Romeo and Juliet
Guide to Acts II-V
Act II Scence i
• Where: Capulet’s Orchard
• Who: Benvolio, Mercutio, Romeo
• What: Benvolio & Mercutio talk; Romeo
leaves (moping again)
• What do you learn?
Act II Scene ii
• Where: Capulet’s Orchard
• Who: Romeo and Juliet
• What happens: They declare their love;
famous balcony scene. Famous lines: 33,
43.
• What do you learn: They are planning a
secret marriage
Act II Scene iii
• Where: Friar Lawrence’s cell
• Who: Friar Lawrence & Romeo
• What happens: They make arrangements
for a marriage between Romeo and Juliet
Act II Scene iv
• Where: a street
• Who: Romeo, Benvolio, Mercutio, Nurse,
Peter (her servant)
• What: Romeo tells the nurse about the
plans for a wedding; she promises to tell
Juliet
• What do you learn:
Act II: Scene v
• Where: Capulet’s Orchard
• Who: Juliet, Nurse,
• What happens: the Nurse tells Juliet the
plan for the secret wedding, and Juliet
agrees
Act II Scene vi
• Where: Friar Lawrence’s cell
• Who: Friar Lawrence, Romeo, Juliet
• What happens: Romeo and Juliet are
married secretly
• What do we learn from this:
Act III Scene i
• Where: a public place
• Who: Mercutio, Benvolio, Tybalt,
Petruccio, Rome, Prince, Lady Capulet
• What happens: Mercutio and Tybalt fight.
Romeo tries to break it up, but Tybalt
stabs Mercutio, who died. Tybalt comes
back to fight with Romeo; Romeo kills
Tybalt. Romeo is banished as
punishment.
Act III Scene ii
• Where: Capulet’s Orchard
• Who: Juliet, Nurse
• What happens: Juliet gives a soliloquy.
She has to wait for night for Romeo to
come. Nurse tells Juliet about the fight
and Romeo’s banishment.
Act III Scene iii
• Where: Friar Lawrence’s cell
• Who: Romeo, Friar Lawrence, Nurse.
• What happens: Romeo is despairing; Friar
Lawrence tells him to leave, and wait for
him to make arrangements.
Act III Scene iv
• Where: A room in Capulet’s house
• Who? Capulet and Paris
• What happens: They set a date for the
wedding on Thursday (to help Juliet get
over her “grief about Tybalt’s death)
• What do you learn: There is going to be a
problem . . .
Act III Scene v
• Where: Capulet’s Orchard
• Who: Romeo & Juliet; then, Nurse and
Lady Capulet
• What happens: Romeo comes to see
Juliet for the last time before he leaves.
Lady Capulet tells Juliet about the
wedding, and Juliet refuses to marry Paris.
Capulet is very angry with her. They all
fight.
Act IV: Scene i
• Where: Friar Lawrence’s cell.
• Who: Paris; Friar Lawrence; Juliet.
• What happens: Paris and Friar talk about
the wedding. The Friar tries to object.
Juliet and the Friar make a plan: he gives
her a potion to make her appear dead on
her wedding day & promises to send a
letter to Romeo about it.
Act IV: Scene ii
• Where: Hall in Capulet’s house
• Who: Capulet, Nurse, Juliet.
• What happens: Juliet tells her father she
has changed her mind and will marry
Paris. He moves the wedding up to
tomorrow.
Act IV: Scene iii
• Where: Juliet’s room
• Who: Juliet; Nurse and Lady Capulet
come in, but Juliet sends them away.
• What happens: Juliet’s soliloquy; she
questions whether to take the potion, but
finally drinks it.
Act IV: Scene iv
• Where: Hall in Capulet’s house
• Who: Lady Capulet, Nurse, Capulet.
• What happens: The nurse is sent to wake
up Juliet.
Act IV: Scene v
• Where: Juliet’s room
• Who: Nurse; Lady Capulet; Capulet; Friar;
Paris; musicians
• What happens: Nurse discovers Juliet is
“dead”; everyone mourns, funeral
arrangements are made.
Act V: Scene i
• Where: Street in Mantua
• Who: Romeo, Balthasar, Apothecary
• What happens: Romeo learns from
Balthasar that Juliet is dead; he talks the
Apothecary into selling him poison (this is
illegal for the apothecary, but he is poor,
so he does it for money). Romeo heads to
Juliet’s grave to use it.
Act V: Scene ii
• Where: Friar Lawrence’s cell
• Who: Friar John, Friar Lawrence
• What happens: Friar John explains that he
was prevented from giving the letter to
Romeo. He and Friar Lawrence head to
Juliet’s grave to get her out and keep her
until Romeo can be sent for.
Vocabulary Words to Know:
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Pernicious
Augmenting
Grievance
Transgression
Procure
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Vile
Predominant
Intercession
Lamentable
Unwieldy
Act V: Scene iii
• Where: Churchyard, the Capulets’
Monument
• Who: Paris, his page; Romeo, Balthasar;
Friar Lawrence; Juliet; watchmen; Capulet,
Lady Capulet, Prince, Montague
• What happens:
– Paris goes to lay flowers on Juliet’s grave
– He hears a noise, and hides
– Romeo and Balthasar come; Romeo sends
Balthasar off, then he goes into the tomb
– Paris recognizes Romeo, and tries to stop
him.
– They fight; Romeo kills Paris.
– Romeo gives a long speech; then drinks the
poison
– Friar Lawrence sees Balthasar who tells him
Romeo is at the tomb; the Friar hurries there,
sees Romeo’s body
– Juliet wakes up; sees Romeo
– The Friar leaves
– Juliet kisses Romeo and stabs herself with
Romeo’s dagger
– Outside: Watchmen and others gather; the
Prince, Capulet, Lady Capulet, Montague,
enter
• Friar Lawrence explains the whole story
• Romeo’s letter arrives, and corroborates
the Friar’s story
• Capulet and Montague agree to end their
quarrel and Montague promises to raise a
gold statue of Juliet, and Capulet to have
one of Romeo made.