Romeo and Juliet
Act 3
Act III, Scene I - Summary
 Benvolio is concerned they will not “scape a
brawl”
 Tybalt enters looking for Romeo
 Tybalt and Mercutio - two of the most headstrong
and passionate members of each side of the feud conflict will arise
 Benvolio tries to avoid confrontation but
Mercutio is deliberately provocative
 Romeo appears and Tybalt insults him, hoping he
will respond to the challenge
 Romeo refuses because he is now related to
Tybalt through his marriage to Juliet
Act III, Scene i - Summary
 Mercutio, disgusted by Romeo’s reluctance, fights on
Romeo’s behalf
 To stop the battle, Romeo steps between them and Tybalt
stabs Mercutio under Romeo’s arm
 Mercutio’s wound is fatal and he dies cursing: “A plague
o’ both your houses!”
 Blinded by rage over Mercutio’s death, Romeo attacks
Tybalt and kills him
 Romeo is forced to flee a mob of citizens as the Prince,
the heads of the two households, and their wives appear at
the scene
 After Benvolio gives an account of what has happened,
the Prince banishes Romeo from Verona under the penalty
of death and orders Lords Montague and Capulet to pay a
heavy fine
Setting and Mood
 This scene acts as a violent contrast to the
euphoric mood and romance of the previous few
scenes
 The harsh, uncompromising daylight reality
replaces the dark secrecy and moonlight
declarations of the previous scenes
 The searing heat, flaring tempers, and sudden
violence of this scene contrast sharply with the
romantic, peaceful previous night
 The play reaches a dramatic crescendo as Romeo
and Juliet’s private world clashes with the public
feud
Romeo’s Refusal to Fight
 Romeo appears, euphoric and unaware he’s been
challenged to a duel – his mood separates him from the
other characters in the scene
 In response to Tybalt’s attempts to initiate a fight, Romeo
tells Tybalt he loves “thee better than thou canst devise”
– he will not fight as he is now a kinsman of Tybalt’s
 In Romeo’s mind, he has shed his identity as a Montague
and has become one with Juliet, his wife
 However, Tybalt still sees Romeo as standing on the
wrong side of a clear line that divides the families
 Tybalt does not understand why Romeo will not respond
to his challenge - traditional assertion of masculine
nobility
 Romeo and Juliet’s love removes them from the
animosity that drives the feud
Romeo and Conflict
 However, the love of Romeo and Juliet is flawed by
Romeo acting out of anger rather than his love for Juliet
 Ironically, Romeo’s refusal to duel with Tybalt brings
about the very acceleration of violence he sought to
prevent and Mercutio’s death
 Romeo blames himself for Mercutio’s death because he
placed his love for Juliet before consideration of his
friend and regards himself as effeminate
 Romeo thus attacks Tybalt to assuage his guilt
 By doing so, he disregards any effect that this may have
on Juliet
 His action is impulsive and reckless, his rage overpowers
his sensibility, and his tragic fortunes are sealed
 By attacking Tybalt in a blind fury, he has become one
with fiery Tybalt; one with the feud
Mercutio
 The hot-headed Mercutio starts a quarrel the instant
Tybalt requests a word with him, by responding, “make it
a word and a blow.”
 Mercutio’s characteristic wit turns bitter as he is incensed
at what he sees as Romeo’s cowardice: ‘calm,
dishonourable, vile submission’
 As he dies he curses both Montagues and Capulets, who
have been the direct cause of his death: “A plague on
both your houses” (3 times)
 In shocked disbelief, he asks Romeo “Why the devil /
came you between us? I was hurt under your arm”
 Mercutio’s death is the catalyst for the tragic turn the play
takes from this point onward
Fate
 Tybalt’s death brings Romeo a moment of clarity - he
realises that he is the helpless victim of fate: “O, I am
fortune’s fool!”
 He is struck by a sense of anger, injustice, and futility, of
being ‘unlucky’ and ‘cursed’ by bad fortune
 Contrast this with Mercutio’s response to his own fate –
he blames the people of the houses of Montague and
Capulet, and gives no blame to any larger force
 The speed with which Mercutio and Tybalt’s deaths
occur, together with Romeo’s marriage and subsequent
banishment, all contribute to a sense of inevitability—that
a chain of events has been set in motion over which the
protagonists have no control
 Mercutio’s dying curse upon the houses resonates as the
voice of fate itself
Conflict
 The sudden, extreme violence of this scene serves
as a reminder that, for all the love, beauty and
romance of the play, this love story takes place
against a backdrop of honour, pride, revenge and
other masculine notions
 The beauty, purity and fragility of Romeo and
Juliet’s love stands little chance against this
world of violence and brutality
Banishment and Fate
 The Prince listens to the true story of what
happened, and declares that Romeo’s behaviour
was understandable, but nevertheless must be
punished by banishment from Verona – forever
 ‘..when he is found, that hour is his last’
 Romeo and Juliet’s love is now not only censured
and forbidden by their families, it is also thwarted
and forbidden by the ruler of Verona
 Their relationship puts Romeo in danger of
violent reprisal from both Juliet’s kinsmen AND
the state
The future?
From an atmosphere of hope at the very
end of Act II, we have moved (in one
scene) to a situation of darkest despair
It is now very difficult for Romeo, and the
audience, to see a hopeful future for the
young lovers
Act III, Scene ii - Summary
 Juliet is impatient for night so that she can be with Romeo
 Nurse is distraught and unable to make clear who is dead
 Juliet thinks Romeo has killed himself ‘Hath Romeo slain
himself?’ and resolves she will also kill herself
 Nurse then reveals Tybalt is dead and Juliet fears both
Tybalt AND Romeo are dead
 When the truth is at last revealed Juliet makes ONE
speech cursing nature that it should put ‘the spirit of a
fiend’ in Romeo’s ‘sweet flesh’
 BUT when Nurse joins her Juliet reverts to her loyalty
 Nurse explains Romeo is hiding at Friar Lawrence’s cell
and Juliet sends the Nurse with a ring, bidding Romeo to
come and “take his last farewell.”
Tension and Mood
 Setting is peaceful (the Capulet orchard)
 Contrasts to the conflict in the previous scene
 Juliet looks forward to the “amorous rites” of her
marriage
 Her impatience echoes her excitement in Act II,
Scene 5, when she had to wait for news of the
wedding arrangements
 Contrast –we know that her happy hopes will not
be fulfilled
 Sense of impending doom hangs in the
atmosphere as she is unaware of the tragedy
which awaits her
Dark Imagery
 Darkness for the lovers is a time of safety
 Juliet beckons the darkness because it has been a
sanctuary for the couple, “if love be blind, / It
best agrees with night.”
 The lovers have forged their love at night as they:
– met
– agreed to marry
– consummate their marriage
– die together under the cover of night
 Their affinity for the darkness illustrates their
separation from the temporal, feuding world
Light Imagery
 Although external light (the “garish sun”) has
become their enemy, the lovers provide light for
each other
 Juliet’s eyes were like the stars, she “doth teach
the torches to burn bright!,” and is Romeo’s
“Juliet is the sun”
 Here, Romeo brings “day in night”
 Juliet begs fate to “cut Romeo out in little stars”
 These stars represent both the timeless quality of
the couple’s love and their fate as “star-cross’d
lovers” who will only truly be united in death
Fate
 Although Juliet is unaware of the tragic news that
awaits her, her soliloquy contains tragic images
suggesting the dark future – she states of Romeo:
“if he should die”
 Even when Juliet understands that Romeo is not
dead, his banishment is equivalent to death in her
eyes: “I’ll to my wedding bed / And death, not
Romeo, take my maidenhead.”
 The association between Juliet and death as her
bridegroom pairs the themes of love and death
 This emphasises that her young life is constantly
overshadowed by death
Love/ Death
 Shakespeare’s linking of ‘love’ and ‘death’
continues with Juliet’s first reaction being that
Romeo MUST have killed himself, and
 Her own willingness to kill herself
 This theme of the intensity of extreme love
leading to a death impulse will be echoed in the
upcoming scene, and Romeo’s reaction to his
banishment
Juliet and Loyalty
 Juliet feels conflicted because her love for Romeo clashes
with her love and sense of duty to Tybalt
 She expresses her conflicting emotions for Romeo using
oxymorons: “Beautiful tyrant, fiend angelical.”
 She is angry, but swiftly restores her loyal feelings
 Juliet’s loyalty is firmly grounded in her love of Romeo
and no longer for family - she is now a wife first and a
daughter and cousin second
 She believes that Romeo’s banishment is worse than the
slaying of ‘ten thousand Tybalts’
 She laments that she will die a ‘maiden-widow’ – there is
no other love for her
 She offers her ring to give to Romeo as a token of her
love, loyalty and forgiveness
Juliet and Nurse
 The Nurse’s inability to comprehend the intensity
of Juliet’s love for Romeo causes a a change in
their relationship
 Juliet is emerging as a young woman with her
own opinions and emotions
 She no longer relies on Nurse for maternal
guidance
 The rift between the Nurse and Juliet
foreshadows the final split in their relationship
which occurs in Act III, Scene v when the Nurse
betrays Juliet by advising her to forget Romeo
and marry Paris
Conflict
The blissful love of Act II has completely
disappeared in the tension of Act 3
The conflict has caused this deterioration
It is now extremely unlikely that their
alliance will turn such extreme ‘rancour’
to ‘pure love’
Act III, Scene iii - Summary
 In Friar Lawrence’s cell, Romeo is overcome with grief at
his banishment –he will live, but without Juliet
 In a state of frenzied grief, he falls on the floor and cannot
be comforted: “with his own tears made drunk.”
 The Nurse arrives, with news of Juliet’s distress, but
Romeo assumes Juliet will not want him now
 Once again, he offers to rid himself of his name, this time
by stabbing himself.. ‘In what vile part of this anatomy
Doth my name lodge? Tell me, that I may sack The hateful
mansion’
 The Friar advises Romeo to go to Juliet, then flee to
Mantua
 He promises to announce Romeo and Juliet’s marriage
and gain a pardon for Romeo to return safely
Structure
 This scene parallels the previous scene where
Juliet reacted to the news of Romeo’s banishment
with forceful emotion
 Romeo responds to his banishment with wailing
hysteria and a failed suicide attempt
 Their reactions show the similar feelings of
Romeo and Juliet – the structure of the play
consistently links their actions
 Juliet lamented her fate, her marriage, and her life
with maturity, while Romeo falls to the floor
grappling for a dagger with which to end his
suffering
Romeo - Impusive
 Reacts in usual fashion - extreme passion, and lack of
moderation
 Willing to kill himself – seeking oblivion rather than live
without Juliet
 We might question this believing it was also caused by
Romeo’s impulsive behavior
Fate
 Romeo realises he cannot escape the responsibilities of
family – he is fated by his name
 He angrily blames his name and wishes to cut from his
body: ‘Had I it written, I would tear the word’
 He distinguishes himself from his identity as a Montague:
“that name’s cursed hand / Murdered her kinsman”, but it
seems his family name will lead to his death
 The Friar links Romeo and Juliet’s marriage with ill fate
when he says that Romeo is “wedded to calamity”
 Throughout the play, Romeo and Juliet are described as
being wedded to death which foreshadows the play’s
conclusion
 It suggests that fate is an omnipotent, controlling power
that draws the characters toward their doom
Youth and Age
 Conflict between the older and younger
generations
 The Friar chastises Romeo and reminds him of
his good fortune that the Prince has given a
“gentler judgment” of exile rather than death
 Romeo’s blind passion is far removed from
calm reasoning of Friar
 As in previous and subsequent scenes, the older
generation’s failure to comprehend the depth of
Romeo and Juliet’s passion isolates the lovers
from sources of wisdom that might otherwise
prevent their tragic fates
Act III, Scene iv - Summary
 Late on Monday evening, Capulet and Paris
discuss Juliet’s grief over Tybalt’s
 This has prevented Paris from continuing his
courtship of Juliet
 Suddenly, as Paris prepares to leave, Capulet
offers him Juliet’s hand in marriage
 He tells Paris that Juliet will obey his wishes and
marry Paris on Thursday: “I think she will be
ruled in all respects by me” (No, she won’t)
 Paris eagerly agrees and Lady Capulet is sent to
convey the news to Juliet
Fate/ Tension
 Juliet’s father suddenly decides that she should marry
Paris as soon as possible - rash plans
 Repeated references to days and times creates a sense of
urgency as events rush towards their tragic conclusion
 He reasons that since it is Monday night, Wednesday
would be too soon due to Tybalt’s death; therefore,
Thursday would appropriate
 It seems that Juliet’s fate is inescapable
 BUT by the Tuesday (following) morning, Juliet will
have spent the night with Romeo, and consummated their
marriage
 Juliet CANNOT then marry another man – this would be
blasphemous and a ‘mortal sin’
Lord Capulet
 Capulet’s belief that Juliet will obey his will
contrasts sharply with his manner previously
 The decision reflects his impetuous nature but it
may have political reasons as he knows Paris is
related to the Prince who may be useful if the
feud escalates
 His language suggests a shift from parental
concern to material/ social status
 His belief in his daughter’s compliance are ironic
because Juliet has already defied her father
 The older generation is out of touch as Juliet is
upstairs consummating her marriage
Marriage
 Capulet, like his wife, is anxious to have his daughter
marry successfully
 He addresses Paris using a series of titles suggesting his
social superiority, “Sir Paris,” “noble earl,” and “My
lord.”
 Paris is a relative of the Prince and would bring Capulet’s
family increased wealth and status
 Capulet would never be able to understand, let alone
agree to, a marriage for Juliet based solely on love
 Juliet is powerless in this situation – her thoughts and
wishes are not taken into consideration at all – making
Capulet’s earlier declarations of regard for her seem
insincere and meaningless
 She is a political and financial asset to him, and one that
he feels free to use for his own ends..
Act III, Scene v - Summary
 At dawn on Tuesday morning, Romeo and Juliet
declare their love before Romeo leaves for
Mantua
 Juliet tries to resist the coming day that brings
their separation by pretending that it is still night
 Romeo is willing to throw caution to the winds
and stay with her: ‘Let me be ta’en, let me be put
to death/I am content, so thou wilt have it so.’
 Juliet is more pragmatic and insists that he
leaves:‘ O, now be gone! More light and light it
grows.’
 The threat of death forces the lovers to part
Act III, Scene v - Summary
 Lady Capulet tells Juliet that she is to marry Paris
 Juliet is stunned and tells her mother that she
cannot be married in such haste
 Her father enters expecting to find Juliet excited
 When she expresses opposition, he is enraged
and demands Juliet obey his “decree”
 The Nurse tries to defend Juliet, but Capulet
threatens to disown his daughter
 The scene ends with the Nurse advising Juliet to
obey her father
 Juliet resolves to seek the advice of Friar
Lawrence
Light/Dark
 Dawn divides Romeo and Juliet, this time, for
good
 As the sun’s rays “lace the severing clouds,”
Juliet wishes the lark were the nightingale
 Juliet tries to deny the arrival of the coming day
to prolong her time with Romeo
 As in previous scenes, Romeo and Juliet’s love
flourishes in the dark, but daylight brings
separation and ill fortune: Juliet says reluctantly,
“window, let day in, and let life out.”
Fate and Foreshadowing
 As Romeo descends the balcony, Juliet
experiences a frightening vision of Romeo “as
one dead in the bottom of a tomb.”
 This prophetic image will prove true in the final
scene when Juliet awakens to find Romeo dead
on the floor
 Equally Romeo states: “Dry sorrow drinks our
blood’
 Images of love and death intertwine, infecting the
joy of their wedding night with the
foreshadowing of their coming deaths
Lady Capulet and the Feud
 Lady Capulet plans to avenge Tybalt’s death by
poisoning Romeo
 Ironic as she anticipates the method he finally
chooses to take his own life
 Although Romeo drinks the poison, it is the
hatred, driven in part by Lady Capulet that
gives him cause
 Her venomous comment at Juliet’s refusal to
marry Paris “I would the fool were married to
her grave.” anticipates the lovers’ tragic reunion
in death
 It is as if Lady Capulet, by her single-minded
focus on the feud condemns them to their fates
Capulet
 When Capulet refused to consent to his daughter’s
marriage unless she was willing, he seemed concerned
for Juliet’s welfare “My will to her consent is but a
part”
 Such parental concern evaporates into authoritarian
ranting as Capulet calls Juliet “baggage”, degrading
her to a possession
 He threatens Juliet with violence and disinheritance if
she disobeys him, “hang! Beg! Starve! Die in the
streets! / For by my soul I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee.”
 His sudden transformation illustrates his tendency
toward impulsive, cruel, and reckless behavior
 These tendencies may have contributed to the origins
of the feud
Parental Love
 Juliet’s interaction with both her mother and
her father confirms the failure of parental
love
 Their sole concern is with a socially
acceptable marriage that will improve the
wealth and status of the Capulet family rather
than Juliet’s happiness
Juliet’s Strength
 Juliet handles herself with striking maturity
 No longer the dutiful teenage daughter of the
Capulets, she is a young woman, a bride, a wife
 Her answers to her mother are skillfully truthful yet
deceptive and filled with double-meanings
 In response to her mother’s desire to have Romeo
killed, Juliet remarks that she “never shall be satisfied
/ With Romeo, till I behold him - dead - is my poor
heart….”
 When told she will marry Paris she snaps back
immediately ‘He shall not make me there a joyful
bride!’
 Her father’s rage places her in a position where she
has nothing to lose which encourages her defiance
 Juliet will not give in
The Nurse and Juliet
 The Nurse, more of a mother figure to Juliet than her
biological mother, fails Juliet at this critical moment
 To comfort Juliet in her desperation, she offers an easy
solution - marry Paris and forget the “dishclout”
Romeo
 This betrays Juliet’s trust and indicates the Nurse’s
inability to understand the moral, emotional or religious
connotations of Juliet’s marriage
 The Nurse regards love as a temporary, physical
relationship, and she sees Juliet’s marriage to Paris in
entirely practical and economic terms
 Juliet severs herself from the Nurse (an emotionally
charged act, highly symbolic of leaving childhood
behind) declaring: “Go, counsellor!/Thou and my
bosom henceforth shall be twain”
Juliet Abandoned
 Appeals to the heavens: ‘Is there no pity sitting in
the clouds..’
 Appeals to her mother: ‘O sweet my mother, cast
me not away!’
 Appeals to the Nurse: ‘O Nurse, how shall this be
prevented?’
 Everyone has abandoned her
 At the end of Act 3, she is as much ‘banished’ as
Romeo
Hope?
 She flees to the Friar as a source of aid and
counsel
 Her isolation is nearly complete, and yet she is
calm and resolute, as she determines to die rather
than enter into a bigamous marriage with Paris:
“If all else fail, myself have power to die.”
 Like Romeo, she realises that choosing to live, or
not live, can represent the only means of
asserting authority over the self
 She has defied her father, but knows she stands
little chance of success in this male-dominated
world