ROMEO & JULIETHigher

INTRODUCTION

The play is primarily a tragedy but it blends elements of comedy seamlessly into the narrative without appearing out of place. It can be seen as a comedy (the bawdy way in which the first characters speak, the Nurse’s rambling speech about her “dug”) that becomes a tragedy.

It is argued that it is not one of the great Shakespearean tragedies because its protagonists (R&J) lack the kind of inner turmoil seen in other plays such as Othello.

SETTING

Verona, Italy during the Renaissance.

Romeo and Juliet come from feuding powerful, wealthy families in Verona. The Montagues and Capulets are as misguided as each other and the older generation are portrayed as somewhat foolish and staid compared to the young, vital and passionate younger generation. The play mirrors other Shakespeare plays such as “As You Like It” with the disregard for authority.

COURTLY LOVE The Prologue itself is a sonnet, which is typically where

the idea of courtly love is exemplified. Courtly love has a spiritual, but often secret side to it and is often unrequited.

"a love at once illicit and morally elevating, passionate and disciplined, humiliating and exalting, human and transcendent".

Romeo acknowledges that his feelings for Rosaline have made him lose a part of himself: “Tut, I have lostmyself, I am not here. / This is not Romeo; he's some other where"

Romeo’s ideas of love can be seen in his speech to Benvolio as perhaps immature. Is he merely in love with the idea of being in love? Does this change when he meets Juliet?

THE PROLOGUE

Form of a sonnet

Simple function – it introduces the play and tells us that the lovers will die.

On a deeper level, The Prologue introduces the theme of fate and the idea of the “star-crossed” lovers. The audience therefore watches the play with the knowledge that Romeo and Juliet are on a path (idea of stars controlling our destiny) that they cannot escape from. They are meant to meet, fall in love, and then die together.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Which is the most significant event in Act I? The brawl and the family hatred it shows? The decree of the Prince? The courtship of Count Paris? The meeting of the Lovers? Why?

2. How are all the other events linked to that one, so as to give it dominance?

3. Why has the Poet made the lovers' hand-clasp so significant? Is true love, love at first sight?

ACT 1 - The brawl provides the background information for the

audience. The violence, particularly among the youth of the play, the social layers (servants, the Houses of Montague and Capulet, the Prince (who embodies law and order). The fight brings in ideas of family honour, the demands of the social world and its conflict with private passion (shown by Romeo)

It introduces Tybalt (who appears to embody hatred “What drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word/As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.”

Benvolio (Romeo’s friend who represents a foil to Romeo. He is thoughtful and logical whereas Romeo is withdrawn and self-involved in his ideals of courtly love at this point in the play)

ACT 1

Romeo meets the servant with the guest list for Capulet’s feast by chance, therefore reinforcing the idea of fate that he will meet Juliet. It also causes rising action in the play as the audience will now have expectations that Romeo and Juliet will be about to meet. How will Romeo be distracted from Rosaline?

Juliet’s parents are planning her marriage to Paris. She does not truly have a say in this. The social world can be seen to be interfering in private passion. It is also a device by which their love may be thwarted. Juliet cannot control the world around her so it is a force of fate and society working against her.

ACT 1 Romeo’s conversation with Mercutio conveys the idea of fate

and foreshadows what is to come:

“I fear too early, for my mind misgives/Some consequence yet hanging in the stars/Shall bitterly begin his fearful date/With this night’s revels and expire the term/Of a despised life clos’d in my breast/By some vile forfeit of untimely death”

Mercutio is a man led by his passions, just as Romeo and Tybalt are but he is free of social pressures and arguably the cleverest character. His long speech displays the quickness of his mind, he mocks other characters and in doing so, exposes truths about them. Mercutio offers a darker interpretation of the play – by mocking dreams he is also mocking ideals and presents a nihilistic vision of the world – perhaps a world where love is not real. He offers an alternative reality through his famous “Queen Mab” speech.

ACT 1 Romeo sees Juliet and declares: “Did my heart love til now?

forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty until this night!” – is this just the new object of his affection or does he view Juliet in a truer, more pure way? The use of light imagery suggests he may love her in more fundamental way .

The hand-clasp scene is rightly very famous and shows a physicality missing with Romeo’s relationship with Rosaline.

The speech is full of religious imagery. R&J are connecting on a spiritual level as well as a physical level.

The Act ends with a sonnet as it began – the Chorus reiterating that the destinies of the lovers are already cast, and nothing can be done.

ELEMENTS OF HUMOUR

The Nurse’s bawdy (sexually vulgur) tale Mercutio’s mocking of Romeo’s dramatic

declarations about love. The servant being unable to read (the

servants offer a comic reality to their masters’ high blown ideals of love and family honour)

HOMEWORK

Why do we not meet Romeo at the very start of R&J, and is there any significance in the language Shakespeare uses when we do meet Romeo?

At least one side of A4 complete with quotations to support!

Enjoy!

http://higherenglish.wordpress.com/2012/01/

HELPFUL SITES

http://www.englishbiz.co.uk/mainguides/shakespeare.html

http://www.misterking.co.uk/?tag=romeo-and-juliet

TODAY’S LESSON

Timed essay practice – reference to notes needs to be minimal!

Homework is due

Next homework has been emailed – questions on Act 2.

ACT 2 - PROLOGUE This device s used by Shakespeare to remind us of:

The new love between Romeo and Juliet The enmity between the families which makes it

difficult for them to meet But their love gives them the power and

determination to overcome these obstacles

“But passion lends them power, time means, to meet, / Temp’ring extremities with extreme sweet” (2.Prologue.13–14) – this creates suspense by suggesting that love may find a way after all.

ACT II, SCENE I - SUMMARY Having left the feast, Romeo feels he can’t go

home, but longs to be with Juliet He leaps the Capulet orchard wall, and hears

Benvolio and Mercutio making rude remarks about his obsession with Rosaline

He is in terrible danger if he is found there – he knows this, but does not care due to his need to see Juliet again

ROMEO AND ISOLATION

In this scene, Romeo begins a separation from his friends that continues throughout the play

His inability to reveal his love of a Capulet heightens his isolation

By leaping the wall surrounding the Capulet orchard, Romeo physically separates himself from Mercutio and Benvolio—a separation that reflects the distance he feels from society, his friends, and his family

MERCUTIO AND LOVE

Mercutio calls to Romeo using physical and sexual innuendo

To Mercutio, love is a conquest, a physical endeavour

He reveals a crude understanding of love—“quivering thigh, / And the demesnes that there adjacent lie”

His view of love contrasts sharply to Romeo’s- this elevates the love of Romeo and Juliet

Romeo’s leap over the Capulet wall is symbolic of his flight to a spiritual love as he moves away from Mercutio’s crude understanding of love

ACT II, SCENE II - SUMMARY Romeo stands beneath Juliet’s bedroom window Juliet appears on the balcony and thinking she’s

alone, reveals her love for Romeo She despairs over the feud and the problems it

creates Romeo listens and when Juliet calls on him to

“doff” his name, he reveals himself They exchange expressions of love and devotion Nurse calls Juliet away, but she returns They agree to marry Juliet promises to send a messenger the next

day so that Romeo can explain the wedding arrangements

The scene concludes as day breaks and Romeo leaves to seek the advice of Friar Lawrence

LIGHT IMAGERY Shakespeare uses light and dark imagery in

this scene to describe the blossoming of Romeo and Juliet’s romance

Juliet is compared to the sun and stars, and as a ‘bright angel’

As Romeo stands in the shadows, he looks to the balcony and compares Juliet to the sun

Romeo implies that her very appearance is enough to banish night-time

Thus, as Romeo steps from the moonlit darkness into the light from Juliet’s balcony, he has left behind his melodramatic woes and moved toward a more genuine, mature understanding of love

LIGHT AND DARK INTERPLAY Importance of light and dark in Act 1

Romeo compares Juliet to, "a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear" (1.5.43) when he first sees her. This play on the comparison of dark and light shows up frequently in subsequent scenes

It is a central part of their love that important love scenes take place in the dark, away from the disorder of the day. Thus Romeo loves Juliet at night, but kills Tybalt during the day.

It especially shows up in the first act in the way Romeo shuts out the daylight while he is pining for Rosaline.

LIGHT AND DARK IN ACT 2 The interaction and conflict of night and day is raised

to new levels within the second act. Benvolio states that, "Blind is his love, and best befits the dark" (2.1.32), in reference to Romeo's passion.

And when Romeo finally sees Juliet again, he wonders, "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. / Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon" (2.1.44-46). Romeo then invokes the darkness as a form of protection from harm, "I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes" (2.1.117).

This conflict will not end until the disorder of the day eventually overcomes the passionate nights and destroys the lives of both lovers.

LOVE AND PURITY

Shakespeare describes the pure and innocent quality of their love by juxtaposing the balcony scene with Mercutio’s lewd sexual jokes in the previous scene

Romeo returns to the religious imagery when he describes Juliet as, “a bright angel” and “dear saint”

The recurring use of religious imagery emphasises the purity of Romeo and Juliet’s love

DARKNESS

The scene takes place at night, illustrating the way Romeo and Juliet’s love exists in a world separate from others

Throughout the play, their love flourishes at night - an allusion to the forbidden nature of their relationship

As night ends and dawn breaks, the two are forced to part to avoid being discovered by the Capulets

ROMEO Romeo begins to display signs of increasing

maturity His speeches are now natural rather than the

rehearsed rhymed couplets Romeo is no longer the melancholy lover of Act I He is no longer concerned with himself, but thinks

of Juliet He is willing to sacrifice his family, society and his

life for her Although Romeo has matured to an extent, he

remains somewhat immature when compared with Juliet

She considers practical and logical ideas He is impetuous, headstrong breaking into his

enemy’s garden and risking his life He continues speaking in romantic exaggerated

images

JULIET Juliet reveals intelligence through complex

philosophical thought concerning the nature of identity

Compares Romeo to a rose and reasons that if a rose were given another name, it would still be a rose

Shows increasing self-possession and confidence - introduces the idea of marriage

Practical, concerned with Romeo’s safety Realist: stops Romeo from swearing his love on

the moon as it is too “inconstant” and “variable” - encourages him to express his love genuinely

Mature in understanding they are moving too quickly and that their love may not last: “It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden”

MARRIAGE

‘I have no joy of this contract tonight’ - She is aware that they are both in the grip of a passion and possession that they cannot fight – and that it may not necessarily end well for them (foreshadowing)

Very quickly, she demands that if Romeo’s ‘love be honourable’, then they should marry immediately, and she will give up everything for him (including her name)

At Juliet’s suggestion, they plan to marry

TENSION Fear Romeo will be discovered by the Capulets Feel anxious for Juliet who is unaware that she is

exposing her innermost feelings to Romeo Interruptions from the Nurse add to the

atmosphere of intense urgency as the lovers frantically say good-bye

It also reveals the way in which others intrude upon and destroy their love

The anticipation of their forthcoming marriage continues to build further tension and increase the pace of the play

However, this is the most positive, joyful, problem free scene in the play

It is the only scene where their love is developed and explored, with the possibility of a happy conclusion

FATE

Juliet seeks her own fate rather than a destiny imposed upon her by her parents as she introduces the idea of marriage to Romeo

Juliet’s promise to Romeo to “follow thee my lord throughout the world” foreshadows the final scene of the play, when Juliet follows Romeo into death

SOCIETY

Juliet refuses to accept that Romeo must be her enemy, but she cannot make him NOT be a Montague, and all that that name stands for

In the garden, they are able to pretend that names (or language) does not matter, and that only the language of love holds sway

But the language of society will prevail in the end – Romeo IS a Montague and will only ever be seen as such by his enemies

ACT II, SCENE III - SUMMARY Friar Laurence speaks a lengthy meditation

on the duality of good and evil that exists in nature

This alerts us to the fact that he has a deep knowledge of the properties of plants and herbs

Romeo arrives, tells him of his love for Juliet and asks the Friar to marry them later that day

The Friar is amazed and concerned at the speed with which Romeo has transferred his love from Rosaline to Juliet

But he agrees to marry the couple hoping it will ease the feud between the families

CONFLICT BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL The dual nature within the Friar’s

plants suggests a coexistence of good and evil: “Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied; / And vice sometimes by action dignified.”

The tension between good and evil is a constant force in this play

The Friar is a good example as his intentions are good, in that he wishes to end the feud, but his plan precipitates the tragic end to the play

He is naive in his underestimation of the feud and the workings of fate

FRIAR AND ROMEO The Friar acts as a father figure to Romeo He is the only person to whom Romeo can

confide the secret of his love for Juliet and his plans to marry

He also knew about his love for Roseline, and yet Romeo’s parents did not

Equally he cares about Romeo offering him advice

LOVE

The Friar’s disbelief at the speed of Romeo’s love for Rosaline turning to love of Juliet causes us to question if his love is genuine

He describes Romeo as a ‘young waverer’ This suggests Romeo’s emotions fluctuate Although Romeo may appear superficial at

this stage he will prove his love for Juliet throughout the action of the play

ROMEO’S FLAW

Romeo is typically impulsive and wants to be married that day

The Friar advises caution, reminding Romeo of the love he recently had for Rosaline and the speed with which he has abandoned that love

Romeo’s flaw is that he acts without thought and impulsively follows his emotions

ACT II, SCENE IV - SUMMARY It is the morning after the Capulet feast Benvolio explains that Tybalt has sent Romeo a

challenge to fight Mercutio suggests Tybalt is a good fighter Romeo arrives and we see a change in him – he

is lively, funny and quick-witted The marriage plans proceed as Nurse arrives to

find out information for Juliet Mercutio exasperates her with his sharp

mocking words Romeo tells the Nurse that Juliet should meet

him at Friar Laurence’s cell at 2 p.m. that afternoon to be married

The Nurse is to collect a rope ladder from Romeo so that he can climb to Juliet’s window to celebrate their wedding night

ROMEO DEVELOPMENT We see a change in Romeo He is now rejuvenated, buoyed by

romantic energy Thoughts of his marriage have enlivened

him and his mind enabling him to meet all of Mercutio’s verbal challenges with equally intelligent, rapid retorts – he outwits Mercutio

An air of excited anticipation energizes the atmosphere

Mercutio notices this change: ‘is this not better than groaning for love? Now art thou Romeo.’

This ‘sociable’ Romeo is the ‘real’ Romeo

TYBALT’S THREAT Mercutio doubts Romeo’s ability to fight with

Tybalt: ‘Alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead!’

Dramatic irony, as Romeo will kill Tybalt Tybalt’s challenge embroils Romeo in the

feud even though he has a peaceable nature

Tybalt’s anger is caused by a trivial incident - he is determined to confront Romeo despite Capulet’s opposition

The mischievous repartee contrasts with the darkly ominous threats of Tybalt’s challenge

As in other parts of the play, vastly contrasting ideas coexist – love/hate; euphoria/despair

THE NURSE

Brings news of Juliet to Romeo, and warns that ‘the gentlewoman is very young’ and that if he should ‘deal double’ with her, it would be an ‘ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very weak dealing’

She is concerned for Juliet and acts as a mother

Romeo reassures her that he is serious in his intent

TENSION

The sense of anticipation increases in this scene through repeated references to time

The Nurse’s delay in finding Romeo amplifies an already intense sense of urgency

News that the wedding ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. illustrates the speed with which Romeo and Juliet meet and are to be married - in less than 24 hours!

ACT II, SCENE V - SUMMARY Juliet waits impatiently for the nurse to

return (she has been gone three hours) Whether deliberately or not – the Nurse

delays telling her Romeo’s news, thus building up dramatic tension for Juliet (and the audience..)

Instead, she complains about her aches and pains

Nurse relents when Juliet becomes forceful The Nurse then leaves to collect the rope

ladder Again, Juliet reveals the practical, no-

nonsense, and direct aspects of her character and personality

TIME AND TENSION The dizzying speed with which the

lovers fell in love is contrasted with the long hours Juliet waits for news

It emphasises the nature of time dragging when parted from a loved one

The Nurse’s comic role increases the tension in this scene as she deliberately refuses to be hurried by Juliet

Juliet is forced to wait and coax the news from the Nurse, stifling her impatience when the Nurse continually changes the subject

JULIET’S DEVELOPMENT The scene echoes Romeo’s discussions

with the Friar because both Romeo and Juliet are desperately impatient to wed

Juliet’s soliloquy and her subsequent exchanges with the Nurse show her desire to be with Romeo and her growing impetuous nature

Unlike her demeanor in other scenes, Juliet reveals little patience for deferred gratification

However, marriage suggests Juliet’s necessary maturity with ominous, fateful overtones - can she be mature at 13?

THE PLAN

Juliet has to pretend to be going to confession, and in Friar Laurence’s cell, she and Romeo will be secretly married by the Friar

A servant of Romeo’s will bring a rope ladder to the Nurse, who will so arrange this as to allow Romeo access to Juliet’s room (wherein the marriage can be consummated)

Consummation was an important legal, moral, emotional and religious concept

ACT II, SCENE VI - SUMMARY Romeo and Friar Laurence wait for

Juliet The Friar has misgivings about the

hastiness of the decision to marry He hopes that fate will favour their

actions: ‘so smile the heavens upon this holy act..’

Romeo – reckless as ever – does not care about the consequences, but believes wholeheartedly in the power of love

Juliet arrives and the Friar takes them into the church to be married

POWER OF LOVE Romeo believes in the strength of love

to overcome all difficulties He believes that not even death can counteract the

pleasure he feels in marrying Juliet He boldly believes love has the power

to defeat death: “love-devouring death”

He asserts that no matter what miseries await love overrides them all: ‘But come what sorrow can, It cannot countervail the exchange of joy That one short minute gives me in her sight’

FORESHADOWING AND FATE The Friar counsels moderation, warning that

‘these violent delights have violent ends’ However, he is becoming embroiled in the

rash actions of Romeo and Juliet The wedding scene is notable for its brevity

and pervasive atmosphere of impending doom

Images of happiness and marriage are repeatedly paired with images of violence and death

Although he is unhesitating in his desire to be married to Juliet, Romeo’s challenge to fate is prophetic and full of dramatic irony because it foreshadows the final outcome; that death triumphs over both protagonists

AT THE END OF ACT 2 These are the final ‘happy’ scenes Shakespeare emphasises the thrilling and

ecstatic joy of young, romantic love The mood and tone are euphoric, with

only a few small notes of foreshadowing included to remind the audience that this is a tragedy, and there will be no ‘happy ending’ for Romeo and Juliet

WRITING TASK

Read Act II Scene iii closely once more, then write brief answers to the following:

1. What does Friar Laurence’s opening speech tell us about him, and his views on nature..?

2. What does this scene tell us about Romeo’s character (and Friar Laurence’s opinion of him..)

ROMEO AND JULIETAct 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 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

ROMEO & JULIETAct 4

TODAY’S LESSON

Folio signatures Homework – complete reading R&J Analysis – to be completed this week

The following to hand in their completed folios by the end of today WITHOUT FAIL

James Josh Sophie MacGill Lauren Lisa

ACT IV, SCENE I - SUMMARY

Paris tells the Friar of the wedding (in two days) Friar is shocked at haste - it ‘should be slowed’ Juliet cool towards Paris, cleverly sidesteps his

compliments; Paris is affectionate towards her Paris leaves and Juliet threatens to take ‘this

bloody knife’ and kill herself if no help given The Friar offers Juliet a sleeping potion which

will induce a coma-like state for 42 hours She will lie alone in her chamber (on Wed night) Everyone will believe she is dead, and Romeo

will be sent for and they will escape to Mantua Juliet agrees instantly

TENSION

The dramatic tension in the scene is created through the meeting of Paris and Juliet

Juliet and Paris engage in rigid, formal talk

Paris tries to engage Juliet but she is quick to respond and curt in manner

He is courteous suitor, while Juliet proves her nimble mind as she evades Paris’s questions and compliments

JULIET’S STRENGTH

She is surprised to find Paris at the Friar’s yet she presents herself as composed and confident

She describes the horrors she is prepared to face rather than marry Paris highlighting her bravery and the depth of her love for Romeo

Juliet is prepared to take her life rather than be without Romeo

The Friar states that if she has ‘the strength of will’ to kill herself, then she will have the courage to take the potion

She makes this decision quickly suggesting her determination and resolution to try anything to be with Romeo

STRUCTURE

This scene is defining moment in the structure of the play

In this scene, Juliet’s decision to accept the Friar’s potion demonstrates her commitment to defying her father’s rule asserting her independence accepting her resolution to die in order to be with

Romeo

ROMEO AND JULIET - PARALLEL

Juliet’s conversation with the Friar parallels Act III, Scene 3 with Romeo when he threatens to kill himself

Juliet, like Romeo, now believes that only death can offer a solution to her dilemma: “Be not so long to speak. I long to die / If what thou speak’st speak not of remedy.”

As always, Rome and Juliet mirror each other’s actions

FRIAR AND FATE

The Friar uses his knowledge of flowers and herbs when thinking of the potion

In Act II, scene iii, the Friar described the dual qualities of plants that are capable of healing yet have the power to act as a poison

The Friar’s plan offers hope for Juliet, but due to the influence of fate, becomes the vehicle of the tragedy

AT THE END OF THIS SCENE:

Juliet has found an ally The Friar has proven himself to be wily,

scheming and inventive in aiding Romeo and Juliet

BUT can he be trusted? Paris appears to be genuinely interested in

Juliet

ACT IV, SCENE II - SUMMARY Juliet returns home where she surprises her

parents by sweetly capitulating to the wedding

Capulet is so pleased, that he insists on bringing the wedding forward by one day (to the Wednesday morning)

Lady Capulet protests, saying it does not leave enough time to prepare, but the euphoric Lord Capulet states he will prepare everything

Juliet is now to be married the following morning

This will affect the Friar’s arrangements to let Romeo know of their plans

FATE

Here, fate twists Juliet’s fortunes once again

Capulet, in his impulsive zeal, complicates the Friar’s plan by moving the wedding forward a full day

Juliet must take the potion that night and lapse into a suspended state 24 hours sooner than the Friar had anticipated

This development reduces the amount of time the Friar will have to notify Romeo in Mantua

JULIET - DUPLICITOUS Juliet pretends to acquiesce to Capulet’s plan She reveals enthusiasm which is somewhat

genuine since she feels hope in the potion She reveals her ability to pretend and her

perception in working out what others want Juliet displays duplicity as she describes her

meeting with Paris saying she gave him, “what becomed love I might / Not stepping o’er the bounds of modesty.”

She also pretends to prepare for the wedding while preparing for her presumed death

She has emotionally removed herself from those who have betrayed her

LORD CAPULET

Capulet is characteristically impulsive, rash, and unpredictable

His blind enthusiasm leads him to insist that his entire family and staff work through the night to make adequate preparations for the hastened ceremony

He shows disrespect for his wife and Juliet insulting Juliet by accusing her of “peevish, self-willed harlotry” and he completely dominates his wife, disregarding her desire to delay the wedding and ordering her to Juliet’s room to help the Nurse

ACT IV, SCENE III - SUMMARY

In her bedchamber, Juliet asks the Nurse to let her spend the night alone

She begins to wonder what will happen to her if she drinks from the vial

She comes up with reason after reason why drinking the sleeping potion may cause her harm – physical or psychological – but drinks it anyway, telling Romeo ‘I drink to thee’

JULIET – INDEPENDENCE Juliet asserts independence by asking

Nurse and Lady Capulet to leave her alone She is separating herself from her family

and takes a step toward her plan to be with Romeo

This request marks a turning point for Juliet

Previously, she refrained from making her own decisions (waited for instruction from Romeo when they would wed and depended on Friar to provide a plan)

She has grown more mature and independent

Places dagger by her side showing her decision to die if she can’t be with Romeo

JULIET - STRENGTH When Juliet is left alone, she is struck by

the horror of her situation She imagines gruesome, nightmarish

horrors of 13-year-old facing her own mortality: being buried alive in the airless tomb and facing Tybalt’s corpse: “festering in his shroud.”

She is tempted to call for Nurse, but realises she must act independently

She displays courage as she defies her parents and fate itself ad is prepared to die

She accepts she must trust the Friar’s potion, and has strength in her ultimate faith

FORESHADOWING

Both the knife, and the poison, hint at the lovers’ actual deaths

Just as Juliet drinks “poison”, Romeo will eventually procure poison from an apothecary and kill himself that way

Juliet will use the knife on herself

ACT IV, SCENE IV - SUMMARY Lord Capulet has not been to bed but has

been preparing for the wedding The Capulet household has been alive

throughout the night with frenetic wedding preparation activities

The day begins to break, and Capulet hears music signaling that Paris is approaching the house

He orders the Nurse to awaken Juliet

MOOD The mood is joyful and excited The Capulet house bustles with activity Banter with the servants is frenetic

and excited The atmosphere is electrified with the

joyful expectation of the upcoming marriage

This provides a striking contrast with the scene upstairs, where the bride lies in bed, apparently dead

This scene relieves the tension from the previous dark scene

ACT IV, SCENE V - SUMMARY The Nurse enters Juliet’s room and

discovers her seemingly lifeless body on the bed

The Nurse believes her to be dead and cries out to the family in desperation

They dramatically mourn Juliet’s loss The Friar expresses the belief that Juliet

is in heaven and that they are partly to blame

He then arranges for Juliet’s body to be taken to the family vault

Capulet orders that the wedding preparations be changed to funeral preparations

MOOD The Nurse opens this with humorous banter However, the mood changes quickly when

the Nurse discovers Juliet’s body, The tone of the scene immediately changes

from excited anticipation to shocked sorrow creating a sense of shock for the audience

THE PARENTS In their mourning for Juliet, they

appear as individuals who have suffered a great loss

The audience gains an understanding of how much their hopes for the future had been invested in Juliet

And Paris’ grief seems genuine, rather than just disappointment

However, their griefs are centred on themselves and much of the sadness is shown in repetitive wailing rather than genuine feeling

AT THE END OF ACT IV

The situation is dire, but there could still be hope IF the Friar’s plan can be made to work

Juliet is apparently dead, and is being taken to the family tomb

The Friar has to send a message to Romeo (earlier than he thought) explaining the situation to him

Potential for tragedy?

ROMEO AND JULIETAct 5

ACT V, SCENE I - SUMMARY

Romeo muses on a pleasant dream he has had in which Juliet brings him back to life with a kiss: ‘breathed such life with kisses’

Romeo mistakenly believes this dream portends good news

Romeo’s servant, Balthasar, reports incorrectly that Juliet is dead and that ‘her body sleeps in Capel’s monument’

Romeo is utterly distraught, determines to take ‘fate’ into his own hands and take his life

He offers a poor apothecary a large amount of money to sell him poison illegally

The poison will enable Romeo to be reunited with Juliet in death

TECHNIQUES: Contrast: The audience expect to find

Romeo wallowing in despair due to his banishment, BUT he is in very good humour

Irony: He has dreamed that he died and Juliet’s kisses breathed life back into him, but as Mercutio says “Dreamers often lie.”

Foreshadowing: she will find him dead, and will kiss him, BUT won’t revive him!

Romeo’s soliloquy is full of dramatic irony - the dream anticipates the final scene when Juliet awakes to find Romeo dead and tries to kiss the poison from his lips

FATE Tragedy is imminent when Balthasar

arrives and delivers Romeo news that Juliet’s “body sleeps.”

Because the Friar’s message did not reach Romeo, this incorrect information causes Romeo’s decision to take his life

Romeo rages against the malevolent influence of fate and in bold defiance cries: ‘Then I defy you, stars!’

Romeo believes, absolutely, that he and Juliet have been blighted by ‘fate’, and now determines to take his own ‘fate’ into his own hands

ROMEO AND DEVELOPMENT This moment of defiance marks a change in

Romeo’s character From now on he is angry, cynical, and

emboldened to defy his fate Balthasar sees Romeo is in shock and notices a

physical change his ‘looks are pale and wild and do import/some misadventure’

His anger and frustration drive him to try to take command over his own life - he decides that if he cannot be with Juliet in life, he will join her in death

His resolve to die echoes Juliet’s expression that her last resort is her sanctuary - they have the power to die

Once resolved he becomes calmer, more determined.. ‘Tush, thou art deceived/Leave me and do the thing I bid thee do.’

DEATH AND MACABRE

This scene is filled wit darkness and images of death: Apothecary risks his life to sell dugs to Romeo:‘such

mortal drugs I have. But Mantua’s law/Is death to any he that utters them.’

He is starving and poor - image of him is deathly and skeletal: he wears tattered clothes; his face is hung with “overwhelming brows,” and “sharp misery has worn him to his bones”

His shop is described as dusty and tomb-like containing deathly images – it is filled with the bodies of dead animals, “skins,” “bladders,” and “old cakes of roses.”

Romeo’s offers a meditation on what he feels really poisons ‘this loathsome world’ - money, and worldly things, do much more damage than actual poison

He is deeply depressed, cynical and despairing – seeing no hope or good in the world at all

IMPETUOUS BEHAVIOUR Haste drives one misfortune to collide with

another pushing the action forward toward the tragic conclusion:

Romeo’s hasty reaction to Mercutio’s death causes his banishment

Capulet’s rash decision to move the wedding day precipitates Romeo missing the message from the Friar

Romeo’s haste to consume the poison causes him to die just prior to Juliet’s awakening

Haste throughout the play acts as a vehicle for fate to draw characters through a series of unfortunate coincidences that form the intricately intertwined plot of the tragedy itself

TRAGEDY – ROMEO’S DECISION He will thwart the forces that are trying to

keep them apart by choosing to die ‘I will lie with thee tonight’ but

It is this very attempt to ‘defy’ fate that causes the tragedy

In killing himself beside the sleeping Juliet, he directly triggers the double suicide of the lovers

AT THE END OF THIS SCENE

Romeo firmly believes that Juliet is dead and has decided that he will join her

He has procured the means of ending his life He has no way of finding out the truth about

the Friar’s plan as he is now on his way back to Verona

ACT V, SCENE II - SUMMARY In his cell, the Friar speaks with Friar John, and

realises that Romeo has not received news of Juliet’s plan

Friar John as supposed to deliver the letter to Romeo but was quarantined because of an outbreak of the plague and unable to leave Verona

Friar Lawrence becomes upset, realising that Juliet will wake alone in the tomb

He then hurries to the Capulet tomb because it is nearly time for Juliet to wake

He calls for a crowbar, intending to retrieve her, keep her safe in his cell, and send news again to Mantua

He calls Juliet a ‘poor living corse, closed in a dead man’s tomb!’ (foreshadowing)

FATE Fate has once again altered the course of

events in the play In this instance, fate thwarts the Friar’s plan

by delaying his letter The Friar cries, “Unhappy fortune!” echoing

Romeo’s earlier cry that he became “fortune’s fool.”

The series of near misses in these two scenes suggest ‘fate’ at work or are they just bad luck or human error?

These two scenes are designed to convey a sense of unavoidable destiny descending on Romeo – who himself feels that he has been thwarted by fate – ‘Then I defy you, stars’

ACT V, SCENE III - SUMMARY Paris is the scattering flowers on Juliet’s He sees Romeo and is convinced that he has come

to defile the Capulet tomb He blames Romeo for Juliet’s death (believes she

has died of grief for Tybalt) Romeo breaks into the tomb claiming to retrieve

his ring Balthasar, worried about what Romeo will do, also

hides Paris confronts Romeo and they fight - Paris dies He begs Romeo to place him in the tomb next to

Juliet and Romeo grants his wish Romeo is dazzled by Juliet’s beauty even in death Without hesitation, he kisses her, drinks the

poison, and dies at her side The Friar arrives and discovers the dead bodies

ACT V, SCENE III - SUMMARY Juliet then wakens and finds Romeo and Paris dead The Friar flees, and Juliet is alone She tries to drink poison from Romeo’s vial but

finding it empty, fatally stabs herself with Romeo’s dagger

The Prince arrives, with the Capulets and Lord Montague

Lady Montague has died of grief at Romeo’s banishment.

The Friar recounts the events of the past week and offers his life in atonement

The Prince instead lays the blame for the deaths on Montague and Capulet for their longstanding quarrel

The Prince also blames himself for his leniency and fines Montague and Capulet severely

The two families are finally reconciled

ROMEO AND AGGRESSION

As Romeo charges into the tomb he sheds much of the compassion which had previously dominated his character

His plans are “savage-wild,” and he vows to tear anyone who attempts to detract him “joint by joint” and to “strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs”

Romeo has separated himself from his family, from the feud, from Verona, and now from his humanity

FATE

Paris’ challenge to Romeo parallels Tybalt’s challenge in Act III, Scene i

In both instances, Romeo resists the invitation to fight, but fate conspires to leave him no choice

Romeo says to Paris, “By heaven I love thee better than myself” and responded similarly to Tybalt “But love thee better than thou canst devise.”

The Friar points out to Juliet that: ‘A greater power than we can contradict/Hath thwarted our intents’ – suggesting heavenly control over these events

ROMEO’S KINDNESS

Paris challenges Romeo to fight, and Romeo resists, saying ‘I love thee better than myself’

He only fights when Paris pushes him towards this

Paris asks to be laid to rest with Juliet and Romeo agrees, remembering that Paris ‘should have married Juliet’ that day

This reveals his compassionate and generous nature

LIGHT/ DARK

This last scene takes place in the dark of night

Romeo and Juliet’s relationship flourished at night, and each provided the other with light

In this final scene they find each other in darkness again

Romeo once again uses light imagery to describe Juliet as she acts as a source of light in the darkness of the tomb: “her beauty makes / This vault a feasting presence full of light.”

DRAMATIC TENSION AND IRONY

Romeo is struck by the way Juliet’s beauty appears to defy death—she still looks alive: “Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe / That unsubstantial Death is so amorous?”

Dramatic tension is created by the audience’s awareness that she is still alive

In bleak irony, his attraction to her even in death emboldens him to take his own life just as she is about to awaken

THE FRIAR

Discovers Romeo and Paris’ dead bodies Sees that Juliet is stirring, and urges her to

leave with him or live in a monastery! Juliet will not leave, and the Friar, fearing he

will be caught there, flees without her His sense of responsibility for his actions and

for Juliet is lacking

JULIET Juliet tries to take poison from Romeo’s

lips by kissing him but is not able to get enough poison, and so uses Romeo’s dagger

Offering to use her body as the dagger’s ‘sheath’, she stabs herself and dies beside him

Rather than demonstrating weakness or a distracted mindset, Juliet’s death indicates her dignity and strength of character

Juliet ignores the Friar’s warnings and deliberately follows through with her vow to be with Romeo in death

LOVE

Due to the strength of their love Romeo and Juliet have consistently defied societies rules

Their suicides are the final act of defiance – they will choose not to live rather than live in the world forced upon them by their parents

Their ‘violent ends’ transform that world, with the Prince, and their parents, recognising that such a supreme sacrifice must be honoured

They are fated – by ‘the stars’, by the violent world in which they live, by the violence and intensity of their love

They are the archetypes of true love – they will kill themselves to preserve their love

BLAME The Prince blames the Capulets and the

Montagues, saying ‘See what a scourge is laid upon your hate’

He also blames himself for ‘winking at’ (ignoring) the feud for too long

The Friar also accepts blame for his actions Fate is to blame for the control it has

asserted over the lives of the lovers

POSITIVE RESOLUTION The final scene reunites the lovers We also see the reconciliation of the feuding

families - Capulet and Montague shake hands, deep in sorrow over their losses

Montague offers to raise a statue of Juliet, in gold

Capulet realises that Romeo and Juliet have been ‘poor sacrifices of our enmity’ and offers his “daughter’s jointure”

Romeo and Juliet’s lives will be immortalized in gold as witness to their sacrifice and as a reminder to avoid conflict for future generations

By their deaths, Romeo and Juliet bring about the very world that would have allowed them to love each other and be happy - this is the central tragedy of the play

NEGATIVE RESOLUTION However, the point of reconciliation

seems insubstantial since neither work out their differences and offer material recompense instead

Are these just empty gestures? The tragic waste of the young lovers’ lives

is highlighted as the older members of the feuding families stand amidst their dead bodies

This seems unnatural and unfair It is pitiful that the love and joy which

Romeo and Juliet felt could never last in this world but was destroyed

TODAY’S LESSON

Essay question on R&J due in for Thursday

ESSAY QUESTION

Choose a play which explores the theme of love in difficult circumstances.

  Explain how the dramatist introduces the theme and discuss how in the course of the play he/she prepares you for the resolution of the drama.

SQA EXAMPLE

Read the essay from SQA and then discuss what grade you would give it.

Read the marker’s comments