Quotes, Plot, Context, Big Ideas, Symbols and Motifs

What it is to be a…

man / woman

The potential power and…

strength of women

The dangers of…

impetuous behaviours and actions

The impetuous…

nature of youth

The destructive and pervasive nature of…

violence

The responsiblities of…

power

The abuse of…

power

The responsibilities of parents and…

adults for young people

The influence and power of the…

church

The powerful nature of…

trust

The impact of the betrayal…

of trust

The all consuming power and…

nature of love

The power of…

language

‘A pair of…

‘A pair of star crossed lovers’ - Proloque

‘Civil blood…

‘Civil blood makes civil hands unclean’

‘my naked…

‘my naked weapon is out’ - sampson and gregory - a1s1

‘Part fools!…

‘Part fools! Put up your swords, you know not what you do’ - Benvolio - a1s1

‘Peace…

‘Peace. I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues and thee’ - Tybalt - a1s1

‘Throw…

‘Throw your mistemper’d weapons to the ground’ - Escalus - a1s1

‘Your lives shall…

‘Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace’ - Escalus - a1s1

‘O brawling…

‘O brawling love, O loving hate’ - Romeo - a1s1

‘She is the…

‘She is the hopeful lady of my earth’ - Lord C - a1s2

‘ladybug’ and ‘…

‘ladybug’ and ‘lamb’ - Nurse - a1s3

‘I see Queen…

‘I see Queen Mab hath been with you’ - Mercutio - a1s4

‘I talk of dreams…

‘I talk of dreams which are the children of an idle brain’ - Mercutio - a1s4

‘O she doth teach…

‘O she doth teach the torches to burn bright’ - Romeo - a1s5

‘two blushing…

‘two blushing pilgrims’ - Romeo - a1s5

‘my grave is like…

‘my grave is like to be my wedding bed’ - Juliet - a1s5

‘my only love…

‘my only love sprung from my only hate’ - Juliet - a1s5

‘Juliet is the…

‘Juliet is the sun’ - Romeo - a2s2

‘Romeo, Romeo…

‘Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo’

‘O wilt thou…

‘O wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied’ - Romeo - a2s2

‘thy purpose…

‘thy purporse marriage’ - Juliet a2s2

‘Wisely and slowly…

‘Wisely and slowly they stumble that run fast’ - Friar L - a2s3

‘prince of…’ , ‘king of…

‘prince of cats’ , ‘king of cats’ - Tybalt - a2s4

‘A plague…

‘A plague on both your houses’ - Mercutio - a3s1

‘I am fortunes…

‘I am fortunes fool’ - Romeo - a3s1

‘O serpent…

‘O serpent heart’ - Juliet - a3s2

‘Beautiful tyrant…

‘Beautiful tyrant, fiend angelical’ - Juliet - a3s2

‘thy tears…

‘thy tears are womanish’ - Friar L - a3s3

‘I would the fool were…

‘I would the fool were married to her grave’ - Lord C - a3s5

‘my fingers…

‘my fingers itch’ - Lord C - a3s5

‘then I defy…

‘then I defy you stars’ - Romeo a5s1

‘thus with a…

‘thus with a kiss I die’ - Romeo - a5s3

‘O happy dagger…

‘O happy dagger, this is thy sheath. There rust, and let me die’

‘I, for winking…

‘I, for winking at your discords, too, have lost a brace of kinsmen’ - Escalus - a5s3

‘Never has there been a tale…

‘Never has there been a tale of more woe / Than that of Juliet and her Romeo’ - a5s3

Prologue

Gives overview of story and how it will end

Act 1 Scene 1

Big brawl in the streets, Romeo upset about Rosaline

Act 1 Scene 2

Paris wants to marry Juliet, Lord C says no, Romeo, Benvolio and Mercutio decide to go to Capulet ball

Act 1 Scene 3

Juliet, Lady C and Nurse talk about Juliets possible marriage

Act 1 Scene 4

Romeo has a bad dream, doesnt want to go to ball

Act 1 Scene 5

Capulet ball, Romeo and Juliet fall in love

Act 2 Scene 1

Benvolio and Mercutio cant find Romeo, think hes upset about Rosaline

Act 2 Scene 2

Balcony scene

Act 2 Scene 3

Friar Lawrence talks about herbs, Romeo asks FL to marry him and Juliet

Act 2 Scene 4

Tybalt wants to duel Romeo, marriage is planned

Act 2 Scene 5

Juliet wants to know what Romeo said, Nurse takes ages to get the news out

Act 2 Scene 6

Romeo and Juliet marry

Act 3 Scene 1

Turning point, Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo kills Tybalt, Romeo is banished

Act 3 Scene 2

Juliet awaits her wedding night, Nurse tells her Romeo has been banished

Act 3 Scene 3

Romeo hides in Friar Lawrences cell

Act 3 Scene 4

Lord C suddenly decides Juliet will marry Paris, on Thursday

Act 3 Scene 5

Romeo and Juliet say goodbye before Romeo leaves for Mantua

Act 4 Scene 1

Juliet talks to FL, threatens suicide if she has to marry Paris

Act 4 Scene 2

Juliet pretends to submit to her fathers plan for her to marry Paris

Act 4 Scene 3

Juliet drinks the potion to appear dead, to avoid marrying Paris

Act 4 Scene 4

Wedding morning, Nurse sent to wake Juliet

Act 4 Scene 5

Juliet found ‘dead’, take her to the family tomb

Act 5 Scene 1

Balthasar tells Romeo that Juliet is dead, Friar John doesnt deliver the letter exlaining the plan, Romeo buys poison and plans to die

Act 5 Scene 2

Friar Lawrence learns that the letter did not make it to Romeo

Act 5 Scene 3

Paris mourns Juliet, then Romeo kills him, Romeo finds Juliet, kills himself, Juliet wakes to find him dead, stabs herself

Thumb-biting - What is it?

A juvenile action

Thumb-biting - What is significant about this act?

Reignites the feud within Verona, shows that the feud in meaningless and petty

Thumb-biting - What does the Prince say about the insignificance of the fighting?

It is ‘bred of an airy word’

Swords - What do swords represent?

Violence, the feud and death

Swords - Who dies by a sword?

Mercutio, Tybalt, Paris and Juliet

Swords - What other than violence can swords symbolise?

Virility and male sexual excitement

Swords - What does the fact that swords represent both violence and sexual innuendos show?

Aggression and violence has pervaded the sexual attitudes of Veronese society

Poison and plants - Why is there a strong link between Romeo, Juliet and poison?

Both seek poison and are supplied with it by others

Poison and plants - What does Friar Laurence reveal to us about plants when we first meet him?

They can kill as well as heal

Poison and plants - Why is Friar Laurence convinced to give Juliet the potion?

She is determined to kill herself, the potion allows this not to happen

Poison and plants - Why does Romeo seek poison?

He believes Juliet is dead and he wants to kill himself

Poison and plants - What is poisons literal purpose? Symbolic purpose?

Romeo and Juliets fate is tied up with poison
Symbollically - represents the deadly feud and is a catalyst for death

Poison and plants - What does Friar Laurence comment about natural substances?

They are made lethal by humans

Fire and smoke - What is the implication of love being linked to fire and smoke?

They are blinded by love and its consequences or that the families are blind to the power of love - their obssession with violence makes them blind

Dreams - Which two characters are dreams strongly linked to?

Romeo and Mercutio

Dreams - What does Romeo believe about dreams?

He talks about his dreams as if they might reveal some truth

Dreams - What does Mercutio believe about dreams?

Dismisses them as fantasy - not to be used to guide actions

Juliet as deaths bride - How is death personified?

Through Juliet - whenever she thinks of marriage or sex

‘Death is my…

‘Death is my son in law. Death is my heir’ - A4S5 - Lord Capulet

Light vs dark - What does light symbolise for most, and what does it symbolise for Romeo and Juliet?

For most it symbols positivity, but for R+J it poses danger as it could reveal their relationship

Light vs dark - How do Romeo and Juliet describe eachother?

As light

Light vs dark - What does light symbolise at the end of the play?

The tragic end of the lovers

Light vs dark - What does dark symbolise?

Secrets, but also safety for R+J’s relationship to flourish

During what era what Shakespeare writing?

Renaissance

What happened during the Renaissance?

There was an expansion of artistic expression - freedom from the restrictions of previous centuries

How were Shakespeares plays used during the Elizabethan era?

As entertainment - they were written primarily for this reason

What type of audience was Shakespeare writing for?

A ‘cross class’ audience - his plays often contained lower class humour alongside refined language to entertain members of all classes

Which character is meant to represent the lower class, and therefore entertain them?

The Nurse