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Romeo and Juliet Act 1 and 2 Review
SHAKESPEARE
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the
world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon".
Born: April 23, 1564, Stratford-upon-Avon
Died: April 23, 1616, Stratford-upon-Avon
Education: King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon
Spouse: Anne Hathaway (m. 1582–1616)
THE GLOBE THEATRE
A theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord
Chamberlain's Men, and held up to 3,000 people. It was destroyed by a fire on June 29, 1613; however, it was rebuilt on the same site
by June 1614. It was finally closed in 1642.
THE RENAISSANCE AGE (“REBIRTH”)
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that profoundly affected European intellectual life in the early modern period. Beginning in
Italy, and spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence was felt in literature, philosophy, art, music, politics,
science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry. Renaissance scholars employed the humanist method in study, and searched
for realism and human emotion in art.
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Romeo and Juliet Act 1 and 2 Review
SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET
Constructed from three four-line stanzas (called quatrains) and a final couplet composed in iambic pentameter. This is also the meter
used extensively in Shakespeare's plays. The rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg.
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Romeo and Juliet Act 1 and 2 Review
VOCABULARY
1. Allusion - a passing or casual reference to something such as a famous person, historical document, other literary works, etc.
2. Aside - A piece of dialogue intended for the audience and supposedly not heard by the other actors on stage.
3. Bawdy Humor – filthy, lustful, and/or indecent jokes.
4. Chorus - a single character that functions as a narrator offering commentary on the play’s plot and themes.
5.
Couplet - A unit of verse consisting of two consecutive lines, usually rhyming and having the same meter and often forming a
complete thought. [POETRY]
6.
Dramatic Irony - when the suggestions of a situation, speech, etc., are understood by the audience but not by the characters in
the play.
7.
Eye Rhyme - a rhyme in which two words are spelled similarly but pronounced differently, as in laughter and slaughter.
8. Foil - a character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight various features of that other
character's personality.
9.
Oxymoron - A rhetorical figure in which inconsistent or contradictory terms is combined, as in a deafening silence.
10. Soliloquy - A dramatic or literary form of dialogue in which a character talks to him or herself or reveals his or her thoughts
without addressing a listener.
11. Sonnet - A 14-line verse form/poem usually having one of several conventional rhyme schemes. [POETRY]
12. Tragedy - A drama that ends in catastrophe, most often death, for the main character(s). Usually as a consequence of a character
flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances.
ROMEO AND JULIET
The House of Montague
1.
Romeo - The son and heir of Montague and Lady Montague. A young man of about sixteen, Romeo is handsome, intelligent, and
sensitive. Though impulsive and immature, his idealism and passion make him an extremely likable character. At the beginning of
the play he is madly in love with a woman named Rosaline, but the instant he lays eyes on Juliet, he falls in love with her and
forgets Rosaline.
2.
Mercutio - A kinsman to the Prince, and Romeo’s close friend. He overflows with imagination, wit, and, at times, a strange,
biting satire and brooding fervor. He can be quite hotheaded, and hates people who are artificial, conceited, or obsessed with the
latest fashions. He finds Romeo’s romanticized ideas about love tiresome, and tries to convince Romeo to view love as a simple
matter of lust.
3.
Montague - Romeo’s father, the patriarch of the Montague clan and bitter enemy of Capulet.
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Romeo and Juliet Act 1 and 2 Review
4.
Lady Montague - Romeo’s mother, Montague’s wife. She dies of grief after Romeo is exiled from Verona.
5.
Benvolio - Montague’s nephew, Romeo’s cousin and thoughtful friend, he makes an honest effort to calm violent scenes in public
places, though Mercutio accuses him of having a nasty temper in private.
6.
Juliet - The daughter of Capulet and Lady Capulet. A beautiful thirteen-year-old girl, Juliet begins the play as a naïve child who
has thought little about love and marriage, but she grows up quickly upon falling in love with Romeo, the son of her family’s
great enemy.
7.
The Nurse - Juliet’s nurse, the woman who has cared for Juliet her entire life. A bad-mannered, long-winded, and romantic
character, the Nurse provides comic relief with her frequently inappropriate remarks and speeches.
8.
Tybalt - Juliet’s cousin on her mother’s side. Vain, fashionable, supremely aware of courtesy and the lack of it, he becomes
aggressive, violent, and quick to draw his sword when he feels his pride has been injured. Once drawn, his sword is something to
be feared. He loathes/hates Montagues.
9.
Capulet - The patriarch of the Capulet family, father of Juliet, husband of Lady Capulet, and enemy, for unexplained reasons, of
Montague. Often sensible, he commands respect and propriety, but he is liable to fly into a rage when either is lacking.
The House of Capulet
10. Lady Capulet - Juliet’s mother, Capulet’s wife. A woman who herself married young (by her own estimation she gave birth to
Juliet at close to the age of fourteen), she is eager to see her daughter marry Paris.
Other Characters
11. Friar Lawrence - A Franciscan friar, friend to both Romeo and Juliet. Kind, civic-minded, a supporter of self-control, and
always ready with a plan, Friar Lawrence secretly marries the impassioned lovers in hopes that the union might eventually bring
peace to Verona. As well as being a Catholic holy man, Friar Lawrence is also an expert in the use of seemingly mystical potions
and herbs.
12. Paris - A kinsman of the Prince, and the suitor of Juliet most preferred by Capulet. Once Capulet has promised him he can marry
Juliet, he behaves very presuming toward her, acting as if they are already married.
13. Prince Escalus - The Prince of Verona. As the seat of political power in Verona, he is concerned about maintaining the public
peace at all costs.
14. The Chorus - The Chorus is a single character who, as developed in Greek drama, functions as a narrator offering explanation on
the play’s plot and themes.
Act One Summary
Act 1 opens with a street brawl between the feuding Capulets and Montagues. Then Romeo enters, wining about
unreturned love from Rosaline. In the meantime, Capulet and his wife are considering a marriage between their daughter
Juliet and Count Paris. The Capulets give a party that evening, and Romeo attends, uninvited. There he meets and
instantly falls in love with Juliet, as does she with him. Only later does each learn that the other comes from the rival
family.
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Romeo and Juliet Act 1 and 2 Review
Act Two Summary
After the party, Romeo comes to Capulet’s garden. He sees Juliet at her balcony, and the two declare their love. Juliet
promises to marry Romeo if he can arrange the ceremony. Romeo enlists the help of Friar Laurence, who sees in the
marriage a way to end the Montagu-Capulet feud. Later, Romeo reveals his plan to Juliet’s nurse. The lovers meet and
marry at Friar Laurence’s cell.
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