Romeo and Juliet

What theme can we link to the story of Romeo and Juliet?

Forbidden love

Give a summary of the story

• Act I

  • The Montagues and Capulets are feuding. Romeo, a Montague, is heartbroken over a girl named Rosaline. He crashes a Capulet party with his friends and meets Juliet. They fall instantly in love, unaware that they are from rival families.

• Act II

  • Romeo and Juliet confess their love and decide to marry in secret. With the help of Friar Laurence and Juliet’s Nurse, they are secretly wed, hoping their union will end the family feud.

• Act III

  • Tensions rise. Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, kills Mercutio, Romeo’s friend. In revenge, Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished from Verona. Juliet is devastated, and their secret marriage becomes more complicated

• Act IV

  • Juliet refuses to marry Paris, a nobleman her parents choose for her. Friar Laurence gives her a potion to fake her death and escape with Romeo. Juliet takes it, and everyone believes she is dead.

• Act V

  • Romeo, unaware of the plan, hears of Juliet’s “death” and buys poison. He returns to her tomb, kills Paris, and drinks the poison. Juliet awakens, sees Romeo dead, and kills herself with his dagger. Their deaths bring peace between the Montagues and Capulets.

Why was their love forbidden?

There was a feud between 2 families: Montagues and the Capulets.

Is Romeo actually talking to Juliet in the balcony scene? How do you know?

Romeo is not talking to Juliet. We know this because he uses the third person. ‘She speaks yet she says nothing’

What 3 things does Romeo compare Juliet to?

• The sun

• Daylight

• her eyes to stars

Can you find the 6 other words associated with light in this speecht what is their effect?

Moon, twinkle, brightness, stream, bright, lamp.

The effect:

Shakespeare wants to emphasize Juliet’s beauty by using words for light.

Also, using lots of light words contrast well with the fact that in the play it is night-time and he stage would be quite dark. This makes the scene more dramatic.

Why do you think Shakespeare has written such a complimentary speech for Romeo?

To show the audience that Romeo loves Juliet too much to care that she is his enemy. It also gives the audience the impression that Romeo is too passionate to speak rationally, which suggests to the audience that things might go wrong.

What is the setting of the story?

Verona Italy