Act Three

Benvolio and Mercutio walk along in a public place (streets of Verona) Line 4 “These hot days is the mad blood stirring” He feels that there is a fight brewing between the Montagues and the Capulets Mercutio (hot headed) wants a fight Tybalt (hot headed) Capulet Tybalt and Mercutio exchange insults— Tybalt says “Thou consortest with Romeo” line 44—this instigates (causes) the fight Benvolio tries to stop them Romeo enters and Tybalt wants to fight with him

Mercutio goes to defend Romeo The Capulets and the Montagues fight and Mercutio is hurt— FATAL “you will find me a grave man” line 96 “A plague on both your houses” (line 98) He’s upset that he’s been killed for someone else’s feud Mercutio dies and Romeo realizes that the worse is yet to come Tybalt comes back and Romeo is in a rage over Mercutio’s death and fights him Tybalt is slain—killed by Romeo’s sword Romeo flees and citizens enter and call for the prince to come Benvolio explains honestly what has happened and then Capulet’s wife says that Benvolio is not telling the truth because he is friends with Romeo “Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live” line 179 Prince exiles Romeo

Setting: Capulet’s orchard Juliet enters alone—SOLILOQUY Waiting for Romeo for the consummation of their marriage (They are going to make love that night) ALLUSION line three “As Phaeton would whip you to the west and bring in the cloudy night” Wants the sun to set so that night can come. Phaeton is son of Helio (the sun) Nurse enters and she is visibly upset and she says that Romeo is dead! (of course Romeo is NOT dead) Tells Juliet that Tybalt is dead and then corrects herself and says that Romeo is merely banished and that Romeo killed Tybalt Juliet is very UPSET! She tells the nurse to find Romeo and ask him to come so she can say farewell and give him her ring

Romeo hides in Friar Laurence’s room Friar tells Romeo that he is banished—Romeo did not yet know that he was banished because he fled after he killed Tybalt Romeo says that banishment is worse than death Friar Laurence tries to convince Romeo that banishment is certainly NOT worse that death, but Romeo is not convinced Romeo rolls around on the floor sobbing and lamenting his fate

Nurse arrives and tells Romeo to “be a man” for Juliet’s sake Romeo doesn’t listen and threatens to kills himself with a dagger that he finds on the floor Friar Laurence comes up with a plan: After the Capulets are asleep, Romeo will go to Juliet’s chamber for their wedding night Romeo is to leave for Mantua early the following morning Romeo is to wait in Mantua for a letter from Friar Laurence

Friar Laurence will publish Romeo and Juliet’s marriage “at the right time” He believes that the Montagues and Capulets will reconcile (become friendly again) when they learn of the marriage He feels that the Prince of Verona will be overjoyed that the two families are married and that they will be reconciled He believes that Romeo will eventually be pardoned by the Prince and welcomed back to Verona All will be well again once all of this falls into place!

Scene Four occurs while Romeo is upstairs with Juliet at the Capulet’s house Paris comes over to see how Juliet is doing with all of the terrible news Juliet’s parents believe that she is grieving the death of Tybalt To cheer Juliet up, her parents decide that she is to marry Paris in three days’ time They decide for three days because they don’t want the marriage to take place too closely to Tybalt’s death

Setting: Early morning in Juliet’s room Juliet tries to convince Romeo that it is still night so that he won’t leave Romeo says that he’ll stay so that her family will kill him—one night with Juliet was all that he needed to fulfill his life’s desires! Eventually, Romeo leaves for Mantua

Juliet imagines that she sees Romeo dead in a tomb This FORESHADOWS what is to come Lady Capulet goes to Juliet to see if she can help her— she thinks that Juliet is crying over the death of Tybalt when, in fact, Juliet is upset about Romeo’s banishment Lady Capulet tells Juliet that they will send someone to Mantua in order to poison Romeo Lady Capulet tells Juliet that she will marry Paris in three days time—Juliet refuses and says that she’d rather marry her enemy which is DRAMATIC IRONY

Capulet orders Juliet to marry Paris or he will disown her His honor is more important that his daughter’s happiness (this is a change from the beginning of the play) After her parents leave her room, Juliet panics because: She is already married—sin to marry twice Nurse tells her that Romeo is as good as dead now that he is banished Nurse thinks that Juliet should marry Paris which causes Juliet to no longer trust her beloved nurse

Juliet realizes that the nurse is no longer her ally so she pretends to go along with the plan to marry Paris so that the nurse is placated (won’t bother her anymore) After the nurse leaves, Juliet speaks of her as “a most wicked fiend” line 237 Juliet decides to go to Friar Laurence’s cell for confession