Prologue, Act 1 Scenes 1 - 5
 Unlike many plays or stories, we are told what is going
to happen throughout the play (plot).
 It is a story of two families who hate each other
 Their children fall in love and wind up committing
suicide
 This will end the feud between the two families.
 What you are not told is the specific details.
 What are things that you would want to know as a
viewer or a reader?
 Gregory and Sampson, two members of the house of
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Capulet, pick a fight with members of the house of
Montague.
Benvolio (House of Montague) tries to intervene and stop
the fight but Tybalt (House of Capulet) continues to fight
Prince Escalus (ruler of Verona) threatens death to any
Capulet or Montague who continues to fight
After leaving the town square, Lord Montague questions
Benvolio as to why Romeo is so depressed.
Benvolio finds out that Romeo is in love but the girl he
loves does not love him.
Benvolio vows to help Romeo get out of his depression.
 House of
 House of
 Town of Verona
Capulet
 Gregory
 Sampson
 Tybalt
 Lord Capulet
Montague
 Prince Escalus
 Benvolio
 Lord Montague
 Romeo
 L. 44-45 – “No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir;
but I bite my thumb sir” – Sampson
 L. 63-64 – “What, drawn and talk of peace! I hate the
word/As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. – Tybalt
 L. 89-90 – “If ever you disturb our streets again,/Your
lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace” – Prince Escalus
 L.226-227 – “By giving liberty unto thine
eyes;/Examine other beauties” - Benvolio
 Pernicious – harmful or destructive
 Mr. Manning’s comments to the class were quite pernicious.
 l. 77 “ That quench the fire of you pernicious rage”
 Adversary – Enemy or opponent
 Jude was successful wrestling his adversary from Maine West.
 l. 99 “Here were the servants of your adversary”
 Augmenting- adding to, or enlarging
 After taking English with Mr. Manning, James was able to
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augment his vocabulary.
l. 125 “With tears augmenting the fresh morning’s dew”
Portentous – ominous or threatening
Mr. Manning glared at Vincent in a portentous fashion.
l. 134 “Black and portentous must this humour prove.”
 Propagate – reproduce or increase
 Damaris was able to propagate the volume of the gym with
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her awesome cheering.
l. 184 “Which thou wilt propagate to have it prest”
Purg’d – get rid of or expel
Chris was able to purge all of the Krupa Loopa monsters
when he was playing Mario Bros.
l. 188 “Being purged, a fire sparkling in lover’s eyes”
Discreet – showing good judgment: perceptive
Daniel was discreet in displaying his emotions after
receiving the highest grade in the class.
l. 190 What is it else? A madness most discreet”
 Lord Capulet is confident that there will be no more violent
interactions with the House of Montague
 Paris expresses a desire to marry Lord Capulet’s daughter, Juliet
 Lord Capulet is reluctant to allow this for the following reasons:
 Juliet is too young
 He is worried about her having children
 She is his only child
 Capulet tells Paris to come to his house and look at other woman
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before they discuss marrying Juliet
Capulet sends a servant who cannot read to go and hand out
invites to party guests
Benvolio and Romeo come upon the servant and help him
At this point, Benvolio encourages Romeo to go to the Capulet ball
and compare the women there to the fair Rosaline (the girl who
broke Romeo’s heart)
What is the potential problem that may occur?
What is ironic about what is happening?
 House of Montague
 House of Capulet
 Romeo – still depressed
 Lord Capulet – not
 Benvolio – convinces
looking to start anymore
trouble, against Paris
marrying Juliet
 Paris – wants to marry
Juliet
 Servant – sent to invite
guests to the party but
he cannot read.
Romeo to attend the
Capulet Ball
 l. 2-3 “In penalty alike; and tis not hard, I think,/For
men so old as we to keep the peace.” – Capulet
 l. 16 -19 “But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,/My
will to her consent is but a part;/And, she agreed,
within her scope of choice/Lies my consent and fair
according voice.” – Capulet
 l. 86-88 “Go thither; and with untainted eye/Compare
her face with some I will show,/And I will make thee
think thy swan a crow.” - Benvolio
 NONE!
 Lady Capulet comes to see Juliet.
 The audience is introduced to the Nurse who will
provide the audience comic relief throughout the play.
 Lady Capulet asks Juliet about marriage.
 The discussion between Lady Capulet, the Nurse, and
Juliet is regarding Juliet’s age and her desire to get
married. Juliet is asked to give serious consideration to
Paris who will be a dinner guest.
 House of Capulet
 Juliet – main character, she is asked to think about
marriage
 Nurse – has raised Juliet and is her confidant
 Lady Capulet – Juliet’s mother.
 l. 68-69 “Marry that “marry” is the very theme/I came
to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet,/How stands your
disposition to be married?” – Lady Capulet
 l. 101-103 “I’ll look to like, if looking liking move;/But
no more deep will I endart mine eye/Than your
consent gives strength to make it fly.” - Juliet
 Obscur’d – hid, darkened
 Mr. Manning closed the blinds so the sun was
obscured from the room
 L. 89 “And what obscur’d in this fair volume lies…”
 Benvolio, Romeo, and Mercutio are on their way to the
Capulet ball.
 Romeo is still depressed and does not want to go to the
party
 Mercutio delivers the famous “Queen Mab” speech to
Romeo
 Romeo than tells of his feeling that this party will
bring unfortunate events to him.
 House of Montague
 Romeo – still lovesick over his lost love
 Benvolio – wants to go to the Capulet ball
 Towns people
• Mercutio – teasing Romeo about being depressed about
being love
 l. 112-117 – “I fear, too early; for my mind
misgives/Some consequence yet hanging in the
stars/Shall bitterly begin his fearful date/With this
night’s revels, and expire the term/Of a despised life
clos’d in my breast/By some vile forfeit of untimely
death.” - Romeo
 Deformities – irregularities; disfigurements
 l. 31 “What curious eye doth quote deformities?” –
Mercutio
 There were a lot of deformities in Mr. Manning’s
presentation.
 The scene takes place at the Capulet ball.
 Romeo spots a beautiful girl across the room and
immediately falls in love.
 Tybalt spots Romeo across the room and becomes angry –
he feels that Romeo is mocking the Capulets – Lord
Capulet, however, stops Tybalt from confronting Romeo
 Romeo and Juliet dance with each other and fall in love not
realizing who each other is.
 At the end of the scene both Romeo and Juliet are upset
when they find out the person they are in love with is from
an enemy family.
 The attitude of Capulet – he does not seem as angry or
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confrontational
The attitude of Tybalt – he does not like the house of
Montague (we also saw this in the first scene)
Nobody seems to know what the feud is about
Romeo – still thinking about Rosaline?
What do you think will happen to Romeo and Juliet
now?
 Lord Capulet – host of the party, comfortable with the
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Montague’s being there
Romeo – falls in love with Juliet immediately
Tybalt- shows great hatred for Romeo
Juliet – falls in love with Romeo immediately
Benvolio- tells Romeo that Juliet is a Capulet
Nurse- tells Juliet that Romeo is Montague
• l. 52-53 “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!/
For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” – Romeo
• l. 61-63 “Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe,/A villain
that is hither come in spite/To scorn our solemnity this
night.” - Tybalt
• l. 123-24 – Is she a Capulet?/O dear account! My life is
my foe’s debt.” - Romeo
• l. 144-45 “My only love sprung from my only hate!/Too
early seen unknown, and known too late!” – Juliet
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Nuptial – wedding; marriage
L. 34 “Tis since the nuptial of Lucentio”
Mr. Manning stood up for his friend’s nuptials.
Disparagement- criticism; censure
L. 71 “here in my house do him disparagement”
Mr. Manning disparaged the thought of a student not doing his
homework.
Profane – dishonor; make impure
L. 96 “If I profane with my unworthiest hand”
Mr. Manning acted profanely after finding out he did not win the
lottery.
Prodigious – terrible; extraordinary
L. 146 “Prodigious birth of love it is to me”
It was a prodigious set of circumstances that caused Mr.
Manning to lose his wrestling match to Jude.