Lecture on Romeo and Juliet by Mr. Everything English

Overview

• Dissection of Romeo and Juliet.
• Summaries of every act.
• Key quotes with analysis.
• Exam context coverage.
• Past paper questions, planning, and model answer writing.
• Prediction for exam topics.

Act Summaries

Prologue

• Chorus states it's not a love story but about star-crossed lovers.
• Romeo and Juliet are destined to meet and separate.

Act 1

• Scene 1: Begins with a brawl between Capulet and Montague servants.
  • Prince threatens punishment by death for future fights.
• Romeo: Introduced post-fight, lovesick over Rosaline.
• Capulet and Paris: Paris wants to marry Juliet, Capulet suggests waiting 2 years and invites him to their ball.
• The Ball: Romeo sneaks into Capulet's ball, meets Juliet, and they kiss.
  • Tybalt wants to kill Romeo but is stopped by Capulet.

Act 2

• Balcony Scene: Romeo and Juliet declare love and plan to marry.
• Friar Lawrence: Surprised but agrees to marry them to unite the families.
• Marriage: Romeo and Juliet get married quickly.

Act 3

• Fight: Tybalt kills Mercutio; Romeo kills Tybalt in anger.
• Romeo Banished: Romeo spends the night with Juliet before leaving Verona.
• Juliet and Paris: Capulet orders Juliet to marry Paris; Juliet refuses.

Act 4

• Juliet's Fake Death: Friar Lawrence devises a plan; Juliet takes the potion.
• Family Reaction: Capulet family mourns Juliet's 'death'.

Act 5

• Romeo's Reaction: Romeo hears of Juliet's death, buys poison, and heads to Verona.
• Mistaken Death: Romeo kills Paris, then himself; Juliet wakes, sees dead Romeo, and kills herself.
• Families Reconcile: Capulet and Montague end their feud.

Key Quotes and Analysis

Quote 1: "These violent delights have violent ends"

• Oxymoron: Violent delights (impulse/emotion) lead to violent ends (death/destruction).
• Foreshadowing: Predicts the tragic end of impulsive love.
• Context (Freud): Characters act on the Id (raw instincts).

Quote 2: "Love is everything except what it is"

• Juxtaposition and Personification: Love is ambiguous and powerful.
• Analysis: Love controls emotions and actions, highlighting its deceptive nature.

Quote 3: "Star-crossed lovers"

• Foreshadowing: Romeo and Juliet are doomed from the start.
• Analysis: Predicts their death and the brief, impulsive nature of their love.

Context: Freud and Patriarchy

Freud's Theory

• Id, Ego, Superego: Focus on the Id (raw desires).
• Romeo and Juliet: Slaves to their desires (Romeo - love, Juliet - freedom).

Patriarchy

• Men's Dominance: Traditional view of men being strong and women weak.
• Romeo's Defiance: Romeo challenges patriarchal norms, showing weakness in love.

Past Paper Questions

• 2017: Aggressive male behavior.
• 2018: Relationships between adults and young people.
• 2019: Relationship between Romeo and Juliet.
• 2020: Conflict between Capulets and Montagues.
• 2021: Juliet as a character with strong emotions, Romeo's feelings towards Juliet.

Prediction

• Likely a question on the positives or negatives of love.

Essay Planning

• Structure: Aim for four PETZEL paragraphs.
  1. Extract (Language analysis)
  2. Whole text (Language with context)
  3. Extract (Structural analysis)
  4. Whole text (Flexible)
• Marking: AO1 (12 marks) - point and reference, AO2 (12 marks) - analysis, AO3 (6 marks) - context.
• Content: Balance analysis of language, structure, and form, including context as necessary.
• Tips: Include context once or twice, focus on extract and whole text evenly.

Conclusion

• Summary of play's themes: Danger of love, family feuds, and human idolatry.
• Exam strategy: Effective use of quotes, context, and structured essay writing.

End of Lecture Notes