Romeo and Juliet PowerPoint notes:
Shakespeare and Homer: While Shakespeare’s education would have included studying Latin and Ancient
Roman scholars, it is unclear whether he was taught from the Greek tradition because for printing purposes of
the day, the Greek letters were expensive. However, Ancient Greeks were fascinating in that day, and he may
have found his way to Homer at some point.
Similarities: -Plagiarism: both “stole” stories, put them together in a new way, wrote them more beautifully
than ever done before. (Plagiarism was a common practice until money became an issue with publishing.
- Both wrote in a poetic style
- Both tell at the beginning that people die, leaving us to feel that suspense
Slide 1:
Arguably (this is a chance to talk about that word, meaning “the argument can be made”) the
greatest writer in the world.
Slide 2:
Date of birth actually unknown, but the standard was that christening (baptism) happened when
the baby was 3 days old, and church records exist about that date.
Avon is a river, so this is name means that Stratford sits on the banks of this major English river.
You might actually also hear ”Stratford on Avon”.
He eventually did attend school, and the school he attended still stands and is still used, and can
be visited by tourists. His parents were illiterate, so he was likely in the first generation that could read. The
parents would have had to have been pretty motivated to have him educated. (What if they hadn’t been, and
little William didn’t get the chance to learn how to read and write???)
Slide 3:
The only other youth detail about Shakespeare is the unsubstantiated tale that he was caught and
punished for poaching deer (in this case stealing deer from someone’s land)
When he married Anne Hathaway, he was 18 and she was 26 (older woman!) Not only that, how
many months were there before their first child was born? (Not enough – shotgun wedding!) Like many
intelligent people, Shakespeare was clearly mischievous.
Two years later, when he was only 21, the twins were born. This is a lot for him to handle
apparently because when the twins were a year old, he left, hence the “Lost Years”
Slide 4:
Writing sonnets was the “cool” thing for young men to do. They’d show off to their peers and
use the sonnets to attract women. They never published their own sonnet, which would have been considered
conceited. The young Shakespeare may have wanted to be the “single guy.” This may have been how the
writing talent emerged.
“The Playwriting Years” – starting to gain fame in 1592. Eventually makes a good living being
part owner of The Globe and acting troupe The King’s Men (Did NOT make money by publishing and selling
his works. Printing press was only about 150 years old, and publishing was rare. “First Folio” was a publication
done after his death.) He likely went back to Stratford on occasions. During these 24 years, wrote prolifically.
(Show Complete Works – I have a copy you can borrow, that also contains cool pics of costumes and period
weapons.)
Dying at 52 was not uncommon. Does that death date look familiar? He died on his birthday,
which would have been perceived at evidence of his greatness. Later, Twain had a similar situation, being born
when Haley’s Comet came and died, as he always claimed it would be and by natural causes, the next time
Haley’s Comet came.
Slide 5:
He is buried under the floor of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-Upon-Avon, an honor given to
few. His grave can be visited. Why would write an epitaph warning people to leave his bones alone? He knew
his fame would live on and some obsessed fans might want to do that.
Slide 6:
Shakespeare’s vocabulary was almost 30,000 words strong. How do we know this? His writing
reflects that many different words. When a word did not exist for what he needed, he just made them up. The
words “stuck” because his writings have been read over and over. He is attributed to having contributed
somewhere from 2,000-3,000 to the English language. (I am having students jot down brief notes about this as
well as writing down the top sentence, then I am having them pick 10 words from the list to write down.)
Show KU student award piece about the work “Directitude” – this illustrates that it is the rare exception
that one of Shakespeare’s words didn’t catch on. However, it sounds familiar because of familiar word
parts.
Slide 7:
Start with the Epic Poems (Homer). Go over briefly.
Then, start going over sonnet structure briefly. Sonnets are always written within the guidelines
of this structure, it’s part of the challenge. Shakespeare’s sonnets don’t have titles; they are always referred to
by the first line or by the numbers given them later.
Quat = four, so three groups of four lines each
Couplet = two, a “couple” of lines. This last part reflects a “turn” in the meaning of the poem.
Fourteen lines total.
from R&J:
To help illustrate iambic pentameter, write on the board a famous line
U
/
U
./
U
/ U /
U
/
But SOFT! What LIGHT through YONder WINdow BREAKS?
U / U
/
U / U / U /
It IS the EAST and JUliet IS the SUN!
Slide 8:
Point out :
- title is a number
- first couple lines, illustrating the sound of iambic
pentameter
- the three sets of four lines (quatrains) and the couplet
(the couplet in this case summarizes the theme)
- rhyme scheme
Slide 9 – 14: Self-explanatory
Slide 15:
Histories were accounts of real historical people/events with “dramatic
license”
Comedies were different from today – didn’t mean laugh constantly. The
point is that it ends happily and contains some humor.
Tragedies could contain some humor, as R&J does, but end tragically.
Slide 16:
Titles of histories and comedies suggest the content/tone.
Slide 17:
Compare to Odyssey, where Poseidon creates the fate and Odysseus (as
the epic hero) has flaws, like too curious to wisely leave Cyclops’
cave.
Slide 18:
Hard to know when Shakespeare would have first been aware of Brooke’s
version
– since he was an educated youth – but he certainly knew it when
it was reprinted. Only eight
years later, he rewrites, changes, and
improves it.
West Side Story is rival gangs, not families, and the setting is NYC, not
renaissance Italy.
STOP HERE
 Do Evil Meter – explain, then have them do it independently (no sharing), then put up transparency of
the meter and write in common reponses and discuss
 Read Synopsis
Slide 19:
Students open their books to p.673. Notice, like the Odyssey, this play has
consistent border along the top, making this section easy to turn to.
a
The prologue is presented by the “Chorus”, which is one man speaking,
group of people singing as we commonly know this term today.
not a
The prologue is a sonnet. Review structure. The audience would have
recognized the sonnet form, so this would have helped get their attention.
Students write in their notes the lines: “Where we lay our scene” and the
last
three lines. He is speaking directly to the audience about the play
production and what they
want the audience to do and what they’ll do.
The rest is a summary of the plot. Go over
what’s said.
Purpose of prologue: 1. to get the audience's attention
2. to let them know R&J die (dramatic tension)
3. to ask for the audience's participation
STOP HERE: Prologue activities:
 Cooperative learning – set of lines cut apart, groups must put them back in order.
Show slide again to check work.
 Prologue quiz – a good way to review at the beginning of next class. Tell me if
you don’t have a copy in Jen’s stuff.
Slide 20:
In preparation for the first scene, go over blank verse.
STOP HERE:
Open textbook to p.673 again. Explain that cast of
characters is listed in order of appearance, not importance.
Explain the structure of roman numerals and how they reflect the
act and scene. Show how the bottom right of the right hand pages
the act and scene is of the page, which is handy.(Okay,
class, everybody find Act III, scene iv)
shows what
Show how lines are numbered, just like with the Odyssey, and it
has side notes like it, too. Be sure to pay attention to side notes!
NOW, ON TO THE PLAY ITSELF…
Write out the following names on the board and write down names of selected students to read parts:
Sampson
Gregory
Abram
Benvolio
Tybalt
Officer
Capulet (take this opportunity to explain that Lord Capulet is referred to just by his last name, as patriarch)
L. Capulet (of course, Lady Capulet, the matriarch)
Montague
L. Montague
Prince
Romeo (only if you have more than a half hour to do this and can finish scene i)
Sequence of events for the unit.
ACT I
Slides 21-32, showing examples in scene i
Slide 21
Now that we know what Blank Verse (from last time with slides) and Prose are, let’s examine
scene I closer. The servants’ dialogue never has a rhythm pattern. But what about when
members of the family show up? Right away it’s iambic pentameter. This illustrates their higher
social standing. Notice later how some lines of iambic pentameter are divided, one character
starting the line, the next character speaking ends it. (The second half is indented.)
Slide 22
Servants are often portrayed as flat characters; they aren’t two dimensional, they do not change.
Slide 23
Speaking of comic relief, we know Shakespeare uses it to get the groundling’s attention, but
there’s more to it than that.
Slide 24
“Puns are fun.” Examples: “I will bite my thumb at them” and “My naked weapon is out”
Slide 25
We know what metaphors are. Do they show up in scene i? Well, there is the comparison of
something to a “Poor John”, but also “What are thou drawn among these heartless hinds?”
(female deer – comparing male servants to this – metaphor that serves as an insult.) Then of
course the Prince compares the shedding of blood to “purple fountains” (royalty)
Slide 26
Example: “Turn thee, Benvolio: look upon thy death.”
Slide 27
Sampson inquires with Gregory about whether the law would be on their side.
Slide 28
The Prince’s speech is one of many monologues in the play.
Slide 29
(You could save this for later when we read our first one. Or, have them get it in their notes so it
can be easily referred to later.)
Slides 30-32 Have them take notes on all these words.
Rest of scene i:
L 97-106: Is Benvolio telling the truth? Now we know he can be trusted.
L 131: Montague says “(Romeo) makes himself and artificial night.”
Does anyone here heavy curtains or puts blankets over the windows to be
able to sleep in? Shakespeare understood teenagers.
What is Romeo showing symptoms of? (depression)
L 152: Ever heard the phrase, “time flies when you’re having fun”? This is the opposite.
L 160: Love is gentle and rough is an example of opposites. Also, this is the first of many
cupid references. This starts the idea of fate, love being out of one’s control. If
cupid is blind, what happens when he shoots his arrows? Is it always fair?
L167-173+ Romeo is really feeling sorry for himself, talking about opposites. He goes
on and on, and you can see by the last line that Benvolio has started laughing at
him, that sort of “pity the fool” kind of a laugh, which he follows with “No coz. I
rather weep” because after all, laughing and crying can look similar and he
wouldn’t want to be caught laughing at his cousin who’s in pain. He goes on to be
more moody – are teenagers ever moody??
L 197-198: “marksman” is an indirect reference to cupid
L 199-215: From his description, it’s obvious that Roseline is pulling a “I’m just not
wanting a relationship” think right now, but Romeo wants to believe what she said.
Act I scene i quiz
Pass out Act worksheet and start filling it in
Start “Who’s who in Verona”
Pass out vocab list for “buff box” words in textbook only
Finish Act I
Scene ii
County Paris means he is a land owner, wealthy
L 1: “But…” shows that the scene begins in the middle of a conversation
L 6: After saying the right thing for the moment, Paris changes the subject
L 9: Juliet is not even 14 yet. (this brings up the question of how old Romeo is, and
somewhere I read he’s estimated to be approx. 19. The play never says.)
Capulet is hesitant, wants to wait two years – she’s too young.
L 12: It’s true, some girls were already married and mothers at 13 years old.
L 13+: Capulet is referring to his own wife, so his two motivations are protecting his
daughter and remembering what marrying young did to his own wife.
Juliet is his only surviving child. (This is BIG, since the family legacy is with
only her, too, adding to the tragedy. Romeo also is an only child) “Earth hath
swallowed” is the first of many grave references made in the play (and it’s
personification.) Capulet does something very rare, saying he will only approve
if Paris can “get her heart”. He doesn’t have to do that! We learn about his
character that he is loving (but remember that for later when we see another side
emerge.)
L 20: We first hear about the party when R&J will meet.
L 24-30: This night will be as romantic as spring (“springtime is for lovers” – I always
stop to talk briefly about how this is: Valentine’s Day, Easter symbols are bunnies
and eggs because they are fertility symbols left over from pagan celebrations of
spring.)
L 30-33: Come to check them all out to see if it’s still Roseline you want.
L 38-43: Servant scene is comedy. He’s saying he can no more read the names on the list
than a fisherman has need for a pencil. How can he do his job?
L 44-54: Romeo and Benvolio are continuing with the conversation from before.
L 55 +: Romeo teases the servant, reads the list (which includes Mercutio, his friend
Tybalt, who Benvolio just fought, and Rosaline, who Romeo is still hung up on)
then tries – in more comedy – to find out where the party is happening.
L 74-81: Now it’s the servant’s turn to frustrate Romeo with his stupid answers.
L 80-81: If you are not a Montague, you can come.
L 85: Benvolio thinks that Romeo might get over Roseline if he sees other women. This
is the first of many references of beautiful women are swans, ugly are crows (also
a black/white image, which is common here.)
L 88-93: Romeo is SO dramatic, really. See her among others will only confirm his
feelings.
Scene iii
Show irony slides since this scene has to do with some knowing while others don’t.
Explain that the “Nurse” is essentially a nanny. She’s raised Juliet in all the practical
manners, so she probably knows Juliet better than anyone.
Teacher should read nurses part to help students understand the pacing of her ramblings.
L 7-9: Lady Capulet at first tells the nurse to go away since she wants to speak privately
to Juliet, but then she remembers how close the nurse is to her and invites her
back.
L 12-14: Here starts the nurse’s comedy – she’d give fourteen teeth in a bet that Juliet is
almost 14, but she can’t since she has only four teeth.
L 15: See teacher’s edition for detail on Lammastide – if time might be worth sharing,
and now we know that the time setting of the play is summertime.
*this is line 14 because the nurse starts the line of iambic pentameter, then Lady
Capulet finishes it, which is why her line is indented:
U
I U I U I U I U I
To Lammastide? A fortnight and odd days.
L 18-19: We find out that the nurse had had a daughter Juliet’s age who died, and this
might help explain her attachment to Juliet.
L 24-35: The nurse goes into this rambling (she loses her place at times and wonders if
she has a brain) account of how she weaned Juliet from breast feeding. Now, it
probably should be explained that, especially since the nurse had had a baby
herself when Juliet was born, the nurse breastfed her instead of Lady Capulet.
This would have been considered normal, just as it was in our country during the
time of slavery, when slave women would breastfeed the master’s children. This
freed up the mothers to do other things when they were prominent and had
to oversee the household and manage social life.
Anyway, the nurse put this substance – wormwood – on her breast because it
tasted bitter and Juliet would no longer want to breast feed. Juliet got mad.
L 38-48: And now another rambling story. Juliet was learning to walk and fell, hurting
her “brow” (ask students where their eyebrow it, then they’ll get it) then the nurse
quotes her now-dead husband, saying that he joked with Juliet that she hurt her
brow now falling forward, but later when she has more “wit” (is smarter, meaning
older) she’ll fall backwards, meaning she’ll lay on her back for a man, to which
Juliet cried and said “yes”, and this cracks her up, so much so she can’t get off the
topic. This is humor for the groundling’s sake.
L 63: “Marry, that “marry” – is “indeed, to marry is the theme” this is word play
L 66: This is the first of many, many times Juliet uses double-speaking, when she says
something with two meanings because she wants to be true to herself but she also
has to mislead the person she’s talking to. Here, she misleads her mother by
implying she’s just not thought about marriage, but what she really means is that
she doesn’t think about it, on purpose.
L 72-73: We see what Capulet was referencing; Lady Capulet says she was already a
mother at 13.
L 81-92: This is an extended metaphor where Lady Capulet compares Paris, and being
married to him, to a book. “Unbound lover” – like a book lacking a binding, but
what does she mean? He’s not bound to a woman yet. “The fish lives in the sea”
seems out of place, but she’s saying the woman for him is there, like, “there are
many fish in the sea.” “Golden clasps” have students think of a diary, this is
symbolism for marriage.
L 95: The nurse keeps joking – women get bigger (pregnant)
Scene v
Opens with humor.
L 1-2 Potpan, a servant with an appropriate name) make it look like he’s working but
he’s really not.
L 3-4: It’s bad when only one or two men do the cleaning up, and even their hands
are dirty. (“Foul” has two meanings – unjust and gross.)
L 6-7: Wants to sneak his buddies in to eat some party food.
L 15-40: Capulet’s in a great mood, greeting people to his party, probably a little
drunk already. Teases the girls that they better dance, remembers when he was a
young man, greets his cousin and they discuss their surprise at how much time has
passed since they were young (some conversation topics never change!) He
interrupts himself to give orders to servants. He talking all over the place.
L 41: Romeo’s first line is asking who the beautiful Juliet it – so much for Roseline!
L 47: She is the swan among crows, just as Benvolio suggested.
L 50: Here starts the elaborate extended metaphor of Romeo as the pilgrim, wanting
to go get his blessings on a pilgrimage. (might want to stop to talk about what the
Christian crusades were all about)
L 64: Capulet wants Tybalt to leave Romeo alone because Romeo is behaving politely
and he doesn’t want his party spoiled. (This is the second sign of generosity from
Capulet.)
L 74-75: Tybalt defies his uncle and elder by saying he won’t stand to have Romeo there.
Is it smart for him to talk back to his uncle??
L 75-87: Capulet scolds him greatly, putting him in his place, then here and there he
shifts to give orders to servants.
L 89-91: Tybalt (in an aside) promises himself to get revenge later.
L 91-109: Romeo is the pilgrim seeking blessings, Juliet is the statue of a saint who he
seeks to get his blessings. L 109: Word play – Juliet teases “you kiss like an
expert, but can also “you kiss like you’ve only learned about it by reading about
it”
L 126-end: This is the first of the exchanges between the nurse and Juliet where there is
confusion about what’s being asked, how to answer. Later, this pattern is
intentional teasing, then tragic.
When reading breaks are needed: Work on Act worksheet
Memorization assignment
Start timeline
Add to “Who’s Who”
Work on Vocab
When students have completed the Act worksheet, do Act I quiz
ACT II
Prologue:
Review chorus (one man speaking, like a narrator)
Again, this is a sonnet.
L 1-4: He says twice that Romeo’s love of Roseline has been replaced by love for
Juliet. “old desire in his deathbed lie” is personification of desire.
L 5-8: He’s in love and they dig each other (the word “bewitched” is an interesting one
because it suggests that they’ve been afflicted, not in control of it) but he will
need to express his love to his enemy (be careful about the word “complain”.)
Juliet, being “the fish in the sea” risks harming herself by taking Romeo’s “bait”
L 9-10: Romeo get to her to talk about his love since her family is his enemy
L 11-12: Juliet also is hindered because she’s a girl and can leave her family’s home
unescorted, as was the usual case in those times.
L 13-14: This is the couplet of the sonnet, summing up the idea. Their passion and time
are working in their favor (dramatic irony because we know that they really don’t
have time – the marriage to Paris is in the works) and the troubles are worth
dealing with for a love that’s so intense.
Scene I
L. 1-2: Leaving the party, Romeo ditches his friends when he realizes he can’t leave and
needs to find Juliet. This is a complicated metaphor because he’s comparing his
body and heart to the earth and the center of the earth (warm and burning and he
would have had some awareness of this why? volcanos) and he is suggesting that
Juliet now is his heart, so he needs to find her/his heart again.
L 6-21: Here we go again with Mercutio! He is speaking really loud, so that Romeo
would hear him from afar. He hopes to get Romeo’s attention with what he says.
He will try to call for Romeo like a person would try to conjure a spirit. (Ouiji
board anyone?) “Likeness of a sigh” would be a ghost. Why would he be
comparing Romeo to someone who’s dead? (He was so somber on the way to the
party and spoke of his impending death.) And in fact in the next line he mimics
what Romeo had been saying.
L 11-13: Allusion to Venus and Cupid (“purblind son”)
L 15-16: Mercutio is referencing that his calling out is not working. He calls his friend
and “ape”, and he will try again to conjure him.
L 17-21: He starts listing Roseline’s body parts so that Romeo would respond by being
compelled to stop his talking to spare her honor (remember that they don’t know
about Juliet!) “Desmesnes” is an ancient term for the land of the lord of the manor
L 23-26: Mercutio says he doesn’t mean to anger Romeo. If he wanted to anger him, he
would raise up a “strange” (unfamiliar) male ghost who Roseline would have to
“deal with” (this is still for the benefit of trying to get Romeo, who can hear them
but has not responded, to respond.)
L 41-42: This parallels when Benvolio was talking in the first scene about seeing Romeo
but he ran away from him into the woods. He didn’t want to be found either time.
Scene ii
L 1: Romeo says to himself that Mercutio jokes but has actually never been in love
L 2-9: Juliet (the “light”) in the window looks like the sun rising. What does light/sun
symbolize? Love, happiness, lightness, newness, hope, learning, awareness,
growth, warmth. Comparing her to the sun is unusual because traditionally men
are compared to the sun and women to the moon (cycles). The moon is jealous of
Juliet’s beauty. The term “livery” is a reflection of the fact that it had been a
costume party.
L 12-14: Romeo is watching what she’s doing, talking to herself, and stops himself from
speaking to her yet.
L 16-22: Juliet is looking up at the stars (fate) and he says that if her face were in the sky
her cheeks would be brighter than the stars (Simile using “as” - how does
lamplight seem when sunlight is pouring through a window?) Her light is so
bright that the birds would mistaken that it were morning and would sing.
L 25-32: He compares her to an angel that people look up to see flying in the night sky.
L 33-51: Juliet struggles about the name issue. She is talking to herself. Then Romeo
surprises her by answering he will do what she wants (deny his name to be with
her.)
L 52-61: Juliet is irritated that someone has been eavesdropping, wants to know who it is.
Romeo says he can’t answer (because he doesn’t want to speak his name) and she
says she can recognize his voice.
L 62-79: Juliet asks how he got there. He says he flew over the wall on Cupid’s wings.
He says love will protect him from harm. She is worried that her male family
members will find him and kill him. He says the only thing that could kill him is
her eyes, but if she looks sweetly at him, nothing bad could happen. Even if they
did see him hidden in the darkness, he would rather die and see her now rather
than have to wait to see her.
L 80-81: Cupid told him how to find her and Romeo lent Cupid his eyes.
L 82-84: Romeo says he is no boat pilot, but he’d risk going to the farthest shore to get
“merchandise” like her. Is this flattering? Oh, well… The boy is trying.
L 85-87: Juliet starts her monologue. She is glad that the darkness makes her hard to see
because she is blushing at all that she said aloud before she knew he was there
(she’s a little scared at how fast this is going.)
L 88-89: Normally she would be cold to him as societies rules would expect, but she’s
not going to follow the rules.
L 90-93: I know you are going to say you love me (and maybe it’s a line) and I’ll believe
you so don’t lie.
L 95-97: If you think I’m too easy to get, I’ll play hard to get so that I can be with you.
L 98-101: I like you so much that you might think I am a loose woman, but I will prove
to you that I am much more worthy of your love than any woman who would play
hard to get.
L 102-106: I should have been more subtle, but you overheard me before I knew you
were there. Don’t think this rushing means I’m not serious.
L 107-116: Romeo goes to swear his love by the light of the moon (like “I swear on the
Bible”) and Juliet says he shouldn’t swear by the moon because it changes. He
asks what to swear by and she responds that if he must, he should swear by
himself (and here’s a twist – now he is the god that she idolizes.)
L 116-124: Romeo begins to swear his love again, and Juliet interrupts him, saying he
shouldn’t swear his love. Her fear creeps up again and she says she doesn’t like
how quick this all is (like lightening, a simile.) She says if we still like each other
the next time we meet, then we’ll see.
L 125-127: Shakespeare meant the double meaning here – remember that Juliet is afraid
of being seen as easy, so she takes offense at his question, but what Romeo wants
is a vow of love from her.
L 128-131: This passage parallels the “give me my sin again” exchange from Act I.
L 133-135: By giving love she gets more love, and this cycle is infinite.
L 139-141: Romeo is by himself and says he’s happy but afraid that since it’s nighttime
it might all be a dream (this is meant to remind us of the foreshadowing dream he
had before the party.)
L 149-151: Juliet goes from talking to Romeo to calling out answers to the Nurse.
L 158-163: Juliet tries to call Romeo back but she can only whisper (can’t yell out loud)
and expresses frustration that her speech is limited by her family expectations
(that was downright feminist of Shakespeare to have her say that!)
L 175: After goofing around about not being able to say goodbye, Romeo says he’d like
to forget any other home than hers. In other words, even though he loves his
family and home, he would forget them for her – the feud.
L 176-181: Juliet compares Romeo to a pet bird she has tied to a string. She doesn’t want
him to stray too far, and she can pull him back to her. (Is this a flattering image
for a young man?)
L 182-183: Yet, Romeo says he wishes he could be that bird. Juliet responds that she
might kill him with too much love. (This is more foreshadowing.)
Romeo and Juliet act like teenagers in love, not so smooth with their ideas, playful,
awkward, nervous, excited. Yet, they are planning a very mature act in getting married
and considering the consequences of doing so.
ACT II
Start with Prologue (review qualities of a prologue) – possible activity: paraphrase text
Finish scene i & ii – class discussion love vs. infatuation handout and/or “Perfect Mate”
Look at days-of-the-week timeline
Show Arthur Brooke passages from this scene, compare with Shakespeare
Show “Cho-Virginia Tech” R&J reference article
Scene iii
To start this, you might want to do a discussion or journal entry about if a person can be
both good and bad at the same time. Some will say everyone is like this to some degree.
An interesting question is, are the good parts made less good because of the bad parts?
One of the Clutter family murders (In Cold Blood) wrote beautifully and was a talented
artist.
Show Slide #29 about soliloquy or just have them write down the definition.
This scene opens with a soliloquy spoken by Friar Lawrence. He is out in the early
morning picking herbs from his garden that he will use for a variety of purposes, some of
which are to be used as medicines. He talks about the different things these plants can
do, and likens them to people and what they do.
L 1-4: “Smiles” is one is arriving, and “frown” one must leave. The horizon can look
like a smile or a frown at daybreak or sunset. Darkness gets out of the way like a
drunk man (an example of personification) gets out of the way of the sun god’s
chariot speeding up the road.
L 5-8: Before it gets hot and the dew dries up, I must fill my basket with poisonous
weeds and flowers that contain good juice.
L 9-14: The earth creates new life and buries it when it dies. We take from mother earth
many plants that are “excellent” for us, some which give us nothing, but there is
great variety in plants.
L 15-20: There’s big power in plants, herbs, and minerals. Nothing bad lives on earth that
doesn’t do some good somewhere. Those that are good can be made to be bad
(“too much of a good thing” – a little dark chocolate is nice, but too much will
harm you.) This is not the real purpose of the plant and is abusive.
L 21-26: (Here he really starts comparing plants to people) If a person does something
honorable, it can become a compulsive behavior and harmful if misapplied,
meaning something like exercise is good for you, unless you have an eating
disorder and do it too much for the wrong reasons, and sometimes a bad habit can
accidently turn into something good that happens, like a person who steps outside
to smoke may become an important witness to a crime and can help solve it.
Romeo enters, but Friar Lawrence doesn’t realize it and keeps talking. He picks a
fragile flower, and while looking at it, says that it contains both poison and
medicine. The smell of it will stimulate each part of a person’s body, but tasting it
will kill the body. (This passage is an extended metaphor.
L 27-30: It’s like two enemy kings living in the same place, and each person is like
this, too, because they can be both good and bad at the same time. If the bad
dominates over the good, death (like a caterpillar) will eat you up.
L 33-42: (The Friar had heard the confessions of many people, which worry him.) Do
you know any older men who get up early? What do you see at Perkins or HyVee
food court at 7 a.m.? (A bunch of older guys having coffee together.)
Since you are young, it’s a bad sign that you are up so early. Old men have a lot
to worry about, so we don’t sleep well. (“Care” and “sleep” are personified as
two people who want to rest in the mind, but “sleep” can’t if “care” is there.)
However, the young can sleep (and “sleep” is the king of that mind) because they
don’t have as much to worry about. So, something must be bothering Romeo, or
instead maybe he hadn’t gone to bed yet? ;-)
L 43-47: Romeo admits he’s been out having fun, but got “sweeter rest” than sleep. Friar
is a bit shocked and asks if it was Roseline (he knows Romeo well enough to ask
this!) Romeo says no.
L 48-64: “Feasting” can refer to partying and eating at the party, or it can mean
“indulging” in love with the enemy. They’ve “wounded” each other with Cupid’s
arrows (and of course the Friar might take this that there was a real fight.) He tells
the Friar that he has the “medicine” to cure both enemies. Romeo says he’s not
hating his enemy as evidenced by the fact that he’s seeking help for them, too.
The Friar doesn’t like the “riddle” nature of what Romeo is saying and says he
needs to know what he means to give him the right help. So, Romeo comes clean
and says that the only thing missing from their love is marriage, which he is
asking the Friar to do that day.
L 65-80: He is shocked, and asks how could his love for Roseline change so quickly?
(He’s afraid that Romeo is just infatuated, which is why he can change his mind.)
He reminds Romeo that he cried his eyes out about Roseline (now we know who
he confided in!) so many salt tears were wasted over an “untasted” love
(metaphor) The sun hasn’t cleared away his sad sighs yet, and his sad cries are
still in the Friar’s ears, and he still has the stain of a tear he cried for Roseline.
Friar Lawrence tells him that women pay the price when men aren’t stable.
L 81-94: Romeo complains that the Friar had discouraged him from loving Roseline (so
he thinks he should be glad that Romeo is over her.) Friar responds that he
discouraged the infatuation, and doesn’t want one infatuation replaced by another.
Romeo asks Friar not to give him a hard time now because this time is differentthe girl loves him back. Friar responds that Roseline had known that Romeo
wasn’t mature enough to be serious (oh, really?) The Friar agrees to marry them
not because he believes in their love but because it might force the families to get
along. Romeo is in a hurry, but Friar worries that speed = danger (teen driving!)
There is a full-circle idea in this scene, since Friar Lawrence starts out by talking
about how the good and bad can reside in the same place, like love and hate now
both exist in Verona between the Capulets and Montagues (and where the “worser
is predominant” death comes – as it will to Romeo and Juliet.)
Complete Act worksheet for scenes i-iii
Act II, scene i-iii quiz
Finish Act II
When reading breaks are needed:
Introduce final essay
Work on Act worksheet
Work on memorization
Continue timeline
Add to “Who’s Who”
ACT III
Scene i
Start by reviewing what we know may be coming based on what we’ve recently
read. Tybalt has sent the letter challenging Romeo. The wedding night is planned.
Romeo now knows about Paris. No one knows anything about Romeo and Juliet except
a select few.
L 1-4: It’s hot out. Police will tell you that more violence breaks out when it’s hot. Why
is that, do you think?
L 5-27: Mercutio is teasing Benvolio that he’s a hot-head, always looking for a fight. Of
course, Mercutio is kind of talking about himself. (Lots of word play here!)
L 36-37: Ironically, it’s Mercutio who first utters fighting words, when Tybalt has
simply greeted them. (Mercutio had criticized Tybalt for his hypocritical polite
manners in Act II)
L 45: Mercutio of course has to turn the meaning around to “Are you calling us
musicians?” Then, he makes a vulgar remark here that would get most men
mad.
L 47-50: Benvolio, the peace keeper, tries to talk them into not arguing in the streets.
L 59-69: Romeo confuses Tybalt with his veiled words of not wanting to fight because
he loves him. Mercutio, who was already set for a fight is disgusted with this
response from Romeo (remember they had wondered if he was fit to fight because
they still thought he was in love with Roseline) so Mercutio starts the fight.
L 86-103: Mercutio is stabbed under Romeo’s arm as he tries to get between them.
Mercutio’s wound is fatal, but since he’s such a jokester, they think he’s kidding
around. He says at least three times “a plague a’ both your houses!” So, do his
fatalistic words help set the fate of both houses? Whose fault is this? Isn’t he
partly responsible for what happened? Romeo didn’t know he was stabbed then.
L 104-110: Romeo realizes that Mercutio will die, and it dawns on him how awful this is
not just because they are friends but because he’s a relative of the prince. He
thinks that loving Juliet has made him a coward.
L 114-115: Romeo hears from Benvolio that Mercutio is dead and acknowledges that his
omen about a bad fate it starting. Tybalt returns and Romeo goes after him.
L 117-124: Romeo says Mercutio has so recently died that Tybalt will soon keep him
company on his spirit’s journey.
(Romeo kills Tybalt, curses fate, is stunned, and runs away when Benvolio tells him to.)
L 148-171: Benvolio tells the whole story – the truth – about what happened to the
gathering crowd.
L 182-end: The Prince – as upset as he would be about Mercutio’s death – realizes that
Romeo killed Tybalt in response to Mercutio being killed. So, he banishes him
rather than giving him a death sentence. (What is banishing?) This punishment
doesn’t make either the Montagues or the Capulets happy and it stops the
potential of further violence with Capulets who might want to go after Romeo)
Scene ii
This scene opens in a way that spins the audience in circles. After the violence of the
last scene, we now see Juliet – oblivious of what’s happened – looking forward to seeing
her new husband that night. A startling contrast, and we feel the dramatic irony of
knowing something Juliet doesn’t yet that will change her life forever.
L 1-4: She is wishing night would come quickly because this means Romeo will come.
L 5-10: She and Romeo need no light for what they plan, so she makes an allusion to
Cupid saying it makes sense that he’s blind because lovers don’t need to see.
L 10-14: Night is personified as an older woman in dark clothing who will teach Juliet
how to “lose something” while “winning” at the same time (reference to a sports
game.)
L 14-16: Juliet wants night to hide her blushing until she knows what she’s doing(bold)
L 17-25: LOTS of black/white here. Romeo is “light” to her (knowledge, life) in the
darkness (metaphor), as white as snow on a raven’s back (yet another bird image
– and a simile.) She mentions dying (more foreshadowing from Shakespeare)
Something interesting: earlier Romeo said that if Juliet took the place of stars, she
would make the moon jealous. Now, Juliet is saying that if Romeo were the stars
everyone would love night and wouldn’t like the sun so much anymore.
L 25-27: Extended metaphor: Juliet “bought the house” meaning got married, but hasn’t
“possessed” it yet, etc…
L 28-31: Waiting is as hard now as it would be for a child who has new clothes for a
party the next day but can’t wear them yet.
L 31-34: Juliet sees that the nurse has arrived and wonders if she has the rope ladder.
This is the third of the conversations between the two of them where the communication
is faulty, only this time it’s because the nurse is in such despair that she can’t express
herself clearly. (She came in sad before, but it was a fake out. This time it’s not, just like
how Mercutio faked drama before, but the most recent drama from him was real and also
misunderstood at first.)
L 39: Juliet is saying how could heaven be so jealous of their love that it would take
Romeo away? – she thinks the nurse is saying that Romeo is dead. The nurse
responds that Romeo can be jealous, meaning he is alive so he could feel that.
Juliet doesn’t get it.
L 43-51: Don’t speak in confusing ways. If Romeo has killed himself, the news would
poison me (foreshadowing) and would kill me. This is also word play with “I”
and “Ay”.
Still more misunderstanding about who died, and Juliet talks of not being able to live.
L 61-70: When the nurse finally tells who died, Juliet misunderstands still, thinking
that both Romeo and Tybalt are dead. (It shows how important both of them are
to her that she doesn’t care about anyone else living if they are dead.)
L 73-84: Juliet is mad at Romeo and describes in several ways how he is opposites,
wonderful and dangerous at the same time – she’s been tricked.
L 90-95: But, as soon as the nurse says “Shame on Romeo”, Juliet comes to his defense.
(Is it different when you yourself say angry words about someone you love and
when someone else does??) She is essentially saying that he’s wonderful and she
was wrong to scold him.
L 108-127: Juliet realizes she’s glad he’s alive and acknowledges that Tybalt would have
killed him. She wonders why she’s crying and realizes she missed something in
the chaos of the conversation, and it was the word “banished”, and taking in that
Romeo is banished is as painful as hearing that Tybalt died ten thousand times.
She doesn’t think this news should be on top of the bad news of Tybalt’s death,
and she says she’d rather hear that her father or mother or both had died than hear
this news (overly dramatic teenager??)
L 130-135: Her parents are crying over Tybalt, and she says that when they are done, she
will still be crying over Romeo’s banishment. She takes up the rope ladder and
talks to it, saying they’ve both been tricked. Juliet will lose her virginity to death.
L 138-141: The nurse does a VERY generous thing here, offering to still help Romeo get
there that night. Why does she change her mind about Romeo? Because she’s
afraid Juliet will kill herself! Juliet sends a ring along – why? So Romeo will
know she’s not mad at him for killing Tybalt.
Scene iii
L 5: Sorrow is personified as someone who wants to meet Romeo. Friar extends this
comparison by scolding Romeo has hung out with sorrow too much.
L 13: Romeo says that “sorrow” (or his sentence) of banishment is scarier in appearance
– still the personification – than death.
L 16: The Friar starts to try to calm him down by telling him he can have a life
somewhere else.
L 17-23: Since his whole world is Verona, he is basically going to leave the world
like a person does when they die. Banishment is death made up to be pretty.
L 24-28: Friar starts to scold him for his attitude. Remember, he is a man of the cloth, so
he values life as a gift from God.
L 35: “Carrion flies” refers specifically to a fly, a bug, who has more freedom and honor
than Romeo (can anyone say low self-esteem??) By line 41, we see the word play
with the word “fly”.
L 44-51: Don’t you have another way to kill me than to tell me I’m banished? Here
Romeo mentions poison first, which is of course how he ends up taking his life.
Romeo is basically accusing the Friar of wanting to hurt him.
L 52: The Friar calls Romeo “mad” which is both angry and crazy, and tried to calm him.
L 54-56: The Friar wants to offer advice to Romeo so he can live with what he faces.
L 57-60: Romeo starts to be rude to the Friar, challenging his idea that advice would do
any good. Is this how Romeo should be talking to the Friar? So far, the Friar is
letting him get away with it because he knows Romeo is out of his mind.
L 62: He is saying the Friar can’t see, as if he is unable to understand and have insight.
Now, this is the Friar who’s counseled people for years, heard everything, so this
is really an insult. Yet, for the next line, he still remains calm.
L 69-70: Romeo literally falls to the ground (melodramatic anyone??) so a grave can
be measured for him.
L 72-73: Romeo is so reckless now that he won’t hide when someone is coming, unless
his groans will magically hide him.
L 89: The Nurse scolds Romeo for being on the ground when he should act like a
husband, stand up and be honorable.
L 743-158: After Romeo finally threatens to cut out the part of himself that’s “vile” meaning to kill himself – the nurse takes the dagger from him (that’s the second
time she’s stopped a suicide in the span of a few minutes) and the Friar can’t
contain himself any longer and gives Romeo a piece of his mind. He says,
Romeo, you are not a man. If you were, you would live for Juliet’s sake. Your
birth gave you everything, and you would lose it all. You are in good physical
shape, have love, and are smart – you have all this is great quantity, yet you don’t
honor that and show valor? You’ve lied about loving Juliet because if you loved
her you wouldn’t do this. Your thoughts will destroy your body and love, like the
destruction of gunpowder in an incapable soldier’s hands (simile). If your
thoughts were rational, they would help you, but they’re not, so they will hurt
you. Juliet’s alive – be happy. You killed Tybalt who would have killed you – be
happy. You weren’t condemned to die – be happy. You have so many blessings,
but you still pout like a girl? (Simile) Now, happiness comes to you
like a beautiful woman all dressed up, and you turn her aways? (personifying his
circumstances again – nice twist on the opening idea.) You have so many
blessings, but you still pout like a girl? (Simile) Go to Juliet, leave before sunrise,
and we will find a way to announce your marriage which will end the feud and
beg the prince to pardon you. Your return will be a joyous occasion.
L 159-161: The Nurse is very impressed with what the Friar says.
L 162: Tell Juliet I’ll soon be there so she’ll get the chance to scold me for killing Tybalt.
L 165: He is comforted by the ring because it is a sign that she’s not mad. (This is not a
wedding ring – they didn’t have any; it’s just a token showing her love.)
The plan sounds good, but what is the complicating factor that will come into play??
It is in scene iv, when Paris is promised he will marry Juliet in three days, and her father
seems to think it will pleasantly distract her from her grief. Have your parents ever
thought the polar opposite of what you think as a teenager? Have you kept it a secret?
Scene v
More birds??
Scene opens with R&J debating about if the bird they hear is a nightingale (which
Juliet things and is a song that means it’s still night) or a lark (which Romeo thinks, and it
sings in the morning.) She isn’t ready to see him leave, but he knows he must.
L 17-25: Romeo uses some reverse psychology on Juliet, pretending to accept the death
that he would soon find just to stay with her a bit longer.
L 26-35: Juliet takes the bait, but then goes on to say things complaining about the lark
because it separates them, like it sings out of tune, which is untrue (it has a lovely
song.)
L 41: After the Nurse alerts Romeo and Juliet that LC is coming, Juliet says goodbye to
Romeo and says that the window should “let life out”, reminding us that Romeo
is life to her.
L 51: Juliet is foreshadowing because while they will meet again, it will be the moment
of their deaths. Then, in lines 54-57, her foreshadowing becomes more specific.
L 59: “Adieu” literally means “to God”, which suggests they will see each other again in
death.
L 66-67: LC has gone to bed so late that before she goes to bed, she keeps her promise to
talk to Juliet, but it’s already dawn.
L 73-74: Some grieving is fine, but too much makes you seem crazy.
L 75-78: Juliet is intentionally vague about her grief. LC says it’s fine to feel the loss,
but you won’t be able to touch that person again.
L 79-80: LC starts to say some interesting things which provoke Juliet’s feelings, but LC
doesn’t mean them in the way they seem. She will grieve Romeo? LC means
she grieves the fact that he still lives. In the interim, Juliet has said Romeo grieves
her heart, which can be interpreted in two ways.
L 86-87: She doesn’t want to get revenge on Romeo, she means just that she would like
to touch him.
L 95: See side note about the word “dead.” Juliet’s double meanings now include well
placed pauses.
L 98-103: Juliet says she would weaken any poison that her mother would send to give
Romeo so that he would just sleep (interesting because this is what she will soon
do to herself) so she could go to him, which she really wants to do, and “damage”
him with the strength of the love she had for Tybalt. Double meaning at it’s finest.
L 118: LC hears that she doesn’t want to become a bride. Juliet means she can’t become
a bride because she’s already married! Her next play on words is saying that she’d
marry Romeo sooner than Paris (which her mother interprets as just a rejection of
Paris.)
L 129-130: Sunset is a metaphor for the end of his life, and raining is crying.
L 134: Juliet’s body is like a boat trying to stay afloat in the storm of her tears and sighs.
Metaphor
L 141: LC doesn’t know what she’s saying when she wishes Juliet were dead.
Capulet tries to understand that Juliet is refusing this marriage, and he starts to get mad.
(Just think, it would be VERY embarrassing to Capulet if this doesn’t happen now.) Juliet
responds with her attempt at double-talk, but she is rattled from going from her wedding
night to this conversation, so the words don’t come out as smoothly.
L 150- 169: For the first time, someone calls her out for her double-talk! Capulet is
disgusted and getting quite mad. He says she’ll get her behind to the church or
else he will disown her. “My fingers itch” means he’s ready to hit her.
L 169-170: The Nurse tried to scold Capulet for what he’s saying, which is NOT her
place as a servant!
L 176: LC even says Capulet is being too angry. This is the final straw for him and he
really lets loose his anger.
L 193-197: Marry him and you are my daughter. Don’t, and you are not my daughter
and you will beg in the streets and get nothing from me.
L 210: How can I marry him if the only way I could get married is if Romeo dies?
(Otherwise, she’ll be married to two people, which is a sin.)
L 214 – 227: This is a noteworthy passage! Until now, the Nurse was Juliet’s friend she
could trust. But, as soon as the Nurse starts suggesting that maybe it’s better
to marry Paris, Juliet realizes she can’t trust her to know what Juliet needs.
L 229-230: The Nurse says that what she’s saying is what she feels or let her soul and
heart be cursed. Juliet responds, “Amen”, meaning both “I hope so” which is how
Juliet feels, but the nurse interprets it as agreement.
With trust in the Nurse gone, Juliet knows she needs the Friar’s help, and has the perfect
excuse to go to the church – to plan a wedding!
How did Shakespeare DO THAT?
Act _____
Name________________________________________________Hour___________
Each of these worksheets is worth up to 25 points and must be kept in your R&J folder. Be neat!
Scene
Main
Characters
Plot Summary
Pivotal Details
i
ii
iii
iv
v
vi
Character development – Select three characters that were developed in this Act.
Character
What have you learned about him/her?
Humor?
Yes or No
1.
2.
3.
Favorite line – Write out the line from this Act that you liked most/moved you/ made you think:
_____________________________________________________________________________
Shakespeare plays with language and meaning by using…
Opposites Imagery Word Play Personification
Metaphors Similes Allusions
Select four passages from this Act that reflect any of these devices. Try to select from a variety of the
above.
Who said it?
What was said?
Act/scene/line number
Which device(s)?
Do your thang…
In the space below, you may choose to do any one of the following, so long as you show your knowledge of this
Act:
Draw a picture of a scene
Write a written response to what happens
Write a poem or letter from one character to another
Rewrite a scene
Other_____________________