THE TRAGEDY OF
ROMEO AND JULIET
By William Shakespeare
Act 1 - Mr. Heffernan
CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY
Montague
Capulet
Romeo (Austin)
Montague (Jessica)
Lady Montague (Amanda)
Benvolio (Alex)
Abram (Aaron)
Bathasar (Kaycee)
Juliet (Chelsea)
Capulet (Chris)
Lady Capulet (Carolyn)
Nurse (Pilar)
Tybalt (Andrew)
Peruchio (Ali)
Cousin (Araz)
Sampson (Sam)
Gregory (Eric)
Peter (Ross)
Other Characters:
Escalus, Prince of Verona
Paris (Patricio)
Mercutio (Lei An)
Friar Lawrence (Jon)
Apothecary (Daniel)
VOCABULARY – ACTS 1 & 2
Act Two
Act One
disposition
esteem
forfeit
languish
nuptial
oppression
pernicious
rapier
transgression
augment
chaste
grievance
purge
solemnity
conjure
idolatry
invocation
perjury
procure
wanton
THE PROLOGUE
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whole misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
ACT 1 SCENE 1 – THE PRINCE
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets,
And made Verona's ancient citizens
Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,
To wield old partisans, in hands as old,
Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate:
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
ACT 1 SCENE 4 - MERCUTIO
If love be rough with you, be rough with love;
Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.
Give me a case to put my visage in:
A visor for a visor! what care I
What curious eye doth quote deformities?
Here are the beetle brows shall blush for me.
ACT 1 SCENE 5 - ROMEO
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,
As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand,
And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.
HOMEWORK
Remember the difference between paraphrasing and analysis?
Pick Juliet's lines, or pick Romeo's lines to paraphrase:
JULIET
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.
ROMEO
I have night's cloak to hide me from their sight;
And but thou love me, let them find me here:
My life were better ended by their hate,
Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.
HOMEWORK – ACT 1
In preparation for Act Two – including the famous balcony scene – we
will look at two passages from Scene Two.
Remember the difference between paraphrasing and analysis?
Pick Juliet's lines, or pick Romeo's lines to paraphrase:
Romeo
Juliet
I have night's cloak to hide
me from their sight;
And but thou love me, let
them find me here:
My life were better ended by
their hate,
Than death prorogued,
wanting of thy love.
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other
name!
What's in a name? that which we call a
rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;