The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

1
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

• Act I
• Notes

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Act I. scene i

• Setting Verona, Italy
• Sunday Morning
• Conflict House of Capulet House of Montague
  are fighting for little reason
• Characters
• Benvolio -tries to keep the peace
• friend to Romeo
• tries to lift his spirits by pushing him to look
  at others
• Tybalt doesnt believe in peace
• What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word/
  as I hate hell, all Montagues and thee. /
  Have thee, coward! 58-59
• Prince rules over the town. Hes tired of their
  fighting.
• Warning If ever you disturb our streets again/
  Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the
  peace. 84-85

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Act I. scene ii

• Setting
• Streets of Verona
• Conflict
• Paris wants to marry Juliet, Capulets beautiful
  and young, not yet 14 year-old, daughter.
• Characters
• Paris he has asked Capulet for Juliets hand
  many times- the answer has always been no
• Capulet believes Paris should wait until she is
  15 turning 16 to marry Juliet or Paris needs to
  win her heart
• Romeo we learn that his love is Rosaline
• She will be invited to the party at the Capulets
• Benvolio Thinks going to the party will show
  Romeo there are others to love
• Compare her face with some that I shall show/
  And I will make thee think thy swan a crow
  (81-82).
• Style
• Servants do not speak in the same rhyming pattern
  of the elite characters.

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Act I. scene iii

• Setting
• Capulets house
• Conflict
• Juliet learns of the continued interest from
  Paris and feels pressure from her mom and nurse.
• Characters
• Juliet
• surprised by all talk of marriage
• agrees to look at Paris, but shed only act if
  moved by looking at him
• Lady Capulet
• believes Juliet, who turns 14 on August 1st, will
  be ready to consider marriage.
• Nurse
• has extreme love for Juliet- treats her as her
  own daughter
• she hopes to see Juliet married
• she believes Paris would be a good match

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Act I. scene iv

• Setting
• Capulets House
• Conflict
• Romeos depression continues and he has to be
  pushed to celebrate
• Characters
• Romeo
• Continues with his negative views of love
• Is love a tender thing? It is too rough,/ Too
  rude, too boistrous, and it pricks like thorn
  (25-26)
• Mercutio
• wants to inspire Romeo to party and dance
• believes Romeo hides his true emotions
• Queen Mab Speech

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Queen Mab Speech

• Queen Mab was a historic Celtic (Irish) folklore
  fairy
• In Shakespeares time, MabProstitute
• Mabs description
• Small- the size of a rock in a ring
• Rides in a carriage like the wealthy
• Carriage is made up of natural things (spider
  webs, grasshopper legs, etc.)
• Her driver is a gnat in a hazelnut shell
• Mabs Power
• She brings dreams over the heads of men while
  they sleep
• She is able to give men lustful dreams
• Her dreams give men their wishes
• She has a role in making maids pregnant

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Importance of Mab speech

• In this scene, Mercuito steals center stage from
  Romeo
• While Romeo is passing time in self-pity,
  Mercutio shows him how stupid he is acting
• Mercutio is able to out-talk Romeo here and
  convince him to go to the party
• This speech inspired many songs and poems
• Nimphidia by Michael Drayton
• Queen Mab by Percy Shelley
• Queen Mab by Sarah C. Hanson

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Act I. scene v

• Setting
• Capulets house
• Sunday evening, the night of the party
• Characters
• Capulet
• Welcomes all his guests
• Invites everyone to danceif not, then his
  assumes they have corns on their feet
• Tybalt
• Recognizes Romeo and wants to fight (he sees his
  presence as an insult)
• Is scolded by Capulet and sent away- he vows for
  revenge
• Romeo
• Sees Juliet across the crowed room falls madly
  in love with her
• Is smooth enough to get two kisses from her
• Believes his life is in the hands of his enemy
• Juliet
• Falls for Romeos smooth talking
• Wishes she had known he was a Montague before she
  fell in love
• Cant believe fate would have her fall for an
  enemy