her mother when she says, “cast me not away”? (1)
4. How has Lord Capulet’s attitude to Paris’s request to marry Juliet changed from the beginning of the play to this point in the play? (2)
5. Why do you think Lord Capulet has changed his attitude in this way? (2)
6. “Or if you do not, make the bridal bed
   In that dim monument where Tybalt lies.” (lines 5 – 6)
   Explain the dramatic irony in the above statement. (2)
7. Which of the following statements does not reflect Juliet’s feelings in her speeches:
   1. desperate
   2. self-pitying
   3. optimistic
   4. grief-stricken (1)
8. When Juliet asks the Nurse to “counsel” her she wants her to:
   1. advise her.
   2. calm her.
   3. forgive her.
   4. pity her. (1)
9.  Using your own words, describe how the Nurse responds to Juliet’s request to “counsel” her later in this scene. (3)
10.  What is the Nurse suggesting about Romeo when she says, “Romeo’s a dishclout to him” (line 25)? (1)
11.  Why do the sentiments expressed by the Nurse in the above extract completely change her relationship with Juliet? (2)
12.  After this, who does Juliet turn to for help? (1) [21]

ACT 4

• Act 4, Scene 1: Friar Lawrence’s cell
• Act 4, Scene 2: Capulet mansion
• Act 4, Scene 3: Juliet’s bedroom
• Act 4, Scene 4: Capulet mansion
• Act 4, Scene 5: Juliet’s bedroom

Act 4, Scene 1

• Friar Lawrences’s plan to help Juliet
• Setting: Friar Lawrence’s cell

What happens?

• Paris is at the Friar’s cell to arrange his marriage to Juliet. He explains that Lord Capulet wants the wedding on Thursday to stop Juliet grieving so much for her cousin Tybalt.
• Juliet arrives and speaks with Paris, who then leaves.
• She tells the Friar that, if he cannot help her to prevent the marriage to Paris, she will kill herself.
• The Friar suggests a plan. He will give Juliet some medicine that will make her sleep, but she will look as though she is dead. Juliet will be taken to the Capulet tomb. The Friar will send a letter to Romeo to explain the plan. Romeo will come to the tomb and take Juliet to Mantua.
• Juliet agrees to the plan. She takes the vial (small bottle) of medicine. She is to drink it the next night (Wednesday night) when she is alone, in bed. No one, not even the Nurse, must know about the plan.

Activity 16

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[Paris, Juliet and Friar Lawrence in Friar Lawrence’s cell.]

Questions

1. Who is “this County” referred to by Friar Lawrence in line 15?
   1. Verona
   2. Italy
   3. Paris
   4. Mantua (2)
2. When Juliet answers: “It may be so, for it is not mine own” (line 2), she means
   1. that her face but not her heart belongs to Paris.
   2. she has lost face with Romeo, so it does not matter.
   3. she belongs Romeo, so her face belongs to him.
   4. she looks like her mother, so her face is not hers. (2)
3. Why does Paris refer to “Thursday” (line 8)?
   1. He will be her partner at the formal dance.
   2. They are to be married on that Thursday.
   3. He has promised to visit her on that day.
   4. They go to the Friar’s cell on Thursdays. (2)
4. When Friar Lawrence says, “My lord, we must entreat the time alone” (line 6), he
   1. tells Paris that he will hear his confession later.
   2. informs Paris that he will seal the bond later.
   3. asks Paris to leave as he wishes to pray in private.
   4. asks for time to speak to Juliet privately. (2)
5. Why does Juliet not want to marry Paris?
   1. She has promised to marry Romeo.
   2. She has already married Romeo.
   3. Paris does not love her at all.
   4. She has sworn never to get married. (2)
6. What has Paris come to discuss with Friar Lawrence? (1)
7.                      
   1. Where is Romeo? (1)
   2. Why is he there? State two reasons. (2)
8. What would Juliet do rather than betray Romeo (lines 24 – 25)? (2)
9. Why does Juliet think that Friar Lawrence will be able to advise her wisely? (4)
10. The Friar promises to give Juliet a remedy. Using this as your starting point explain:
    1. what she has to do on the night before the wedding, that is, on the Wednesday evening. (2)
    2. what effect the potion which she has to drink will have on her appearance. (4)
    3. what Paris will discover when he tries to wakes her on Thursday morning. (2)
    4. for how long she will appear to be dead. (1)
11. Use the following words as a starting point and say what Juliet would rather suffer than be married to Paris.
    “O bid me leap, rather than marry Paris,
    From the battlements of yonder tower”. (6)  [35]

Act 4, Scene 2

• Juliet pretends to agree to marry Paris
• Setting: Capulet’s mansion

What happens?

• The Capulets prepare for the wedding.
• Juliet returns home and explains that she has visited Friar Lawrence. She pretends to apologise to her father for refusing to marry Paris.
• Lord Capulet says he will have the wedding the following morning – on Wednesday, not Thursday.
• Juliet goes with the nurse to get her outfit ready for the wedding.
• Lady Capulet is worried that they will not be ready for the wedding the next day.
• Lord Capulet says that he will help.

Activity 17

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[Juliet returns to the Capulet house after visiting Friar Lawrence.]

 Questions

1. What does Capulet mean by “headstrong” (line 1)? (1)
2. How does Juliet’s present behaviour differ from that in Act 3, Scene 5? (2)
3. Suggest TWO reasons why you think Capulet decided to advance the wedding date. (2)
4. What is ironic about Capulet’s appraisal of Friar Lawrence? (2)
5. Write down TWO one word characteristics of Lord Capulet once again evident in the above extract. (2) [9]

 Act 4, Scene 3

• Juliet takes the potion
• Setting: Juliet’s bedroom

What happens?

• Juliet tells her Nurse that she wants to be alone that night, because she wants to pray and ask forgiveness for her sins.
• Lady Capulet asks if she needs her help, but Juliet says no and suggests the nurse help her mother with the wedding preparations.
• Juliet speaks to herself. She is afraid of taking the potion/medicine. She finally takes it, thinking of Romeo.

Activity 18

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[Juliet in her bedroom preparing to take the potion.]

Note: 

• In her soliloquy, Juliet talks freely about her fears. When she falls asleep because of the potion, it expresses the theme of appearance versus reality. This is because it appears as if Juliet has died, but she is really only sleeping.

Questions

1. Fill in the missing words in the sentence below. Write only the word next to the question number (1a) to 1c)).
   Juliet is finally alone and has to carry out the plan. But all of a sudden she is 1a)......................................... by 1b)......................................... . The horrible images cause growing 1c) .................... (3)
   2. In your own words, briefly describe the five things Juliet fears. (5) [8]

Act 4, Scene 4

• The Capulets prepare for the wedding
• Setting: Capulet’s mansion

What happens?

• It is Wednesday morning. The Capulets are preparing for the wedding. Servants rush in and out.
• Lord Capulet tells the Nurse to wake Juliet, because Paris is coming.

Activity 19

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[The Capulets prepare for Juliet’s wedding to Paris.]

 Questions

1. Where and when are the events decribed in the extract above taking place? (2)
2. Lord Capulet’s behaviour is that of a bossy busybody. Give two examples that show this. (2)
3. The theme of haste is stressed five times by Capulet. Mention an example from the play where a lack of haste led to a tragic outcome. (2) [6]

 Act 4, Scene 5

• Juliet’s parents think she is dead
• Setting: Wednesday morning, Juliet’s bedroom

What happens?

• The Nurse cannot wake Juliet, and she thinks she is dead.
• The Nurse calls Lady Capulet and Lord Capulet. They are very upset.
• Friar Lawrence and Paris arrive at the house with musicians, ready to take Juliet to church for her wedding.
• Lord Capulet tells them that Juliet is dead. They are all upset. Only Friar Lawrence is calm because he knows that Juliet is only in a deep sleep.
• The wedding musicians speak about how they now no longer have an opportunity to play their instruments at the wedding. They discuss what funeral music they should play.

Activity 20

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[In Juliet’s chamber as she lies asleep as if dead.]

 Once again dramatic irony is used by Shakespeare. Friar Lawrence and the audience are the only ones who know that Juliet is not dead.
The theme of appearance versus reality is stressed.

Questions

1. Friar Lawrence offers comfort in lines 18 – 19 (“For though … reason’s merriment”). Rewrite these lines in your own words. (4)
2. Capulet then becomes his practical self again and takes control of the funeral arrangements. The wedding preparations turn into those for a funeral.
   Fill in the missing words in the sentence below:
   The formal wedding hymns are to turn into 2a) and the flowers of the bride used to decorate Juliet’s 2b) . (2)
3. Friar Lawrence offers advice in lines 30 – 31 (“The heavens … high will”). Rewrite these lines in your own words. (4)
4. Discuss your opinion of the Capulets as parents. (4)
5. From your knowledge of the play as a whole, discuss Juliet’s character. (3)
6. Explain how the Capulets and Montagues are reconciled at the end of the play. (3) [20]

ACT 5

• Act 5, Scene 1: A street in Mantua
• Act 5, Scene 2: Friar Lawrence’s cell
• Act 5, Scene 3: The churchyard and Capulet tomb in Verona

Act 5, Scene 1

• Romeo thinks that Juliet is dead
• Setting: A street in Mantua

What happens?

• Romeo tells us of a dream he has had in which Juliet found him dead and brought him back to life with a kiss. Romeo woke up thinking that he would get some good news.
• Balthasar, Romeo’s servant, comes from Verona to bring the news that Juliet is dead. He does not bring the letters from the Friar that Romeo was hoping for.
• Romeo is distraught and wants to go to Verona immediately. Balthasar suggests he waits until he calms down. Something bad may happen if he rushes in such a wild state. But Romeo orders him to prepare the horses so he can leave that night.
• Romeo decides to go to Juliet’s tomb and kill himself there – so they can be together in death.
• Romeo goes to an apothecary (chemist) to buy some poison.

Activity 21

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[Romeo buys poison from an apothecary.]

Questions

1. Romeo is in Mantua, but it is not his hometown. What is his hometown? (1)
2. Choose the correct answer to complete the following sentence: While in Mantua, Romeo is visited by …
   A Friar John.
   B Benvolio.
   C Balthasar.
   D Sampson. (1)
3. Romeo is visiting the apothecary because a very important letter from Friar Lawrence has not reached him. Give THREE reasons why the letter has been delayed. (3)
4. Refer to lines 7 – 8 – (“the trunk may … hasty powder fired”).
   a) Which figure of speech is used here? (1)
   b) According to these lines, which TWO qualities does Romeo expect from the poison? (2)
5. Refer to lines 10 – 11 (“But Mantua’s law … that utters them”). What is “Mantua’s law” regarding the sale of poison? (1)
6. Is the following statement True or False? Quote ONE line from the extract to support your answer:
   Romeo feels that gold is more harmful than poison. (2)
7.  Using your own words, explain how Romeo convinces the apothecary to sell him the poison. (2)
8. Do you think that Romeo is admirable, even though he is not perfect? Discuss your view. (2)
9. If you were Romeo, discuss TWO things you would do differently to avoid the tragic ending of this play. (2)
10. Following on his decision to commit suicide, Romeo reveals a new side to his character in his behaviour towards the apothecary, Balthasar, his own parents and Paris. Give FOUR examples of Romeo’s interactions with these people to illustrate this change. (4) [21]

 Act 5, Scene 2

• Friar John tells Friar Lawrence that he did not deliver the message to Romeo
• Setting: Friar Lawrence’s cell

What happens?

• Friar John comes to Friar Lawrence who asks for news from Romeo.
• Friar John explains that he could not go to Mantua to deliver the letter to Romeo. He went to ask another Friar to travel with him to Mantua. He found him in a house caring for people who were sick. Others thought they had the plague and sealed the doors to stop anyone leaving the house and spreading the infection.
• Friar Lawrence tells Friar John to fetch a crowbar so that he can open Juliet’s tomb.
• He rushes off to the tomb because he knows that Juliet will wake up within three hours.
• He plans to take Juliet to his cell where she can wait for Romeo. He will write another letter to Romeo to tell him the new plan.

Activity 22

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[In Friar Lawrence’s cell]

 Poor Friar Lawrence! Not only does he have to make another plan, he doesn’t know that Balthasar has already told Romeo of Juliet’s “death”.
Events are out of his control. This is the theme of fate versus free will.

Questions

1. In the above extract Friar Lawrence learns from Friar John that he couldn’t deliver the letter to Romeo. Briefly explain how destiny or fate once again interfered in the delivery of the letter
   to Romeo. (2)
2. What does Friar Lawrence then tell Friar John about the nature of the letter? (2)
3. What is Friar Lawrence’s next step? (3) [7]

 Act 5, Scene 3

• Romeo and Juliet die, and their families are reconciled
• Setting: Churchyard and Capulet family tomb in Verona

A scene in three parts

’This is the last scene in the play. It is very long, so this study guide divides it into three parts:

1. Paris and Romeo at Juliet’s tomb
2. Friar Lawrence arrives at the tomb. Juliet’s death
3. The arrival of Romeo and Juliet’s parents with the Prince

Act 5, Scene 3: Part 1

• Paris and Romeo at Juliet’s tomb

What happens?

• Paris comes to put flowers on Juliet’s grave. His Page keeps watch nearby.
• Romeo and Balthasar arrive with tools to open the grave.
• Romeo gives Balthasar a letter to deliver to Lord Montague in the morning.
• He tells Balthasar that he wants to recover a ring from Juliet’s finger.
• Romeo tells Balthasar to go and not to return. But Balthasar is worried and hides nearby.
• Romeo breaks open the tomb.
• Paris recognises Romeo as the man who killed Tybalt. Paris thinks that Juliet died from grief at Tybalt’s death. He thinks Romeo has come to damage the Capulet bodies in the tomb.
• Paris tells Romeo to stop and come with him. He will probably take him to the Prince, whose orders Romeo has disobeyed.
• Romeo does not want to fight Paris. He tells him to leave.
• Paris refuses to go and they fight. Paris’s Page is worried about the fight and goes to tell the watchmen.
• Paris dies, asking to be laid with Juliet in her tomb.
• Romeo recognises Paris as a relative of Mercutio. He remembers that his servant told him Paris was to marry Juliet.
• Romeo lays Paris in the tomb.
• Romeo drinks the poison and dies.

Activity 23

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[Outside the Capulet’s tomb in the churchyard]

Questions

1. Whom does Romeo visit before coming to the Capulets’ tomb?
   Why does he do so? (2)
2. Refer to lines 2 – 3 (“So shalt thou … farewell, good fellow”).
   Explain why Romeo pays Balthasar to go away. (2)
3. Refer to lines 4 – 5 (“For all this … intents I doubt”). Explain what these lines reveal about Balthasar’s feelings towards Romeo. (2)
4. Refer to lines 6 – 9 (“Thou detestable maw … with more food”).
   1. Identify the figure of speech used in line 6 (“Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death”). (1)
   2. Explain what Romeo means in these lines. (2)
5. What eventually happens to Paris? (1)
6. State briefly who Paris is and what he is doing in the churchyard. (2)
7. Paris calls Romeo a “condemned villain”. Why does he call Romeo this? (3)
8. In what other more serious ways would you regard Romeo as “condemned”? (2)
9. Where and when does this incident take place? (2)
10. In line 11 Paris speaks of “my love’s cousin”. To whom is he referring? (1)
11. Why, according to Paris, did Juliet “die”? (2)
12. When Paris sees Romeo, what does he think Romeo is doing there? (2)
13. Explain why Paris says: “I do apprehend thee / Obey, and go with me …” (lines 17 – 18). (2)
14. Quote a phrase that proves that Romeo doesn’t recognise Paris. (1)
15. Why does Romeo say he is “armed against” himself? (line 26) (2) 
16. What is the tragic result of this incident? Base your answer on line 31 (“Wilt thou provoke … at thee, boy!”). (2) [31]

Answers to Activity 23

1. Romeo visits a poor apothecary✓ in Mantua to buy poison.✓
2. He is afraid Balthasar will try and stop him from killing himself.✓✓
3. Balthasar cares a lot about Romeo and sees Romeo looks reckless.✓ He is suspicious of Romeo’s plans.✓
4.                
   1. Personification✓
   2. Romeo sees the tomb as a monster with a huge appetite, hungry for more bodies to devour.✓✓
5. Paris doesn’t want to leave Romeo alone and Romeo kills him.✓
6. Paris was supposed to get married to Juliet on the Wednesday she was found “dead”. He is also a relative of Prince Escalus. He went to the churchyard to cry over Juliet’s dead body and to put down flowers and perfumed water.✓✓
7. “Condemned villain” means convicted criminal.✓ Prince Escalus had already found Romeo guilty of murdering Tybalt and banished him to Mantua.✓ Paris holds Romeo responsible for Juliet’s death too, as he believes she died of grief over Tybalt’s death.✓
8. Romeo is a victim of fate – fate treats him badly.✓ In the end he’ll have to pay with his life.✓
9. The incident takes place at the Capulet tomb✓ when Romeo has just arrived from Mantua to drink poison next to Juliet’s “dead” body.✓
10. Tybalt✓
11. Paris thinks Juliet dies of grief over her cousin, Tybalt.✓✓
12. He thinks Romeo wants to avenge the death of Mercutio by harming the Capulet bodies in the tomb.✓✓
13. He wants to arrest Romeo and give him over to the authorities.✓✓
14. “Good gentle youth” (line 20)✓ OR “I beseech thee, youth” (line 22).✓
15. He is armed with poison to commit suicide and has a dagger.✓✓
16. Paris doesn’t want to leave Romeo alone and calls him a criminal. Romeo kills Paris.✓✓

Act 5, Scene 3: Part 2

• Friar Lawrence arrives at the tomb
• Juliets’ death

What happens?

• Friar Lawrence meets Balthasar who tells him that Romeo is at the tomb. The Friar carries a lantern, crowbar and a spade to the tomb.
• Friar Lawrence sees the blood from the fight at the entrance to the tomb, then sees the dead bodies of Romeo and Paris.
• Juliet awakens. She sees the Friar and asks where Romeo is.
• Friar Lawrence hears the watchmen coming. He tells Juliet to come with him. He says both Romeo and Paris are dead. He will take her to a convent.
• Juliet tells Friar Lawrence to leave. She will stay.
• Juliet tries to find some of the poison in Romeo’s cup and on his lips but there is none.
• She hears the watchmen arriving, and quickly kills herself with Romeo’s dagger.

Activity 24

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[Friar Lawrence has come to the Capulet’s tomb to rescue Juliet.]

the words of Friar Lawrence are full of horro and despair. Even Friar Lawrence, a christian, is blaming fate and destiny for what has happened.

Questions

1. Refer to lines 6 – 7 (“What, Paris, too … steeped in blood?”).
   1. Why does Juliet’s father want her to marry Paris? (2)
   2. Discuss the events that lead to the death of Paris. (2)
2. Refer to lines 13 - 21 (“I hear some … no longer stay.”).
   Discuss Friar Lawrence’s fears at this point in the play. (3)
3. Refer to lines 15 – 16 (“A greater power … thwarted our intents.”).
   a) Explain what Friar Lawrence means by, “A greater power”. (2)
   b) Do you agree that it is “a greater power” that has altered their plans? Give reasons for your answer. (3)
4. Refer to lines 16 – 20 (“Come, come away … watch is coming.”). In your view, are Friar Lawrence’s suggestions in these lines wise? Why? (2) [14]

 Act 5, Scene 3: Part 3

• The arrival of Romeo’s father and Juliet’s parents with the Prince

What happens?

• Paris’s Page arrives with the watchmen. They see the blood on the ground and search the churchyard.
• They find the bodies of Paris, Romeo and Juliet.
• Watchmen go to tell the Prince, Capulets and Montagues.
• Some watchmen find Balthasar in the churchyard. Another watchman has found Friar Lawrence. They are both suspects, as they have tools with which to open a tomb, and are told to wait for the Prince.
• The Prince arrives, followed by Lord and Lady Capulet.
• Juliet’s parents ask what has happened. Lady Capulet has heard people running in the streets towards the churchyard, some crying “Romeo”, others “Juliet”.
  • Lord Montague arrives. He says that his wife died that night because of grief over her son’s exile.
• The Prince orders the tomb to be closed until he finds out what happened. He asks three people to tell their story:
  1. Friar Lawrence;
  2. Balthasar; and
  3. Paris’s Page.

1. Friar Lawrence admits to being partly responsible for the deaths. The truth is finally told. The Friar explains that:
   • He married Romeo and Juliet in secret and, on the same day, Romeo killed Tybalt and was banished.
   • Juliet grieved for Romeo, not Tybalt. She was told to marry Paris and so went to the Friar for help. She threatened to kill herself if he could not help.
   • He gave Juliet a sleeping potion, but Romeo did not get his letter explaining the plan.
   • He came to the churchyard to rescue Juliet from the tomb and take her to his cell. But when he arrived he saw Paris and Romeo dead. Juliet woke and he tried to comfort her. He heard a noise and in fear left the tomb; Juliet would not go with him.
   • The Friar says the nurse can confirm that the marriage took place. If he is found to be at fault he is prepared to be punished for it.
2. Balthasar tells his story:
   • He told Romeo that Juliet was dead. Romeo hurried to the tomb and told Balthasar to leave him there.
   • Balthasar gave the Prince the letter Romeo had written to his father. He had told Balthasar to give it to Lord Montague.
3. The Page explains why Paris had come to the tomb:
   • The Page says Paris had come to put flowers on Juliet’s grave. Paris told him to keep watch nearby.
   • Paris drew his sword against Romeo and the Page ran away to get help.
   • The Prince reads Romeo’s letter. It shows that what Friar Lawrence has said is true. Romeo had also written about getting the poison from the apothecary and his intention to die in the tomb with Juliet.
   • The Prince then speaks to Lord Capulet and Lord Montague, and blames their feud for all the trouble. He also blames himself for not being firmer with them.
   • Capulet and Montague shake hands, both in grief for their loss.
   • The Prince speaks of the sad peace that has come that morning.

Activity 25

Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[The scene at the tomb following the deaths of Paris, Romeo and Juliet.]

Questions

1. Refer to line 1 (“Here’s Romeo’s man”).
   a) Who is Romeo’s man? (1)
   b) How has he disobeyed Romeo’s orders? (2)
   c) Give the reason for his disobedience. (1)
2.  Refer to line 3 (“… a friar that trembles, sighs and weeps”).
   a) Explain why Friar Lawrence is in this state. Give TWO reasons. (2)
   b) Explain how the Friar’s behaviour earlier in the play is different from his behaviour here. State TWO points. (2)
   c) Do you feel sorry for Friar Lawrence? Discuss your view. (3)
3. Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE? Give a reason for your answer.
   Lines 14 – 15 mean that Juliet died before Paris and Romeo. (2)
4. Write down ONE word to describe the mood in the tomb at this stage. (1)  [14]