Romeo and Juliet Lecture Notes

Setting

• Takes place in Verona, Italy.
• Two prominent families: Montagues and Capulets.
• Long-standing feud between the families.

Key Characters

• Romeo: Son of the Montagues, initially in love with Rosaline.
• Juliet: Daughter of the Capulets, 13 years old.
• Benvolio: Montague family member, peacemaker.
• Tybalt: Capulet, aggressive, instigates fighting.
• Paris: Suitor to Juliet, favored by Capulet.
• Friar Laurence: Priest, marries Romeo and Juliet.
• Mercutio: Romeo’s friend, killed by Tybalt.
• The Nurse: Juliet’s caretaker, confidante.
• Prince Escalus: Ruler of Verona, tries to maintain peace.

Plot Overview

Act 1

• Servants' Brawl: Montague and Capulet servants fight, escalated by Tybalt.
• Prince's Decree: Declares death penalty for further disturbances.
• Romeo's Lovesickness: Romeo is heartbroken over Rosaline.
• Capulet's Feast: Capulet invites Paris to a feast to court Juliet. Romeo and friends crash the party.
• Romeo Meets Juliet: Falls in love at first sight, forgets Rosaline.

Act 2

• Balcony Scene: Romeo sneaks to Juliet’s balcony, declare love.
• Secret Marriage: Friar Laurence agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet.

Act 3

• The Duel: Tybalt kills Mercutio; Romeo avenges Mercutio by killing Tybalt.
• Romeo's Banishment: Prince banishes Romeo from Verona.

Act 4

• Juliet's Dilemma: Forced to marry Paris, seeks Friar Laurence's help.
• The Potion Plan: Friar gives Juliet a potion to fake death.

Act 5

• Tragic Miscommunication: Romeo, uninformed of plan, believes Juliet dead.
• Romeo's Death: Buys poison, kills himself beside Juliet.
• Juliet's Suicide: Wakes, finds Romeo dead, kills herself.

Themes and Motifs

• Love versus Hate: The power and destructiveness of love and hate.
• Fate and Destiny: The inevitability of fate.
• Miscommunication: Leads to tragedy.

Conclusion

• Feud's End: Deaths of Romeo and Juliet reconcile the families.
• Moral: Consequences of family feuds and lack of communication.

Additional Resources

• SparkNotes: For summaries and analysis.
• No Fear Shakespeare: Modern translations of the play.