However, tragedy in its strictest form presupposes certain formal conceits. Drawing his sword, he commands them to stop. Act 2, prologue. Romeo illustrates his idea of love as a battlefield by using military terms to describe the ways in which he has used his eyes and words of love in a combined attack to win the lady over, but without success: "She will not stay the siege of loving terms / Nor bide th' encounter of assailing eyes." When her mother insists she consider Paris as a potential mate, Juliet is clearly uninterested, but understands that a vocal refusal will gain her nothing. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Out on the streets, Peter runs into Romeo and Benvolio, who are talking about Rosaline. Sampson and Gregory want to put their money where their mouths are, i.e., kick some Montague butt—but the Prince of Verona has laid out strict laws against … Even when Romeo is lusting after Rosaline, he is more interested in her sexuality than her personality, and he is upset to learn that she has chosen a life of chastity. At first glance, the speech (and the preceding scene) paint Mercutio as a colorful, sexually-minded fellow, who prefers transient lust over committed love. Benvolio (a Montague and Romeo's cousin) tries to break it up, but it takes Prince Escalus to actually calm the rowdy group. In the story she tells to Lady Capulet, the Nurse speaks of Juliet’s fall when she was a child. Mercutio replies that Benvolio has as quick a temper as any man in Italy, and should not criticize others for their short fuses. Juliet transports him from the dark into the light, moving Romeo to a higher spiritual plane. In the fifth scene, the lovers speak in a sonnet that invokes sacrilegious imagery of saints and pilgrims. Summary and Analysis Act I: Scene 1. Start studying Romeo an Juliet Act 1 Summary. Even more impressive than his stylistic virtuosity is Shakespeare’s carefully calibrated character development. The Prince chides the Montagues and the Capulets for their mutual aggression, which he believes is making the streets of Verona unsafe. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Romeo, controlling his grief, makes plans to return to Verona. Romeo and Benvolio comply, and upon reading the list, they discover that Rosaline will be at the Capulets' party. ed. bookmarked pages associated with this title. Is concerned about Romeos Melancholy, is peace loving. I'm sorry, I do not understand your question as asked. Insulted, Abram confronts Sampson and a fight begins. Shakespeare chooses language that reflects youthful, idealized notions of romance. The Nurse also makes two references that foreshadow Juliet’s death. Those are some loyal servants. So even as he veers between styles and forms, Shakespeare does ensure that Romeo and Juliet a tragic story. This indicates the way in which these lovers can only be together when they are completely separated from the flawed morality and complications of the world around them. He knows that Juliet will be upset since he already married her to Romeo, so she is not going to want to marry Paris. However, these are singularly Shakespearean qualities that are apparent from the play’s first Act. In contrast, Prince Escalus and the Citizens of the Watch are largely two-dimensional characters. J. N. Smith. However, Capulet does grant Paris permission to woo Juliet and thereby win her approval. Analysis of Setting in the Opening Scenes of Luhrmann's Film. He buys some poison so he can go to Juliet's grave and kill himself, which is obviously the mature response. The Question and Answer section for Romeo and Juliet is a great Romeo woefully bemoans his plight as an unrequited, Petrarchan lover. Though Romeo and Juliet try to separate themselves from such archaic grudges and foolish fighting, the couple can't escape the repercussions of the feud, which ultimately deals their love a fatal wound. Capulet suggests to Paris that he should try to impress Juliet at a masked ball that the Capulets are hosting that evening. Benvolio advises him to forget Rosaline by looking for another, but Romeo insists that this would be impossible. While they do discuss their aggression towards the Capulets, they also make numerous sexual puns, undoubtedly intended to amuse the audience. This device was hardly new to Shakespeare, and in fact mirrors the structure of Arthur Brooke's The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet, from which Shakespeare adapted Romeo and Juliet. She says that if he would refuse his Montague name, she would give herself to him; or if he would simply swear that he … The fight rapidly escalates as more citizens become involved and soon the heads of both households appear on … The love that Romeo and Juliet share is the opposite of the selfish love that Shakespeare references in the opening acts of the play. GradeSaver, 26 June 2013 Web. The second half of the scene switches its focus from the theme of feuding and violence to the play's other key theme, love. Meanwhile, Romeo is a far less complex character than Juliet – indeed, in Shakespeare’s work, the heroines are often more multi-dimensional than their male counterparts. Though Romeo and Juliet has become an archetypal love story, it is in fact a reflection of only one very specific type of love – a young, irrational love that falls somewhere between pure affection and unbridled lust. The sudden switch from the comedic interplay between the servants to a potentially life-threatening situation demonstrates the rapidly changing pace that drives the action of the rest of the play. Romeo and Juliet begins with a Chorus, which establishes the plot and tone of the play. Our Romeo and Juliet graphic novel makes it easy to understand Romeo and Juliet with scene-by-scene illustrations, paired with modern-day translations of Shakespeare’s original text. Most important is the idea that an individual (or individuals) is (or are) defeated by forces beyond his or her control; tragedies most often celebrate human willpower in the face of bad luck or divine antagonism. Romeo and Juliet: Plot Summary (Acts 1 and 2) Act 1, Prologue The play begins in Verona, a city that has had its peace shattered by the feud between two prominent families, the house of Montague and the house of Capulet. Act 4 begins back at Friar Laurence's cell with Paris telling Friar Laurence about his upcoming marriage to Juliet. Summary In Mantua, Romeo mistakenly believes that his dreams portend good news because he dreamed that Juliet found him dead but revived him with her kisses. Romeo and Juliet: Act 1, Scene 5 Summary & Analysis New! In Act I, there are several moments where the characters foreshadow the death to come. For instance, we learn in Act 1 that Benvolio is a pacifist, while Tybalt is hot-headed. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. This prologue summarizes the events of Act I, explaining that Romeo’s desire for Rosaline has now been supplanted by his love for the beautiful Juliet, who loves Romeo in return. He personally accompanies the Capulets home. For example, Romeo compares Juliet to "a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear" when he first sees her (1.5.43). At the party, Romeo mopes in the corner, away from the dancing. The story foreshadows the fact that Juilet will fall, evoking the medieval and Renaissance concept of the wheel of fortune. Both Romeo and Juliet believe in the purity of their love - their future may be uncertain, but in the moment, their passion is all-consuming. As the party winds down, Juliet asks her Nurse about Romeo. The Nurse is intriguing because of her self-deceit. While theoretically defending Juliet's youthful freedom, he also reveals his tendency to think of her as an object by granting Paris the opportunity to woo her. Tybalt enters with a group of cronies. Benvolio encourages his cousin to forget about Rosaline and … Had the pair made better decisions, their "fate" would likely have had a happier ending. This unrequited love is the cause of Romeo's depression. It is important to note that Shakespeare wanted Romeo and Juliet to be recognized as tragedy, even though he subverts the genre in many ways. The sonnet is a very structured form of poetry, which indicates a level of order. Romeo and Juliet Act 1 Summary Benvolio, a kinsman to Montague, enters and draws his sword in an attempt to stop the confrontation. In Act 1, Romeo's most pronounced qualities are his petulance and capriciousness. Romeo feels sparks of desire for Juliet before they even speak, reinforcing the young man's quick passions. They meet two servants from the house of Montague and a fight breaks out. On the streets of Verona, two young Capulet servants, Sampson and Gregory, are hanging out and trash-talking the Montagues. He runs off from his friend Mercutio and his cousin Benvolio who call after him inquiring why he would want to hide in … Romeo's servant, Balthasar, then reports to Romeo that Juliet has died. This symbolism foreshadows Juliet’s death, which occurs after her resurrection. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Romeo and Juliet and what it means. Friar Laurence is surprised by this news although he tries not to show it. Benvolio, Romeo's cousin, arrives to discover the fight in progress. For instance, in the scene between Lord Capulet and Paris, the patriarch introduces his desire to control his daughter. And yet, the forces at play in Romeo and Juliet are hardly beyond human control. posterity Rosaline's celibacy will prevent her passing on her beauty to her children or descendants. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Romeo and Juliet and what it means. Capulet then hands his servant Peter a list of names and orders the man to invite everyone on the list to the party. Next. Themes and Colors Key LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Romeo and Juliet, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. That he can express such extreme emotions for a woman he barely knows demonstrates both his immaturity and his potential for deeper love. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Romeo and Juliet and what it means. Paris Lord Capulet for permission to marry Juliet, but Capulet insists that Paris should be patient, since Juliet is only thirteen. Two Capulet servants – Sampson and Gregory – loiter on the street, waiting for some Montague servants to pass. Outside on the Verona street, Benvolio and Mercutio wait around for Romeo to meet them. They exit as Romeo enters in his sad state — a victim of an unrequited love for the cold and unresponsive Rosaline. They serve a merely functional purpose, representing law and order in Verona. The play often veers from meticulous plot into more free-form explorations, making it difficult to categorize. As the play progresses, Romeo's use of language shifts as he begins to speak in blank verse as well as rhyme. Summary. At last, Prince Escalus arrives and stops the riot, forbidding any further outbreaks of violence on pain of death. However, as his speech continues, Mercutio portrays a level of intensity that Romeo lacks. Romeo hushes his friend, admitting his concern about the attending a party at the home of his rivals. They speak together in a sonnet, and Romeo eventually earns Juliet's permission for a kiss. Even Benvolio, the eternal pacifist, has recognized the violent nature of the world, and most of the other men quickly turn to anger and aggression as solutions to their problems. Juliet claims it is something she dreams of. When Benvolio asks Romeo about the source of his gloom, Romeo explains that he is pining for a woman named Rosaline, who plans to remain chaste for the rest of her life. Romeo, on the other hand, exhibits qualities that could be considered feminine by Shakespearean standards – he is melancholy and introverted, choosing to remain distant from both the feud and the violence in Verona. The Montagues and Benvolio remain on stage. However, Lady Capulet restrains him, even after Lord Montague emerges ready to fight. He approaches Benvolio and Mercutio and asks to speak with one of them. While they await the girl’s arrival, the Nurse laments the fact that Juliet will be fourteen in under two weeks. The chorus introduces the play and establishes the plot that will unfold. While attempting to stop the fight, Benvolio (Romeo's cousin) is drawn into the fray by Tybalt, kinsman of the Capulets. This is evident from the first scene, when even the patriarchs of both families enter the public street fight, ready to kill. A summary of Part X (Section15) in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. These conflicting images of love and violence ominously anticipate the play's conclusion when the deaths of Romeo and Juliet "win" the end of the feud. Suggestions ... Romeo and Juliet Act 1 Scene 1 Previous Next Transcript. The Nurse keeps telling her endless tale until Juliet orders her to stop. Romeo, Benvolio, and their friend Mercutio walk through the streets to the Capulets' party. They banter, using sexual innuendo and raunchy puns to joke about women, and speak with animosity about the Montagues. Additionally, the Chorus poses the question of whether or not Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy. 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