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Romeo and Juliet: Act III Summary

Act III scene i Word Bank 

a. Romeo d. The Prince ac. Benvolio bc. grave cd. Tybaltabc. temperb. Juliet e. sword ad. Mercutio bd. effeminate ce. Capuletsc. executedab. Verona ae. The Prince be. Montagues de. LadyCapulet

As they walk in the street under the boiling sun, ___   1  ____   suggests to Mercutio that they go

indoors, fearing that a brawl will be unavoidable should they encounter Capulet men. ___   2  ____  

replies that Benvolio has as quick a ___   3  ____   as any man in Italy, and should not criticize others

for their short fuses (in other words, he’s the pot to Tybalt’s kettle). ___   4  ____   enters with a group of 

cronies. He approaches our Montague friends and asks to speak with one of them (something tells me

he might not just want to talk). Annoyed, ___   5  ____   begins to taunt and provoke him (and with his

long fuse, it takes much to provoke him). ___   6  ____   enters. ___   7  ____   turns his attention from

Mercutio to ___   8  ____   , and calls him a villain. Our protagonist, now secretly married to ___   9  ____  

and thus Tybalt’s kinsman, refuses to be angered by Tybalt’s verbal attack (awfully sensible and

mature reaction for a young man who just married a girl who knew for less time than those

uncrustables have been sitting in the caf).  ___   10  ____   o’ cats commands our lover-boy to draw his 

___   11  ____   . ___   12  ____   protests that he has good reason to love Tybalt, and does not wish to fight

him. He asks that until Tybalt knows the reason for this love, he put aside his sword. Sadly, 

___   13  ____   angrily draws his sword and declares with biting wit that if his friend will not fight, he

will. The hot-headed duo fights.  ___   14  ____   , attempting to restore peace, throws himself between the

combatants (good move – when I see someone who hates me brandishing a sword and fighting

another armed person, I, too, quickly jump between them, unarmed, and hope for the best). 

___   15  ____   stabs  ___   16  ____   under  ___   17  ____   ’s arm, and as Mercutio falls, Tybalt and his men

hurry away (way to go, moron – your brilliant plan seems not to have work, shocking). ___   18  ____  

dies, cursing both the Montagues and the ___   19  ____   : “A plague o’ both your houses” (III.i.87)

(because getting into a riot in the street and finding the wrong end of the sword had nothing to do

with the fact that he was trying to show Tybalt the business end of his weapon). He pours forth his

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wild witticisms: “Ask for me tomorrow, and / you shall find me a ___   20  ____   man” (III.i.93–94)

(haha – gotta love death-bed humor, huh?). Enraged,  ___   21  ____   declares that his love for  ___   22  ___  

has made him ___   23  ____   , and that he should have fought in his friend’s place. When Tybalt, still

angry, storms back onto the scene, Romeo draws his sword. They fight, and ___   24  ____   kills 

___   25  ____   .  ___   26  ____   urges Romeo to run; a group of citizens outraged at the recurring street

fights is approaching. Romeo, shocked at what has happened, cries “O, I am fortune’s fool!” (the

number of times I’ve said that…) and flees (III.i.131).

___ 27____   enters, accompanied by many citizens, and the Montagues and Capulets. ___   28  ____  

tells the Prince the story of the brawl, emphasizing Romeo’s attempt to keep the peace (“He was

trying to be all Zen and non-violent, a real Gandhi, but somehow, out of nowhere, his sword wound

up in Tybalt’s heart – I think Tybalt did it”), but ___   29  ____   Tybalt’s aunt, cries that Benvolio is

lying to protect the Montagues. She demands ___   30  ___   ’s life (what’s she going to do with that?).

___   31  ___   chooses instead to exile Romeo from ___   32  ___   . He declares that should Romeo be found

within the city, he will be  ___   33  ___   (I’ve been trying to get this power for years – if only I had

known I needed to be a prince instead of a teacher!).

Act III scene ii Word Bank 

a. Romeo c. Capulet e. Juliet ac. Tybalt ae. ringb. slain d. flesh ab. banishment ad. The Nurse

At the Capulet house,  ___   34  ___   longs for night to fall so that ___   35  ___   will come to her “untalked

of and unseen” (III.ii.7). Suddenly the Nurse rushes in with news of the fight between ___   36  ___   (her 

cousin) and ___   37  ___   (her husband). But she is so distraught, she stumbles over the words, making

it sound as if  ___   38  ___   is dead (oops). Our young bride assumes her bridegroom has killed himself,

and she resigns to die herself. ___   39  ___   then begins to moan about Tybalt’s death, and our naivenewlywed (awesome alliteration, huh?) briefly fears that both  ___   40  ___   and Tybalt are dead. When

the story is at last straight and ___   41  ___   understands that ___   42  ___   has killed the “fiery” Capulet and

been sentenced to ___   43  ___   , she curses nature that it should put “the spirit of a fiend” in Romeo’s

“sweet ___   44  ___   ” (III.ii.81–82) (in other words, she’s angry that someone who looks that good

could be that bad – sort of like how many women would feel if I were to commit a misdeed). The

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Nurse echoes Juliet and curses Romeo’s name, but Juliet denounces her for criticizing her husband,

and adds that she regrets faulting him herself (14-year-olds are emotional roller coasters, aren’t

they?). Juliet claims that Romeo’s ___   45  ___   is worse than ten thousand ___   46  ___   Tybalts (not from

Tybalt’s point of view…). She laments that she will die without a wedding night, a maiden-widow.

The Nurse assures her, however, that she knows where ___   47  ___   is hiding, and will see to it that he

comes to her for their wedding night (they’ll probably even get to compound-complex sentences!).

Juliet gives the Nurse a ___   48  ___   to give to Romeo as a token of her love.  

Act III scene iii Word Bank 

a.Juliet c. Friar Lawrence e. Romeo ac. The Princeb. The Nurse d. Verona ab. Mantua ad. ring

In  ___   49  ___   ’s cell, __   50  __   is overcome with grief, and wonders what sentence ___   51  ___   has

decreed. Friar tells him he is lucky: the prince has only banished him. Our whiney hero claims that

banishment is a penalty far worse than death, since he will have to live, but without ___   52  ___   (I bet

Tybalt would trade!). The Friar tries to consol him, but the youth is so unhappy that he will have

none of it. Romeo falls to the floor.  ___   53  ___   arrives, and Romeo desperately asks her for news of 

Juliet. He assumes that ___   54  ___   now thinks of him as a murderer and threatens to stab himself. 

___   55  ___   stops him and scolds him for being unmanly (pretty gutsy coming from an unmarried man

who spends his time picking flowers). He explains that Romeo has much to be grateful for: he and

Juliet are both alive, and after matters have calmed down, ___   56  ___   might change his mind. The

friar sets forth a plan: ___   57  ___   will visit ___   58  ___   that night, but make sure to leave her chamber,

and  ___   59  ___   , before the morning. He will then reside in ___   60  ___   until news of their marriage can

be spread (bet he’s regretting having skimped on the invitations). The Nurse hands Romeo the 

___   61  ___   from Juliet, and this physical symbol of their love revives his spirits (a hunk of gold

would certainly lift my spirits). The Nurse departs, and Romeo bids Friar Lawrence farewell. He

must prepare to visit ___   62  ___   and then flee to ___   63  ___   (that’s right…get up off the floor and be a

man…run away!).

Act III scene iv Word Bank 

a. Monday c. Wednesday e. Thursdayb. Lady Capulet d. Paris ab. Lord Capulet

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Lord Capulet, Lady Capulet and ___   64  ___   walk together. ___   65  ___   says that because of the terrible

recent events, he has had no time to ask his daughter about her feelings for  ___   66  ___   . 

___   67  ___   states that she will know her daughter’s thoughts by the morning. ___   68  ___   is about to

leave when ___   69  ___   calls him back and makes what he calls “a desperate tender of my child’s love”

(III.iv.12–13).  ___   70  ___   says he thinks his daughter will listen to him, then corrects himself and

states that he is sure Juliet will abide by his decision (you know, just how many 10 th graders listen to

their parents). He promises  ___   71  ___   that the wedding will be held on  ___   72  ___   , then stops

suddenly and asks what day it is. Paris responds that it is  __   73  ___   ; Capulet decides that ___   74  ___   is

too soon, and that the wedding should instead be held on ___   75  ___   (because that extra day is what’s

going to make the wedding go smoothly). 

Act III scene v Word Bank 

a.Romeo e.Juliet ae. Paris cd. The Nurse

b. lark ab. meteor bc. love ce. deathc. Lady Capulet ac. tomb bd. sorrow de. Lord Capuletd. denies ad. Friar Lawrence be. Tybalt

Just before dawn, Romeo prepares to lower himself from Juliet’s window to begin his exile (Papa

Capulet would not be happy if he saw that!).  ___   76  ___   tries to convince ___   77  ___   that the birdcalls

they hear are from the nightingale, a night bird, rather than from the lark, a morning bird. Romeo

cannot entertain her claims; he must leave before the morning comes or be put to ___   78  ___   .

___   79  ___   declares that the light outside comes not from the sun, but from some ___   80  ___   . 

Overcome by ___   81  ___   , Romeo responds that he will stay with ___   82  ___   , and that he does not care

whether the Prince’s men kill him. Faced with this turnaround, ___   83  __   declares that the bird they

heard was the ___   84  ___   ; that it is dawn and he must flee (a teenage girl who constantly changes her 

mind? Come on Willie, make it believable!).  ___   85  ___   enters to warn Juliet that ___   86  ___   is

approaching (and mommy would be none too pleased to walk into that seen of unbridled sentence

diagramming). Romeo and Juliet tearfully part (once again, I admire their stoicism). Romeo climbsout the window. Standing in the orchard below her window, Romeo promises Juliet that they will see

one another again, but Juliet responds that he appears pale, as one dead in the bottom of a  ___   87  ___  

(It’s like someone challenged Willie to write a play with a million examples of foreshadowing.).

Romeo answers that, to him, she appears the same way, and that it is only ___   88  __   that makes them

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both look pale (or foreshadowing glasses). Romeo hurries away as Juliet pulls in the ladder and begs

fate to bring him back to her quickly (be careful what you wish for!).

Lady Capulet calls to her daughter. Juliet wonders why her mother would come to speak to her so

early in the morning. Unaware that Juliet is married to Romeo (who is now banished), 

___   89  __   enters the room and mistakes Juliet’s tears as continued grief for   ___   90  __   . Lady Capulet

tells Juliet of her deep desire to see “the villain ___   91  __   ” dead (III.v.80) (wow, talk about in-law

problems). In a complicated bit of punning, Juliet leads her mother to believe that she also wishes

Romeo’s death, when in fact she is firmly stating her love for him (wait…did a parent just not

understand what a teenager was saying? If only Shakespeare could be updated to still ring true for 

modern audiences.). Lady Capulet tells Juliet about Capulet’s plan for her to marry ___   92  __   on

Thursday, explaining that he wishes to make her happy. Juliet is appalled. She rejects the match,

saying “I will not marry yet; and when I do, I swear / It shall be Romeo—whom you know I hate— /

Rather than Paris” (III.v.121–123) (I suppose it’s not really a threat if you’ve already done it…). 

___   93  __   enters the chamber. When he learns of Juliet’s determination to defy him, he becomes

enraged and threatens to disown Juliet if she refuses to obey him (good thing he’s not prone to

overreacting). When Juliet entreats her mother to intercede, her mother   ___   94  __   her help.

After her parents storm away, Juliet asks ___   95  __   how she might escape her predicament. She

advises her to go through with the marriage to ___   96  __   - he is a better match, she says, and 

___   97  __   is as good as dead anyhow (sentimental, huh?). Though disgusted by ___   98  __   ’s disloyalty,

Juliet pretends to agree, and tells The Nurse that she is going to make confession at  ___   99  __   ’s (lying

about confession again? Better hope there’s no three-strikes rule). Juliet hurries to Friar’s cell,

vowing that she will never again trust ___   100  __   ’s counsel. If the Friar is unable to help her, Juliet

comments to herself, she still has the power to take her own life.