Romeo and Juliet Act 1

Romeo and Juliet Prologue/Act 1

​Our Play Takes Place in Verona Italy

​The son of Montague and Lady Montague. A young man. Romeo is handsome, intelligent, and sensitive. At first sight, he falls in love with Juliet, the daughter of his family's archenemy, Capulet. Though he is capable of the most intense love, Romeo is no mere pretty-boy: he proves himself to be a fine swordsman in the course of the play. He is related to Benvolio and great friends with Mercutio and Friar Laurence.

​​Romeo

​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. She grows up quickly, though upon falling in love with Romeo, the son of her family's great enemy. Though she loves Romeo as profoundly as he loves her, Juliet nevertheless demonstrates a more level and sober head than does her love. Until a falling out near the end of the play, the Nurse is Juliet's closest, and, it seems, only confidant and friend.

​​Juliet

​ A Franciscan monk, friend to both Romeo and Juliet. Kind, civic-minded, an advocate of moderation, and always ready with a plan. Friar Laurence secretly marries the impassioned lovers in hopes that the union might eventually bring peace to Verona. Though a Catholic monk, Friar Laurence is also, oddly, an expert in the use of mystical potions and herbs.

​​Friar Lawrence

​A kinsman to the Prince, and Romeo's close friend. One of the most extraordinary characters in all of Shakespeare's plays, Mercutio overflows with imagination, wit, and, at times, a strange, biting satire and brooding. Mercutio loves wordplay, especially sexual double entendres. He can be quite hotheaded, and hates those who are fashionable and polite for social acceptance. He finds Romeo's romanticized ideas about love tiresome.

​​Mercutio

​Juliet's nurse, a vulgar, long-winded, and sometimes sentimental woman, she is more than just Juliet's confidant. In many ways, she is like her mother. The Nurse raised Juliet as well (I.iii.19–21 and I.iii.70). Until a disagreement near the play's end, the Nurse is a faithful intermediary in Juliet's affair with Romeo. She appreciates a handsome face, a courteous gesture, and the occasional swig of aqua vitae

Nurse

​A Capulet, 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 Montagues.

Tybalt

​Juliet's mother, Capulet's wife. A woman who herself married young (by her own estimation she gave birth to Juliet at around fourteen), she is eager to see her daughter marry Paris. She is an ineffectual mother, relying on the Nurse for moral and practical support.

Lady Capulet

​Romeo's father, the patriarch of the Montague clan and bitter enemy of the Capulets. Montague is a not major figure in the play. He is concerned about Romeo's melancholy at the beginning of the play.

​​Montague

Other Characters:

Lady Montague - Romeo's mother, Montague's wife.

Paris - A kinsman of the Prince, and the suitor of Juliet most preferred by Capulet. Though a trifle arrogant (being one of the best looking men in Verona), Paris seems intelligent and kind. He has deep feelings for Juliet. Even so, he lacks the passion that animates Romeo.

Benvolio - Montague's nephew, Romeo's cousin and thoughtful friend, he holds a genuine distaste for violence in public places. He spends most of the play trying to help Romeo get his mind off Rosaline, even after Romeo has fallen in love with Juliet.

Prince Escalus - The Prince of Verona. A kinsman of Mercutio and Paris. As the seat of political power in Verona, he is concerned about maintaining the public peace at all costs.

Rosaline - The woman with whom Romeo is infatuated at the beginning of the play. Rosaline never appears onstage, but it is said by other characters that she is very beautiful and has sworn to live a life of chastity.

Open Ended

What do you infer this play will be about?

Turn to page 177 in your text books

Script translations:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WZahhAmhjiut9KzPnluR3Y6l38uO6wfB/view?usp=sharing

Multiple Choice

What is "theme" ?

• The central topic, message, or idea explored in a work of literature or art.

• The protagonist of a story
• A type of musical instrument
• The color scheme used in a website design

Multiple Choice

What is an allusion?

• A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of art in literature
• A type of fruit found in tropical regions
• A form of punctuation used to separate items in a list
• A method of foreshadowing in literature

Multiple Choice

What is a tragic hero?

• A tragic hero is a character who always makes the right decisions
• A tragic hero is a character who always triumphs over adversity
• A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.
• A tragic hero is a character who never faces any obstacles

Multiple Choice

What is an antagonist?

• A character or force that supports the protagonist
• A character or force that has no impact on the story
• A character or force that works against the protagonist
• A character or force that is the main focus of the story

Multiple Choice

What is the feud between the two families in Romeo and Juliet?

• Garcia and Martinez families
• Smith and Johnson families
• Capulet and Montague families
• Brown and Davis families

Multiple Choice

Where does the play Romeo and Juliet take place?

• Athens, Greece
• London, England
• Verona, Italy
• Paris, France

Multiple Choice

What is the relationship between Romeo and Mercutio?

• Cousins
• brothers

• Close friends
• Business partners

Multiple Choice

Who is Juliet's cousin and wants to marry her in Act 1?

• Romeo
• Mercutio
• Paris
• Tybalt

Multiple Choice

How do Romeo and Juliet first meet?

• At a funeral
• At a party
• In a library
• At a grocery store

Open Ended

What advice does Benvolio give to Romeo when he is lovesick?

Multiple Choice

Why does Juliet agree to consider Paris as a potential husband?

• She agrees to consider Paris as a potential husband because she wants to escape her family.
• She agrees to consider Paris as a potential husband because she is deeply in love with him.
• She agrees to consider Paris as a potential husband because of her parents' pressure.
• She agrees to consider Paris as a potential husband because she is afraid of being alone.

Multiple Choice

What is the punishment for fighting in the streets of Verona according to the Prince in Romeo and Juliet?

• Banishment
• Imprisonment
• Public humiliation
• Death

Multiple Choice

Who discovers Romeo and Juliet's love affair in Act 1?

• Romeo's best friend
• Juliet's nurse
• Juliet's cousin
• The town crier