ROMEO AND JULIETAct III

Act 3, Scene 1: Summary Benvolio is obviously nervous/scared to meet

the Capulets as he knows a fight will likely occur.

Mercutio laughs at his fears and accuses Benvolio of being a quick-tempered quarreller himself!

Mercutio taunts Tybalt but Tybalt ignores his insults as he persists in finding Romeo.

Romeo refuses to accept Tybalt’s challenge to fight and attempts to placate him. Mercutio is disgusted by this.

Act 3, Scene 1: Summary Mercutio is so angry with Romeo’s refusal

to fight that he steps in and picks a fight with Tybalt instead.

Romeo tries to break up the fight but his intervention results in Mercutio dying under his arm.

Mortally wounded, Mercutio curses Montagues and Capulets alike.

Romeo blames himself for Mercutio’s murder and resents Tybalt’s insulting behaviour.

Act 3, Scene 1: Summary He fears that his love for Juliet may have

weakened his courage so he vows to kill Tybalt, slays him, then flees the scene.

Lady Capulet demands Romeo is killed for his crime.

This request clearly reveals the depth of hatred between the two families.

Benvolio tells the story of how Mercutio and Tybalt died.

Act 3, Scene 1: Summary Lady Capulet accuses Benvolio of lying

and again demands Romeo dies. The Prince makes the controversial

decision that for killing Tybalt, Romeo will be banished from Verona.

Act 3, Scene 1: Discussion What do you make of the Prince’s

decision to banish Romeo? Do you agree with it or should Romeo have paid with his life?

Does Benvolio in fact tell the truth? Lines 107-115 begin the “Revenge

Tragedy”. In these plays (popular in 1590’s) the main

character seeks revenge and his language is portentous and high sounding.

Act 3, Scene 1: Discussion The viciousness of the battle here reveals

that violence and hatred lie just below Verona’s glamorous surface.

Mercutio is full of jokes and puns even as he dies. Why does he die so early on in the play?

Act 3, Scene 2: Summary Juliet, unaware of the murderous events

of the day, and filled with love for Romeo, longs for the night to come so she can see him.

She thinks of Romeo, after her death, as a star in the night sky.

Juliet is confused by the Nurse’s grief and sadness and is confused into thinking that Romeo is dead.

She wishes she could also die and lie beside him.

Act 3, Scene 2: Summary Juliet learns it is really Tybalt who is dead

and Romeo has been banished. She suggests Romeo is seeming beautiful

but acting in a vile manner. She then scolds the Nurse when she

wishes shame on Romeo. Juliet is devastated. She threatens to kill herself but the Nurse

cheers her up by promising to find Romeo and send him to her tonight.

Act 3, Scene 2: Discussion Juliet passionately describes her longing

for Romeo. Many call her 31 line soliloquy an epithalamium: a wedding song. Sit closely together with a partner. One person

read the speech quietly while the other echoes aloud all the words that seem to be commands or concerned with speed and haste.

How do these words help to convey the intensity of Juliet’s feelings.

Act 3, Scene 2: Discussion This soliloquy has many erotic elements,

and in Victorian times, some readers found Juliet’s speech embarrassingly sexual to the point where many productions actually cut this speech. Which lines are embarrassing? (remember, they are spoken by a 13 year old)

Notice how many words are used concerning death or disaster to reflect this tragic mood.

Act 3, Scene 2: Discussion Appearance vs. Reality, a popular theme

throughout literature, is brought to the forefront here as Romeo has acted vilely according to Juliet though he seemed so kind and gentle up to this point. How many oxymorons and antitheses can you count in lines 72-85? This is often how the theme is conveyed in Shakespearean literature.

Throughout this scene, Juliet’s feelings fluctuate rapidly. She begins by harshly criticizing Romeo, then moves to high praise.

Act 3, Scene 3: Summary Friar Lawrence reveals to Romeo the

Prince’s sentence/punishment. The news comes as a shock to Romeo: to

him, there is no life without Juliet, therefore, exile may as well be a death sentence.

Friar Lawrence scolds Romeo for being so unappreciative of the Prince’s mercy.

Romeo refuses his comfort as he is distraught that he may never see Juliet again.

Act 3, Scene 3: Summary Romeo falls weeping and sobbing to the

ground and ignores the Friar’s pleas to rise.

The Nurse arrives and begs him to get off the floor as well.

On hearing the Nurse tell of Juliet’s sorrow, Romeo tries to kill himself.

The Nurse grabs the dagger and Friar Lawrence rebukes him for his suicide attempt.

Act 3, Scene 3: Summary Friar Lawrence sharply criticizes Romeo

for acting foolish. He reminds Romeo of his good fortune

and plans how he can eventually be recalled from exile.

Friar sends Romeo off to Juliet with warnings to leave early for Mantua and await news.

Act 3, Scene 3: Discussion Do you agree or disagree with Romeo’s

assertion that banishment is even worse than death?

Romeo claims that the Friar (who has taken a vow of celibacy) cannot possibly understand how a young person in love feels, “Thou canst not speak of that thou dost not feel”. Do you agree with this? What about nowadays, can adults understand adolescent passion?

Act 3, Scene 3: Discussion The Friar’s long speech has 3 distinct

sections: The first is critical of Romeo The second seeks to cheer him up The third sets up his plan of action

Act 3, Scene 4: Summary Capulet opens by explaining to Paris that

he hasn’t talked to Juliet about marriage due to the hectic household after Tybalt’s death.

Capulet decides that Juliet is now to marry Paris and sends Lady Capulet to inform her.

He also decides that the wedding will take place in 3 days and will only have a few guests.

Act 3, Scene 4: Discussion How has Capulet changed so drastically

from the beginning of the play to now? Why?

Give some examples of Dramatic Irony in this scene. Hint: there are 4-5.

Act 3, Scene 5: Summary It is now the morning after spending their

wedding night together. Juliet tries to keep Romeo by saying that

it is still night. He wants to stay but must go. Then, he says he will stay and face death and capture but she rushes him off.

The Nurse warns them Lady Capulet is approaching.

As Romeo leaves, Juliet’s words are full of dread/foreboding.

Act 3, Scene 5: Summary This scene is also full of dramatic irony as

Lady Capulet believes that Juliet is mourning the loss of Tybalt when, in fact, she is actually mourning the loss of Romeo as lines 1-59 mark the last time the lovers will see each other alive.

Lady Capulet feeds off of Juliet’s grief here and vows to have Romeo poisoned in Mantua as a form of vengeance.

Juliet continues to mislead her mother.

Act 3, Scene 5: Summary Lady Capulet informs Juliet that she will

marry Paris on Thursday; Juliet refuses; Lord Capulet comes in and also mistakes Juliet’s tears to be for Tybalt.

Capulet compares Juliet’s tears to a shipwrecking storm as an elaborate metaphor.

Capulet flies into a rage when Juliet refuses marriage; he insults and threatens her.

Act 3, Scene 5: Summary Capulet is further enraged by the

Nurse’s defence of Juliet, threatening to disown her if she will not obey him and marry Paris. Lady Capulet refuses to help her daughter.

Juliet is consoled by the Nurse who urges her to marry Paris.

Juliet feels betrayed and sends the Nurse away, vowing to never trust her again.

She leaves to seek Friar Lawrence’s assistance.

Act 3, Scene 5: Discussion Notice the change in Lord Capulet’s

language as this scene progresses; he goes from comforting her to raging on her and actually begins to refer to her in the third person, clearly distancing himself from her.

What do you think of the Nurse’s advice to Juliet? What does it reveal about her character?

What have you learned about Juliet’s character in this scene?

Act 3 Do you believe that banishment is worse

than death? Why doesn’t Juliet simply leave and join

Romeo in Mantua? Activity: form a group of 4-5.

Select a line from one of the scenes in this Act that stands out to you.

Prepare a tableaux or very short mime that reflects that line(s) and see if the class can guess which line you were acting out after you inform them of the scene.