Act 4, Scene 2

Act 4, Scene 2&3

Juliet arrives home from the church and is told the wedding has been moved forward to Wednesday, after pretending to apologise to Capulet. The Nurse and Juliet head to her room to prepare for the marriage the next day. Lady Capulet attempts to join them but Juliet insist that they both leave her alone for the rest of the night to proceed with the scheme. After worrying about the plan Juliet drinks the potion and falls into a deep sleep “here,s drink-I drink to thee”.

 

Act 4 Scene 1

Act 4 Scene 1

Friar Lawrence’s plan:

Juliet is to go to sleep alone on Wednesday night and drink the potion Friar Lawrence gave her. The potion will slow down her heart rate and make her appear dead with cold, pale skin, the effect will last 42 hours. On Thursday morning the Capulets will see Juliet and think she is dead, her seemingly dead body will be taken to the Capulet’s family tomb and left there. Friar Lawrence will inform Romeo of the plan and when she wakes the two will be awaiting her in the vault. Romeo and Juliet will then have the chance to escape. She must be brave if the plan is going to succeed.

Act 3 Scene 5

The Capulets  and the nurse are up in Juliet’s room, after Romeo has just left, telling her she will marry Paris that week on Thursday but Juliet refuses this request. Capulet is disgraced at this remark and tells Juliet he wants nothing to do with her if she doesn’t marry Paris on Thursday. ” I tell the what: get thee to church a’Thursday Or never after look me in the face”  but Juliet still denies his offer. As Capulet and Lady Capulet leave Juliet asks for the nurse’s advice on the situation and pretends to agree with considering marrying Paris, but inside she knows it will never happen and considers her options either marrying Paris or taking her own life. As the nurse and her parents were no help to her she decides to see Friar Lawrence for advice of choosing between the two painful options.

Act 3, Scene 4

Act 3, Scene 4

Later that night Capulet, Paris, and Lady Capulet are negotiating the date of the wedding they have planned for Juliet and Paris. Capulet want to have is sooner than later as he wants more protection for Juliet. They agree on Thursday that week “a’Thursday be it then”. Lady Capulet goes to search for Juliet to inform her on the arrangement.

Act 3 Scene 3

Romeo approaches Friar Lawrence in his cell to ask what his punishment is, gladly Friar Lawrence announces that Romeo is only banished but Romeo would rather die as leaving would be more painful than death. The nurse arrives and requests for Romeo to meet Juliet that night for the last time before his banishment. Romeo agrees with the nurse as she gives him the ring, “here, sir, a ring she bid me give you sir”. They set off to meet Juliet.

Act 3 Scene 2

Act 3 Scene 2

Juliet is in the Capulets orchard eagerly awaiting Romeo’s appearence when the nurse arrives and informs Juliet of Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment, she is upset at first but realises Romeo must have had a reason and wouldn’t do it willingly. She eventually takes Romeo’s side. Juliet requests for the nurse to fetch Romeo for her because she doesn’t want to die a virgin and so she can see him for the last time. “O find him! Give this ring to my true knight, and bid him come to take his last farewell”.

Act 3 Scene 1

Act 3 Scene 1

Benvolio and Mercutio are in the streets of Verona debating whether who would be the better fighter between the two. Tybalt and other Capulets arrive searching for Romeo who just got married. Romeo enters and is welcomed with threats from Tybalt calling him a villain and challenging him to a fight, but Romeo refuses as they are now family although Tybalt doesn’t know about the marriage. Mercutio develops anger as his friend isn’t standing up for himself and challenges tybalt to a fight. Romeo knows it will end badly, as they were warned by the prince, and steps between the two trying to stop the fight. Tybalt takes advantage of this and stabs Mercutio under Romeo’s arm. Mercutio becomes mad at both of them as Romeo caused the stabbing and curses their houses in rage, “A plague o’both your houses” and repeats it as his last words before he dies.  Romeo decides Mercutio mustn’t die alone, it must be him Tybalt or both of them, and they begin another fight, Romeo wins and Tybalt dies. Benvolio then tells Romeo that he must flee the scene as he and his family has been threatened by the prince. The authorities arrive and Benvolio tells them about the fight. The prince decides Romeo must leave Verona for good or be executed.

Romeo and Juliet Soliloquy

JULIET

O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
JULIET

‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name, which is no part of thee
Take all myself.

Act 2 Scene 4

Act 2 Scene 4

Mercutio and Benvolio are joking around in the streets of Verona when Romeo interrupts them. They chat about Tybalt sending a letter threatening Romeo to a fight, but Romeo isn’t up to the challenge as Tybalt is very accurate with his sword and Romeo would rather focus on his love for Juliet. The conversation is then intervened by a Capulet servant and the Nurse who has come on behalf of Juliet. She questions Romeo if he is up to being part of Juliet’s life and being trustworthy in their soon to be marriage. Romeo assures her he will treat Juliet with respect “warrant thee, my man’s as true as steel”.

Act 2 Scene 3

Act 2 Scene 3

Friar lawrence is out in the churches garden picking herbs and plants for his medicines. Romeo arrives and asks for him to marry together Romeo and Juliet “save what thou must combine by holy marriage”, Friar Lawrence is confused at this request as he still thought Romeo was in love with Rosaline. Friar denies this request a he knows that the Montagues (Romeo’s parents) would not approve of his love for the enemy. Romeo pleads for Friar Lawrence to marry them, Friar gives up and thinks that the marriage could bring love and reunite the two families. Friar warns him that he dosen’t rush the love as it could end in a mess.