Romeo and Juliet

Act II notes

Act II Prologue• The prologue explains how Romeo is no

longer in love with Rosaline but is now in love with Juliet. Also it points out how Romeo has fallen in love with a foe whose house is well guarded. Finally it says these two will go to extreme lengths to declare their love for each other.

Act II Scene 1• Romeo leaves his group and goes back to

the Capulets’ house.

• Mercutio and Benvolio try to get Romeo to come with them.

• Mercutio taunts Romeo by calling Rosaline, whom they think he’s still in love with, a beautiful girl with a “big fo’head.”

• Benvolio says Romeo’s in the trees to see his love because he’s blinded by love.

Act II Scene 1• Mercutio calls him blind to see that it’ll

never work and tells him that they’re going to leave.

• “If love be blind…” is an example of

• “…love cannot hit the mark” is an example of .

Act II Scene 1 notes• “Speak to my gossip Venus one fair word,

One nickname for her purblind son and heir, Young Abraham Cupid, he that shot so trim when King Cophetua loved the beggar maid.” The underline portions are an example of .

Act II Scene 2 • Setting the Capulet orchard.

• Romeo is upset that Mercutio, who doesn’t know “love,” made fun of his quest.

• R hides in the bushes. He compares Juliet to the sun and speaks of how her beauty has released him from his sadness and eternal night.– “Juliet is the sun.” is an example of

Act II Scene 2• Juliet declares her love for Romeo by

banishing her name just to be with him.• Romeo waits for Juliet to get done with her

monologue about him and her undying love and willingness to be with him.

• Romeo startles Juliet, who thinks he’s an intruder.

• Romeo tells her who he is subtly and she is happy yet frightened for him because she knows her family will kill him.

Act II Scene 2• Romeo doesn’t seemed bothered by being

murdered if he’s caught.• Juliet asks how he found his way to her;

he replies that love guided him to her.– “By love, that first did prompt me to enquire.

He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes” is an example of

• Juliet is embarrassed that he has overheard her declaration of love and worries that he may be in lust and not love

Act II Scene 2• She says that if she’s too easily won, then

she’ll play games with him if he wants.• She also declares that she’s truly in love

with him and wants to hear it from him.• Romeo says “by yonder moon I vow, that

tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops-” What did he say about the moon before?– He said it was ugly, like Rosaline, and now

he’s using it to swear an oath of love. This shows how truly fickle he is with love.

Act II Scene 2• Juliet stops him from swearing by the

moon, tells him to swear on himself, and stops him from doing that, which shows her confusion of this sudden love.

• Juliet bids him good night, and Romeo asks for her declaration of love, which Juliet reminds him that she’s already given it.

Act II Scene 2• Juliet tells him that if he truly loves her

then he’ll set up the day and time for them to get married and tell her messenger.

• She still worries that he’s playing a joke and tells him if he’s not serious to leave her alone with her grief.

• They arrange for her messenger to meet Romeo at 9 o’clock.

• They continue to say good night to each other until she leaves.

Scene 2 examples• “At lovers’ perjuries, they say, Jove

laughs.”- • “With love’s light wings did I o’erperch

these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out.” 2 examples-

• “Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies and make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine…”-

• “…Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves” lines 175-178

Act II Scene 3• Setting: The Friar’s cell (room)

• Friar Lawrence has a soliloquy in which he tells how good and bad things can come from plants.– Find examples in his speech! There are tons!

• Romeo meets F.L. in his cell. FL is concerned to see Romeo out so early because either R’s worried or done something bad…

Act II Scene 3• Romeo admits he hasn’t been to bed and

is happy, which FL assumes that he’s been out with Rosaline.

• Romeo tells FL about his meeting with Juliet and how they want to marry each other today.

• FL thinks R is in lust and not love to have forgotten Rosaline so quickly.– Notice the reference to graves in lines 85-86

• Romeo begs him to reconsider their situation.

Act II Scene 3• FL decides to help Romeo and Juliet so

that it may end the family feud.

• “And fleckel’d darkness like a drunkard reels”-

• “The earth that’s nature’s mother is her tomb”-

• “Now, ere the sun advance his burning eye”-

Act II Scene 4• Mercutio and Benvolio worry about Romeo

because they haven’t heard from him and assume that he’s gone mad b/c of Rosaline.

• Benvolio says that Tybalt has challenged Romeo to a duel, which Benvolio believes Romeo will take on Tybalt to save face.

• Mercutio tells B that R doesn’t have a chance because Tybalt is a great duelist.

Act II Scene 4• Mercutio sees Romeo come up and

begins to pick on him for being without Rosaline and fears that R will begin spouting poetry to them about her.

• They have a battle of wits, which Romeo wins, and Mercutio realizes that Romeo is back to his old self again.

• The guys are still in a playful mood when the nurse comes up, and they begin to pick on her.

Act II Scene 4• The nurse pulls Romeo away from the

group to talk to Romeo about Juliet.

• Romeo tells her to have Juliet meet him at church that afternoon and to have the nurse come back in an hour to get the rope ladder from his servant.

• The nurse informs Romeo that Paris will kill anyone that tries to woo Juliet, who doesn’t even want to look at him.

Act II Scene 5• Setting: Capulet house• Juliet is worried because it’s been three

hours since the nurse left.• When the nurse comes in, Juliet tries to

get information out of her, but the nurse takes advantage of the situation and picks on her by delaying the good news.

• Juliet demands to know the news, and the nurse tells her that she made a poor choice for a man and to go be a nun!

Act II Scene 5• Again, the nurse delays to tell Juliet about

their marriage by saying things about her physical pains and asking about her mother.

• Juliet becomes upset and yells at the nurse, who in turn refuses to tell her anything.

• Juliet smoothes things over, and the nurse finally tells her to go to shrift (confession) today so she can get married.

Act II Scene 6• Setting: Friar Lawrence’s cell

• Romeo and the friar discuss relationships; Friar Lawrence advises Romeo to love and be with Juliet when he can but not to rush their situation.

• FL notices that they must be married quickly…

• R and J comment on how much their love for each other has grown.

Act II Scene 6

• “O, so light a foot will ne’er wear out the everlasting flint.” What is the flint?

• “Like fire and powder, which, as they kiss, consume.” What does this quote imply?

• “I’ll warrant he’s as gentle as a lamb.” is an example of .