1. Lit Circles-Meghan, McKenzie, Jason, Josiah, Jacob, and Sophia
Romeo and Juliet
Lit Circles-Meghan, McKenzie, Jason, Josiah, Jacob, and Sophia

2. Character Commandant
Jacob Laconi

3. Act 1 Scene 4 Page 596
This quote included Mercutio and Romeo having a conversation where both describe love. They both described love violently, ironically because of how the story ends (dramatic irony). Romeo said he was “enpierced with his {Cupid’s} shaft,” referring to him being sad and heartbroken. Mercutio and Romeo had a series of things that characterized themselves on their beliefs on love and their perception.

4. Act 1 Scene 5 Pages
This is quote took place when Romeo and Juliet had first met. To me, it showed how easy it was for Romeo to change is opinion. He went from sad to in love in a matter of minutes. He referred to Juliet’s hand as a “holy shrine” only after just meeting her, seeming to not be “heartbroken” from Rosaline.

5. Act 2 Scene 6 Page 628
Friar is the voice of reason for once. He is trying to convince Romeo to love more carefully, and not be so quick to move along. It may even get him killed one day. But Romeo was persistent to say he was in love with Juliet. This quote reveals a lot about both Romeo and Friar.

6. Act 5 Scene 3 Pages
This was a very powerful moment in the story. Romeo and Juliet had just died. Montague and Capulet decided to overcome their hatred for each other in honor of their dead children and in-laws. This showed me how emotionally strong they both were.

7. Act 4 Scene 1 Page 663
Here, Juliet says she’d rather die then cheat on Romeo and marry Paris. As good as a “love story” this seems to be, they’ve only known each other for a few days. So, this speaks volumes to how much Juliet loves Romeo. And scarily, Romeo feels the same way, if not more inclined to loving her.

8. Mood Maven
Mckenzie williams

9. Act 2 Scene 2 Lines 2-25
In a lot of the more important passages in Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare tends to use more similes and metaphors in order to intensify the imagery in the passage. For example, he says, “The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars as daylight doth a lamp…” From this the reader can visualize in their mind how Juliet would’ve looked through Romeo’s eyes. The way that you see Romeo’s feelings described shows the reader Romeo’s deep infatuation with Juliet because of Shakespeare’s play on motifs and comparisons. The reader can almost feel the strong connection between Romeo and Juliet in this scene.
• But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the East, and *Juliet is the sun!*
Arise, fair sun, and kill the *envious moon*,
Who is already sick and pale with grief
*That thou her maid art far more fair than she.*
Her vestal livery is but sick and green,
And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off.
It is my lady! O, it is my love!
*She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold; *‘tis not to me she speaks.
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.*
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
*The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars
As daylight doth a lamp*; *her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.*
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
*O, that I were a glove upon that hand
That I might touch that cheek!*

10. Act 3 Scene 3 Lines 29-43
I think that here Shakespeare using the common connotations associated with certain words. Here he uses the negative connotation associated with flies and says, “More validity, More honorable state, more courtship lives In carrion flies than Romeo.” This helps the common reader understand the feelings of the character, who is, in this case, Romeo. From this, you know to what extent of seriousness banishment is. Shakespeare also uses exaggerations to both show Romeo’s character and make the passage more understandable. Romeo says, in modern language, that basically even flies can touch Juliet who thinks that pressing her lips together is a sin, but I can’t. This shows Romeo’s immaturity in the way that he exaggerates the truth while still expressing to the reader, the seriousness of banishment.
• ‘Tis torture, and not mercy. Heaven is here,
Where Juliet lives; and every cat and dog
And little mouse, every unworthy thing,
Live here in heaven and may look on her;
But Romeo may not. More validity,
More honorable state, more courtship lives
In carrion flies than Romeo. They have seize
On the white wonder of dear Juliet’s hand
And steal immortal blessing from her lips.
Who, even in pure and vestal modesty,
Still blush, as thinking their own kisses sin;
But Romeo may not, he is banished.
And sayest thou yet that is not death?

11. Act 3, Scene 3 Lines
In this passage, Shakespeare uses several different ways to convey the meanings within the Friar’s words. In the beginning, he uses a lot of similes and metaphors such as, “…fury of a beast.” “…are womanish.” and rhetorical questions that make the reader think, such as, “Art thou a man?” “Hast thou slain Tybalt?” and “…which thou at once wouldst lose?” He uses the similes to lead into life lessons for Romeo that are so universal that they apply to the reader, such as, “…thou dismembered with thine own defence.” From there, he goes back into similes and finally some last words of advice. Shakespeare conveys ideas through the similes and universal themes so that the reader can understand what the Friar even if the reader considers the language complicated. The rhetorical questions serve to convey the Friar’s mood. Often, when people are annoyed, they’ll use rhetorical questions. This is a universal thing that readers can understand and with this can understand the Friar’s emotions during this scene.
• Hold thy desperate hand.
Art thou a man? Thy form cries out thou art;
Thy tears are womanish. Thy wild acts denote
The unreasonable fury of a beast.
Unseemly woman in a seeming man,
And ill-beseeming beast in seeming both!
Thou hast amazed me. By my holy order,
I thought thy disposition better tempered.
Hast thou slain Tybalt? Wilt thou slay thyself,
And slay thy lady that in thy life lives
By doing damnèd hate upon thyself?
Why rail’st thou on thy birth, the heaven, and earth?
Since birth and heaven and earth, all three do meet
In thee at once, which thou at once wouldst lose?
Fie, fie, thou shamest thy shape, thy love, thy wit,
Which, like a usurer, abound’st in all
And usest none in that true use indeed
Which should bedeck thy shape, thy love, thy wit.
Thy noble shape is but a form of wax,
Digressing from the valor of a man;
Thy dear love sworn but hollow perjury,
Killing that love which thou hast vowed to cherish;
Thy wit, that ornament to shape and love,
Misshapen in the conduct of them both,
Like powder in a skill-less soldier’s flask,
Is set afire by thine own ignorance;
And thou dismembered with thine own defence.
What, rouse thee, man! Thy Juliet is alive,
For whose dear sake thou wast but lately dead—
There art thou happy. Tybalt would kill thee,
But thou slew’st Tybalt—there art thou happy.
The law that threatened death becomes thy friend
And turns it to exile—there art thou happy.
A pack of blessings light upon thy back,
Happiness courts thee in her best array,
But, like a misbehaved and sullen wench,
Thou pout’st upon thy fortune and thy love.
Take heed, take heed, for such die miserable.
Go, get thee to thy love, as was decreed.
Ascend her chamber, hence, and comfort her.
But look thou stay not till the watch be set,
For then thou canst not pass to Mantua,
Where thou shalt live, till we can find a time
To blaze your marriage, reconcile your friends,
Beg pardon of the Prince, and call thee back
With twenty hundred thousand times more joy
Than thou went’st forth in lamentation.—
Go before, Nurse. Commend me to thy lady,
And bid her hasten all the house to bed,
Which heavy sorrow makes them apt unto.
Romeo is coming.

12. Act 4, Scene 5 Lines 34-40
This passage is said by Lord Capulet right after he finds out that his only daughter, Juliet, has “died”. He mentions ‘death’ or anything related to death five times in this passage. He basically says that death has deflowered his daughter, death is his son-in-law, his heir, and that it will once take all of him. He lastly says that everything belongs to death. In this passage, Shakespeare’s tool for making this passage have a big impact on the reader is his use of repetition. As I’ve already mentioned, he uses the word ‘death’ and other terms relating to death many times. This almost forces the idea that Juliet has died onto the reader even though Juliet is, in fact, alive. This gives the reader a sense of dread because the devastating feelings that Lord Capulet is feeling seems to be almost palpable. Though it is a small passage, it is stuffed full with Lord Capulet basically saying that now that Juliet is “dead”, everything to him IS death.
Ready to go, but never to return.
O son, the night before thy wedding day
Hath *Death* lain with thy wife. There she lies,
Flower she was,* deflowered by him.*
*Death* is my son-in-law,* Death* is my heir;
My daughter he hath wedded. I will *die*
And leave him all. *Life, living, all is *Death’s.**

13. Act 2 Scene 3 Lines 23-30
Here Shakespeare uses common and relatable themes to not just give insight to the rest of the story but also insight to man’s character. From this passage, the reader can guess that there will be both acts of goodness and acts of violence, but violence will overpower all.

14. Insightful Identifier
josiah

15. This passage is crucial for revealing the family feud and creating an even worse problem. The prince is reprimanding both the Caplets and the Montagues. He reveals just how bad the situation is by pointing out that this is the third time they have had a all out brawl in the streets, and how forbidden Romeo’s love for a Capulet is. The prince also states that the next time they fight and disturb Verona streets those responsible with die. These words make Romeo’s dangerous love turn deadly.
“Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbor-stained steel,--
Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, you beasts,
That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains issuing from your veins,
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground,
And hear the sentence of your moved prince.
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets,
And made Verona's ancient citizens
Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,
To wield old partisans, in hands as old,
Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate:
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
For this time, all the rest depart away:
You Capulet; shall go along with me:
And, Montague, come you this afternoon,
To know our further pleasure in this case,
To old Free-town, our common judgment-place.
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.”

16. This passage foreshadows a very important part of the story
This passage foreshadows a very important part of the story. Romeo is about to go to a party to see his “love” Rosaline. He gets this feeling that the night’s consequences will end in his early death. Even after predicting his own death because of going to the party, he still goes to the party. It’s like knowing the masked murderer is in the closet but opening it anyway!
“I fear, too early: for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night's revels and expire the term
Of a despised life closed in my breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
But He, that hath the steerage of my course,
Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen.” (Romeo 599).

17. This passage displays the Friars relationship to Romeo
This passage displays the Friars relationship to Romeo. The Nurse has just taken the dagger from Romeo’s hand. The Friar is telling Romeo, put yourself together and eat a snickers. The Friar is a mentor to Romeo. He reminds Romeo how much good has come to him and that he should be happy.
“Hold thy desperate hand:
Art thou a man? thy form cries out thou art:
Thy tears are womanish; thy wild acts denote
The unreasonable fury of a beast:
Unseemly woman in a seeming man!
Or ill-beseeming beast in seeming both!
Thou hast amazed me: by my holy order,
I thought thy disposition better temper'd.
Hast thou slain Tybalt? wilt thou slay thyself?
And stay thy lady too that lives in thee,
By doing damned hate upon thyself?
Why rail'st thou on thy birth, the heaven, and earth?
Since birth, and heaven, and earth, all three do meet
In thee at once; which thou at once wouldst lose.
Fie, fie, thou shamest thy shape, thy love, thy wit;
Which, like a usurer, abound'st in all,
And usest none in that true use indeed
Which should bedeck thy shape, thy love, thy wit:
Thy noble shape is but a form of wax,
Digressing from the valour of a man;
Thy dear love sworn but hollow perjury,
Killing that love which thou hast vow'd to cherish;
Thy wit, that ornament to shape and love,
Misshapen in the conduct of them both,
Like powder in a skitless soldier's flask,
Is set afire by thine own ignorance,
And thou dismember'd with thine own defence.
What, rouse thee, man! thy Juliet is alive,
For whose dear sake thou wast but lately dead;
There art thou happy: Tybalt would kill thee,
But thou slew'st Tybalt; there are thou happy too:
The law that threaten'd death becomes thy friend
And turns it to exile; there art thou happy:
A pack of blessings lights up upon thy back;
Happiness courts thee in her best array;
But, like a misbehaved and sullen wench,
Thou pout'st upon thy fortune and thy love:
Take heed, take heed, for such die miserable.
Go, get thee to thy love, as was decreed,
Ascend her chamber, hence and comfort her:
But look thou stay not till the watch be set,
For then thou canst not pass to Mantua;
Where thou shalt live, till we can find a time
To blaze your marriage, reconcile your friends,
Beg pardon of the prince, and call thee back
With twenty hundred thousand times more joy
Than thou went'st forth in lamentation.
Go before, nurse: commend me to thy lady;
And bid her hasten all the house to bed,
Which heavy sorrow makes them apt unto:
Romeo is coming.”

18. This passage is a key event that effects the resolution of the story
This passage is a key event that effects the resolution of the story. The prince is exiling Romeo because he killed Tybalt. He didn’t have Romeo killed since Tybalt had killed Mercutio, a relative of the prince. Now that Romeo is not allowed in Verona, this sparks the idea for Juliet to fake her death and go live with Romeo. Also, since the distance between the two was now increased, Romeo heard from his servant about Juliet before the Friar’s servant could tell Romeo that it was faked.
“And for that offence
Immediately we do exile him hence:
I have an interest in your hate's proceeding,
My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding;
But I'll amerce you with so strong a fine
That you shall all repent the loss of mine:
I will be deaf to pleading and excuses;
Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses:
Therefore use none: let Romeo hence in haste,
Else, when he's found, that hour is his last.
Bear hence this body and attend our will:
Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill”

19. This passage is important because it is the end of the feud
This passage is important because it is the end of the feud. The heir to both their households had to die for them to finally make amends. It wasn’t even just the two that died. Lady Capulet, Tybalt, Mercutio, and Paris all had to die, too.
“O brother Montague, give me thy hand:
This is my daughter's jointure, for no more
Can I demand.”

20. Mind Muser
jason

21. Story of Rosaline
This is the story of a fair maiden by the name of Rosaline, which is me. Of my role in this whole conflict that had occurred between the Capulets and Montagues, of how that horrible wench, Juliet had stolen my man, Romeo. Romeo for the longest time had shown an interest in me, I think he had loved me. And I loved him back, however he didn’t realize that I had a plan to get him. And this plan started off by being hard to get for him. For the longest time it was working, and he had loved me and only me. I was going to make my move at him on the day of the party for the Capulets. And he and I were to be lovers forever. However, things went awry when he didn’t want to dance with me, but with another woman! She, whoever she was, had ruined my perfect plan for our destined love together. Jealousy coursed through my veins, and I could only watch sadly and angrily as I spied on them for the next few days.
Then came the next say, inside the chapel, where I had caught their secret wedding. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I watched my love stolen away by a new woman in less than a day. I was angry at her, and I needed to get my revenge somehow. The next day had arrived when I watched as my heroic Romeo had slain the murderous Tybalt, and he was banished forever. That was a day of weeping for me, and I knew that all hope of being with my lover was then lost. All because of this ugly fiend, Juliet. She was terrible and I wish she could die. To my luck, she did die, and that was quite possibly the happiest day of my life.
My good mood was soon then ruined by the discovering of Romeo’s dead body by her corpse. Eventually, it had dawned on everybody what had really happened. The rest of my life was filled with sorrow and regret. I was lonely and sad for the rest of it.

22. Symbol Sleuth
meghan

23. Knife
Knife- The knife represents the love and hate in one movement. When Romeo slayed Tybalt out of hate, he used a sword to stab him. When Juliet killed herself out of love, she used a dagger to stab herself. The knife shows how one action can be used for both hate and love. It symbolizes how the characters can have both love and hate toward one person or thing. Juliet loved her father, but she hated how he treated her. The knife symbolizes a love-hate relationship the characters have.
The knife is found on pg. 636 and pg. 686

24. Night
Night- The night represents the love Romeo and Juliet have. If night never came, Romeo and Juliet could never be together. The people of Verona would be watching and the love is only alive when they’re able to see each other. The hot days boil their blood and make the people of Verona mad and hatred is alive. Nighttime is the only time the love scenes occur and the daytime is when the brawls occur.
Night is found on pg. 612

25. Queen Mab
Queen Mab- Queen Mab is the queen of the fairies who helps people dream Mercutio talks about. Queen Mab represents the aspirations the characters go for. Normally, Juliet and Romeo wouldn’t want to be together if they didn’t dream that they could. Queen Mab symbolizes the dreaming of a new world for Romeo and Juliet.
Queen Mab is found on pg. 598

26. Plants and Poison
Plants and Poison- The plants can be used to put into poison or medicine. The plants represent the way one person can be used for good or bad. Paris was bad, because he could make Juliet never be able to see Romeo. The plants symbolize the good and bad uses in the characters towards another character.
Poison is found on pg. 683

27. Thumb Biting
Thumb Biting- The thumb biting is like flicking someone the finger. When Samson bites his thumb at the Montague’s servants, he just wants to stir up trouble. The servants automatically started to take it offensively and allow Samson to stir up trouble. Thumb Biting symbolizes the fact that the people of Verona weren’t civilized and would take a chance of fighting no matter what the consequences.
Thumb Biting is found on pg. 584

28. Reactionary Revealer
sophia

29. Romeo Tries to Kill Himself—Lord Capulet Calls Juliet a Wench
Romeo tries to kill himself(again)
After Romeo is banished by the Prince for killing Tybalt, he goes and cries to Friar Lawrence about his misfortunes. There he picks up a dagger and almost commits suicide if the Nurse had not stopped him. Then the Friar lectures him that he had more fortunes to count than not. Not only did Romeo act brashly and without thinking in this scene (as he does in all of them) but it appears that throughout the entire play Romeo is on the brink of suicide. He is consistently unstable and it seems as the fact that suicide is a sin in his religion truss no importance to him. Obviously, if he's not afraid of going to he'll, he's not afraid of the other consequence of his own demise, like, per say, killing his mom of sadness. (p )
Lord Capulet calls Juliet a wench
This is the scene that confuses me the most for the reaction of the character doesn't match the character at all. Lord Capulet begins calling his daughter rude names when she refuses to marry Paris and says that he is tempted to lash out at her. Before when presented in the book he seemed kind and to honor his daughter. Now he wants to hit her? I'm not sure -considering it was never stated - what made Lord Capulet act like that. Maybe it was the stress and sorrow of Tyrant's death that got to him. That is the only event in the play previous to this one that could explain such a reaction. (p652)

30. The Friar leaves Juliet
After Juliet wakes up to discover the love of her life having killed himself by her bedside, the Friar briefly explains what had happened to have provoked Romeo’s death. Then he is spooked by a noise and leaves. I mean, hello, Romeo just killed himself. What makes him think that Juliet is any more stable to the realization that her loved one is dead? Yes Friar, leave her alone, because that worked out so well last time. (p685)
Romeo slays Paris
In scene V, Romeo is once again easily called to action and slays Paris. Paris accuses him of being the enemy and Romeo explains himself but all Paris has to say is that he doesn’t believe him—and Romeo’s claim is something that would be a little hard to believe—and Romeo just goes ahead and kills him. He said to sentences and Romeo just goes ahead and kills him. Not much of a hesitation against killing is you ask me. (p681)

31. The Reconciliation The Reconciliation
The play ends quickly and with Lord Capulet and Lord Montague reconciling, realizing what their hatred has led to. Not only does Lady Montague die because Romeo was exiled for killing Tybalt (something else that wouldn’t have happened if not for their rivalry) both Romeo and Juliet kill themselves to be together due to the twisted turn of events. So now with both heirs to the families dead, no hope left for their families to continue, the two men give into forgiveness. (p )