10-1
Romeo and Juliet
Act 3: Scenes 3-5
Read: Act 3, scene 3, 4 and 5
Speaking Parts
Scene 3
Scene 4 & 5
Friar Lawrence
Lord Capulet
Romeo
Lady Capulet
The Nurse
Paris
The Nurse
Juliet
Romeo
Journal Entries: Due Monday
Act 3: Scene 5
If you had overheard Lord Capulet’s remarks to
Juliet, would you agree with his position? Why
or why not?
• Analysis of Act 3
• Why does Romeo first refuse to fight Tybalt?
• What Tybalt does not know is that Romeo has just married
Juliet, Tybalt’s cousin. Therefore, Romeo and Tybalt are now
kinsmen, and Romeo does not want to fight with members
of his new family.
• Who do you think is to blame for the fight
between Mercutio and Tybalt?
• Blame could be placed on either Mercutio or Tybalt.
Mercutio is primed for a fight. He appears to be defending
his friends honor and chooses o do so with action instead of
with wit.
• In your opinion was Romeo justified in killing
Tybalt? Why or why not?
• There is never a justification for killing anyone and Romeo
should have controlled his anger.
• Romeo was justified in killing Tybals as revenge for killing
Mercutio.
• Compare Romeo’s reaction to his banishment with
Juliet’s response to the same news.
• Romeo cannot see past the fact that he will be separated
from Juliet. He does not consider all the possibilities of
being reunited with her in the future. Therefore he would
rather die than live without Juliet. Juliet is shocked at the
news, but she defends her new husband. She is thoughtful
and logical and Romeo reacts with emotion.
• The Friar says that Romeo, although banished, has
many reasons to be grateful. List these reasons.
• Romeo is alive
• Juliet have time to alter the situation.
• What, if anything, prevents Juliet from simply is alive.
• What, if anything, prevents Juliet from simply
joining Romeo in Mantua?
• Juliet may not want to hurt her parents.
• Juliet may be scared to leave her fathers house.
• Her parents might be so angry that they will have Romeo
killed.
• They may think Juliet is too young to be married.
• How have Lord Capulet’s ideas about Juliet’s
choice of husband changed since Act I?
• Act 1: Lord Capulet thinks Juliet is too young to marry.
• Act 3: Lord Capulet decides that Juliet will marry Paris, even
though Juliet does not want to.
• Why do you think the Nurse advises Juliet to forget
about Romeo and marry Paris? Does this advice
surprise you?
• The Nurse may be afraid for Juliet. She may be afraid for
herself and her role in Juliet’s marriage to Romeo.
• Literary Elements: Theme
• Why does Mercutio’s speech “a plague o both
your houses” reflect one of the major themes of
the play?
• With Mercutio’s curse on both houses, fate rears its head
once again. Tragic events are foretold for both the
Montagues and the Capulets – a foreshadowing of the
deaths or Romeo and Juliet and the tragedy that can come
from hate.
Literary Elements:
• As you may recall, an oxymoron is a pair of
word that are contradictory or seem to have
nothing to do with each other, such as “heavy
lightness.” List the oxymoron’s in Act 2.
• You have 5 min to find at lease one Oxymoron
(Be prepared to share your findings with the
class)