Take note of Lord Capulet’s plan to marry Juliet to Paris. What different emotions does she experience in this one scene? Can you find any directions in her lines that might help an actor playing the role, or show them how to respond? Take a look at Juliet’s reactions and behaviour in Act 3, Scene 2. The Prince claimed in Act 1 Scene 1 that anyone who disturbed the peace would pay with their life so why do you think he banishes Romeo instead of having him killed? What effect does this have on the play? Notice Romeo’s punishment for killing Tybalt. What kind of language do Romeo and Juliet use when they meet? What are your impressions of Romeo and his attitude towards love? What do we discover about who is on which side in 'feud'? Romeo and Juliet also have a very private first meeting, in a public space. Why might this be? What does this tell us about Tybalt’s character? What does it tell us about the younger generation in the play?Īct 1 is important because it sets up the characters – revealing their allegiances. He seems more offended by Romeo being there than Lord Capulet. Take note of Tybalt’s reaction to seeing Romeo at the ball.
What has Romeo dreamt about and why do you think Shakespeare has given Romeo these lines? In scene four, Romeo says ‘for my mind misgives some consequence yet hanging in the stars… of untimely death’. Look out for the references to fate and premonitions in the opening scenes. What could have been the cause of their ‘ancient grudge’? Why do you think Shakespeare includes the prologue? Which characters feel most strongly about the ‘feud’? Notice the set up of the opening scene and the conflict between the two households mentioned in the prologue. Romeo reveals to Benvolio that he is in love with Rosaline but she doesn’t love him in return. Benvolio promises to find out where Romeo has been and what’s upsetting him. Everyone departs leaving Lord and Lady Montague talking to Benvolio about their son Romeo, who has been missing all day. He is so angry he proclaims if there is another fight Montague and Capulet shall pay the ‘forfeit’ for it with their lives. The fight is eventually stopped when the Prince stops everyone saying 'On pain of torture, from those bloody hands / Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground'. With his line 'As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee: / Have at thee, coward!' the fight escalates until there is a huge street brawl involving both Lord Montague and Lord Capulet. Benvolio tries to stop the fight but when Tybalt arrives things get worse. They meet two servants from the house of Montague and a fight breaks out. The play opens with two servants from the house of Capulet talking about their hatred of the Montagues.
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