1. Romeo & Juliet Act lll Exercises
Warm Up – Write a sentence using a participial phrase to describe a scene from “Act lll”
EXAMPLE: Refusing her father’s arranged marriage proposal, Juliet was threatened by her father with abandonment.
Other possible participial phrases to start your sentence with:
Getting between Mercutio and Tybalt
Trying to avoid the fight
Mistaking Juliet’s lamenting
Hoping the Friar could help

2. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Act III, Literary Analysis: Dramatic Speeches
Characters in plays often deliver these types of dramatic speeches:
• Soliloquy: a lengthy speech in which a character—usually alone on stage—expresses his or her true thoughts or feelings. Soliloquies are unheard by other characters.
• Aside: a brief remark by a character revealing his or her true thoughts or feelings, unheard by other characters.
• Monologue: a lengthy speech by one person. Unlike a soliloquy, a monologue is addressed to other characters.
Characters often add meaning to speeches by making allusions—references to well-known people, places, or events from mythology or literature. For example, in Act II, Mercutio insultingly calls Tybalt “Prince of Cats,” alluding to a cat named Tybalt in French fables.

3. Allusion
5. Explain Juliet’s allusion to Greek mythology in the opening lines of Scene ii p. 870.
Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds,
Toward Phoebus’ lodging!
What is Juliet wanting and why?

4. Answer
Phoebus (Apollo) was the sun god who pulls the sun across the horizon to the place it sets.
Phaeton was Phoebus son who tried to drive his father’s horses but got too close to the sun.
Juliet is wanting the sun to set and evening to come because that is when she is expecting Romeo.

5. Discussion Questions Write Answers in Notes:
1. In Scene v, p. 885 beginning with line 70 Juliet’s mother comes to speak with her about her grieving. In line 78 she refers to Romeo as a villain. In an aside, Juliet says, “Villain and he be many miles asunder.” What is the effect of this aside? Why do you think Shakespeare wrote just the one remark as an aside?

6. Answer:
Juliet speaks the words in an aside, so her mother won’t hear them. But they let the audience know the double meaning to the rest of her words. “He is not at all like a villain, God pardon him, I do! Yet he makes me very sad.

7. Monologue
2. In Scene v, p. 888 Capulet delivers a monologue when he discovers that Juliet has rejected the match with Paris. Reread lines 177–197. What makes this speech a monologue? What is he saying?

8. Answer:
It is a monologue because Capulet is addressing everyone present with his wrath.
He is essentially saying that Juliet is a spoiled brat and that if she does not marry Paris he will throw her out of his house and on the streets to beg.

9. 3. Why is it important for Juliet and the others to hear Capulet’s monologue?

10. Answer: It is important for:
Lady Capulet because she must submit to her husband and cannot help Juliet.
Nurse because she realizes she will be out of a job
Juliet because she is pushed to desperation

11. Soliloquy
4. At the close of Scene v, Juliet delivers a soliloquy. Reread lines 237–244. What makes these last eight lines a soliloquy?

12. ANSWER This is a soliloquy because Juliet is alone.
It reveals her anger with the nurse and her desperation as she threatens to commit suicide if the Friar can’t help her.

13. Exercise Literature book p. 933 Do “Editorial Exercise” Steps:
Decide whether you agree or disagree
Develop two to three reasons
Write your editorial based on those reasons.

14. Intro Example
Paragraph 1: Today in the fair city of Verona, two men are dead, and one by edict of the Prince, has been banished. This sentence of banishment for Romeo Montague is (horribly unjust or is an act of mercy and more than fair.) Paragraph 2: The fray began at the insults and hand of Tybalt Capulet who underhandedly killed Mercutio cousin to the Prince.

15. Possible Arguments If fair:
Romeo gave every effort to keep the peace and stop the fight
Tybalt refused peace and killed Mercutio when Romeo got between them and he was distracted.
“An Eye for an Eye” Romeo needed to avenge Mercutio’s death.
Unfair and he should be sentenced to death:
The law said no fighting and offenders would suffer death
Romeo gave into fighting and killed Tybalt, Tybalt’s death must be avenged
The people of Verona will think they can get away with murder

16. Warm - up
Combine the following sentences creating a participial phrase out of one of them.
Juliet cried profusely.
Juliet heard the news of Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment.
Using the same two sentences create a complex sentence using a subordination conjunction.

17. Examples
Hearing the news of Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment, Juliet cried profusely.
When Juliet heard the news of Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment, she cried profusely.

18. Essay Revision Add 5 vocabulary words to your essay.
Add two of the following or make up your own participial phrases:
Underhandedly killing Mercutio
Desiring to keep the peace
Avenging his death
Setting an example for the community