Module 3 Lessons: Romeo and Juliet - Act 3

5. Romeo and Juliet - Act 3

Lesson 78

Romeo and Julietï¿½Act 3

Because you have become so enthralled with the secret romance of Romeo and Juliet, you may have forgotten about the two feuding families. However, Shakespeare re-introduces this theme by taking the action to a public street in Verona. In some respects, Act 3 begins in the same fractious way as Act 1. However, this time the results are much more tragic.

Scene 1

When the scene opens, Mercutio and Benvolio are talking as Benvolio tries to persuade Mercutio to retire for fear that they "shall not 'scape a brawl" (line 3) with the Capulets. However, Mercutio seems to be "itching for a fight." Sure enough, Tybalt finds them, rapiers are drawn, and Mercutio is mortally wounded while Romeo attempts to break up the duel. Vowing quick revenge, Romeo attacks Tybalt, and soon Tybalt lies dead as well.

Prince Escalus blames Romeo for the deaths and banishes him from Verona.

Read Scene 1. Then read the following discussion.

Mr. Haas: What was your reaction to Scene 1?

Dominic: It seemed strange that Mercutio and Tybalt died so quickly. I wasn't really prepared for their deaths.

Lin: Shakespeare has been giving hints all along that things will not go smoothly for Romeo and Juliet. Think back to the prologue, for instance.

Mr. Haas: Yes, but we're never fully prepared for tragedy, especially when we see two young men die because of an "ancient grudge."

Brandon: It seems unfair that Romeo will be banished. After all, he didn't start the fight; in fact, he tried to prevent it.

Dominic: What are Romeo and Juliet going to do now? What can they say to their parents now that Tybalt and Mercutio are both dead?

Lin: Things have gone from bad to worse.

Mr. Haas: By the end of Act 2, you knew things were going to be difficult for the young lovers; now you sense their union will be impossible.

Many people consider this scene the turning point or climax of the play. Up until this fateful point, the play could have become a comedy. However, the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt signal a tragedy.

Respond to the following questions.

Find two lines to show that Mercutio is related to Prince Escalus.
In lines 90 to 107, Mercutio speaks in understatement. Find an example of understatement.
Mercutio's words "A plague o' both your houses" point to one of the key themes of the play. Explain.
Lady Capulet reveals a good deal of her character in this scene. What sort of person is she?
Prince Escalus speaks for the second time in the play. What do you learn of his character?
Explain the significance of Romeo's phrase "O, I am fortune's fool!"

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Discuss the following with a partner or small group.

People have different ideas about who is responsible for the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt:

Prince Escalus blames Romeo. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Benvolio gives his opinion in lines 151 to 174. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Scene 2

Scene 2 begins with a long soliloquy from Juliet that is both passionate and romantic. Sadly, the soliloquy and the lines up to line 70 are full of dramatic irony: the audience knows the tragedy of Scene 1 but Juliet does not.

Over the course of this scene, Juliet struggles to come to terms with the death of her kinsman, Tybalt, by her husband, Romeo. Eventually, she chooses her husband over her cousin and family.

Read Scene 2. Then read the following discussion.

Mr. Haas: Do you see any connections between this scene and Act 2, Scene 5?

Brandon: Lots. She's waiting impatiently again for Romeo.

Mr. Haas: You'll see that Juliet uses imagery and metaphors to reveal her feelings.

Chelsea: There's a lot of dark or night imagery. I guess it's to tell us that night is coming, and because Romeo is on his way, she's looking forward to their wedding night.

Lin: There are images of a "sober-suited matron, all in black," a "raven's back," and night being "black-brow'd."

Dominic: Juliet also makes a contrast to night when she says that Romeo will be cut "out in little stars . . . [that] will make the face of heaven so fine / That all the world will be in love with night."

Brandon: The images don't sound all that enticing. And there's the part about "when [Romeo] shall die"—it seems that she is expecting him to die soon.

Mr. Haas: It does sound like a premonition, doesn't it? Do you notice that there is another reference to death being Juliet's bridegroom in this scene?

Brandon: Right. I saw that in line 137. The whole scene is pretty grim.

Respond to the following questions.

In lines 73 to 84, Juliet uses a series of oxymora. Write out a few of these, explaining why she speaks in contradictions.
The nurse's sympathy seems to lie with Tybalt, not Romeo. However, she decides to bring Romeo to Juliet. Why?

The conversation that Juliet has with the nurse in lines 96 to 127 illustrates Juliet's confusion and suffering. Rehearse this scene with a partner. Remember to emphasize particular words and to modulate your voice to create the impression you want to achieve. Think about body movement, but be careful—it's very easy to overact this highly emotional scene.

Journal Entry

Write a letter to a friend or acquaintance who does not know much, or anything, about the play. Explain the turmoil and confusion that Juliet is experiencing in Act 3, Scene 2.

Scene 3

Scene 3 finds Romeo in Friar Laurence's cell. The friar tells Romeo that his punishment shall be banishment, not death. The lesser sentence gives Romeo no comfort, however, and he falls upon the floor, tearing his hair as he grieves for a married life that will never be. Calling Romeo immature and ungrateful, the friar rouses Romeo to action. With the nurse's help, and under the protective cover of night, Romeo goes to Juliet's bedchamber.

By daybreak, Romeo must begin his exile in Mantua.

Read Scene 3. Then respond to the following questions.

We see a different side to Romeo in this scene. What facets of his character are revealed?
Romeo tells Friar Laurence that banishment is torture, not mercy. What does Romeo mean?
Give one piece of evidence from the friar and one from the nurse that show their impatience with Romeo's "childish" behaviour.
Write down at least three points that Friar Laurence uses in lines 108 to 158 to convince Romeo to "act like a man."
As readers, we're not sure exactly when Romeo "falls upon the ground" and begins to weep. If you were staging this scene, when would you have Romeo's weeping begin? Why would you choose this place in the scene?
Because Romeo is a protagonist, the audience's sympathies should remain with him even when he tears his hair and cries aloud. What does Shakespeare do to keep the audience sympathetic?

Scene 4

It's hard to believe that only 36 hours have passed since the drama began on the streets of Verona. It's late Monday evening. In Lord Capulet's house, Capulet and Paris resume the conversation they began about marriage in Act 1, Scene 2. Lady Capulet is also present. Lord Capulet promises Paris that Juliet shall marry him on Thursday morning. The three of them are not aware that, as they speak, Romeo and Juliet are upstairs in their marriage bed. Their ignorance of this important fact produces dramatic irony.

Read Scene 4, and then respond to the following question.

4. Scene 4 has elements of dramatic irony within it. Give one or two examples, using specific lines for support.

Because of Tybalt's death, it's a time of mourning for the Capulet family. However, Lord Capulet, for reasons that are never fully explained, decides that Paris and Juliet must wed immediately.

Rehearse lines 19 to 28 with a partner. In Lord Capulet's voice and movements, try to combine grief at the funeral and joy due to the marriage.

Scene 5

It's now early Tuesday morning. Romeo and Juliet have spent their wedding night together. Both know that Romeo must leave for Mantua immediately; however, the parting is painful. It doesn't help that Juliet has a terrible premonition in which she sees Romeo "dead in the bottom of a tomb" (line 56).

The moment Romeo departs, Lady Capulet arrives to announce Juliet's wedding to Paris.

Read Scene 5. Then respond to the following questions.

a. Give two examples of night imagery and two instances of day imagery from the speeches of Romeo and Juliet in lines 1 to 36.
b. Note one example of figurative language from lines 1 to 36 and one from lines 127 to 139. Identify each figure of speech, and explain the effect of each one. See the following example from Act 1, Scene 2.

Line Reference Example Figure of Speech Effect

2 and 3 . . . the lark . . . pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear. personification and understatement This quote emphasizes the harsh associations of day. Romeo must now go to Mantua.

c. Juliet's words to her mother in lines 86 and 87 are dramatically ironic. They're also ambiguous in the sense that they mean one thing to Juliet and another to her mother. Give an example of an ambiguous phrase, and explain how it satisfies Lady Capulet.
d. List one example of dramatic irony from this scene. Explain why it's ironic.
e. In lines 127 to 139, Lord Capulet uses an extended metaphor in his speech to Juliet. What is the metaphor? What words or phrases extend it? Why is it effective?
f. The motif of Juliet being married to death occurs in this scene. Give two examples.
g. This scene creates a considerable amount of suspense. What does the reader or viewer want to find out in the next act?

The dashes in line 95 are important pieces of punctuation. Practise reading aloud lines 94 to 96 with a partner, using the dashes to help you change meaning. Discuss your findings.

Chelsea: I can't figure out why Capulet has forgotten that he earlier said Juliet was too young to marry.

Lin: Or that he said he'd ask Juliet's approval before he picked a husband for her.

Mr. Haas: There doesn't seem to be a good reason for his forgetfulness, if that's what it is. It's details like these that remind us to suspend our disbelief.

Dominic: Our what?

Mr. Haas: There's a lot that happens in live drama and film that doesn't literally represent life. Remember that Shakespeare has a play to write and a story to tell. At times he has to exaggerate details, speed up time, and devise coincidences to move the plot and themes forward.

Brandon: It makes artistic sense.

Mr. Haas: The audience has to say, "This is unrealistic in day-to-day life, but it makes sense in the context of the play or film."

Journal Entry

How has fate worked against Romeo and Juliet? How has family hatred worked against them? How has their impetuous behaviour created problems for the young couple? How has the involvement of family and friends in the lives of Romeo and Juliet made the situation worse?

At the beginning of Act 3, the characters and the audience are swiftly reminded of the insolvable problem—the hatred that the Montagues and the Capulets continue to have for one another. The deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt begin the downward spiral of destruction. Romeo's banishment and Juliet's impending marriage to Paris bring a chilling close to the end of Act 3. Although Juliet hopes that Friar Laurence can find "a remedy" to cure the many serious problems, the prospects appear dim.

At this point in the play, you have a much firmer grasp on the following:
the plot
the personality traits of Romeo and Juliet
the setting, including the passage of time
central issues, including themes
key motifs, imagery, and figurative language

Suggested Answers

1. a. In lines 143 and 144, Benvolio speaks to Prince Escalus: "There lies [Tybalt], slain by young Romeo, / That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio."

b. In line 92, Mercutio says he received "a scratch" from Tybalt's blade.

c. Mercutio condemns both the Capulets and the Montagues, implying that their on-going feud is responsible for his early death. In other words, the family feud spreads violence and destruction throughout the entire community of Verona.

d. Lady Capulet is loyal to the Capulet household and seems genuinely fond of Tybalt. She is vengeful because she wants Romeo dead. Although Benvolio reveals the details of the fight, she will not listen to reason. She is unable to see that the Capulets are just as responsible for the fight as are the Montagues.

e. Prince Escalus is firm and clear-headed. Unlike Lady Capulet, he is just, but not vengeful. He upholds the law and believes in justice. According to Price Escalus' ideas of justice—because Romeo killed another person in a duel, and was forbidden to do so—Romeo must pay for his crime through banishment.

f. Romeo means that his destructive actions were propelled and controlled by fate, not by a personal desire for violence. He wanted no part of the original fight and tried to break it up. Yet a violent fight occurred and two men lie dead, one by his hand. Within a few minutes, he lost his best friend and killed the cousin of his new wife, Juliet. The future looks bleak.

2. a.

serpent heart
dragon
tyrant
fiend
raven
wolvish-ravening
despised substance
damned
villain

flowering face
fair a cave
beautiful
angelical
dove-feather'd
lamb
divinest show
saint
honourable

Juliet's contradictions reveal her inner turmoil. On one hand, her love and sympathy lie with her family; on the other, with Romeo. In truth, she doesn't really know how she feels because her feelings change from instant to instant.

b. In order to provide comfort to Juliet and to relieve her distress, the nurse is willing to bring Romeo to Juliet's chamber.

3. a. Responses will vary; however, most readers notice that Romeo's emotions and reactions are mixed and sometimes contradictory. He shows varying degrees of self-pity, helplessness, hopelessness, anger, irrationalism, extreme grief, and negativity.

b. Romeo says banishment means torture to him because he "may [not] look on [Juliet]" in Mantua. (line 32)

c. The following is evidence from the friar:

line 61: "O, then I see that madmen have no ears." (he speaks sarcastically)
line 77: "What simpleness is this!" (when Romeo lies upon the floor, crying)
line 82: "There [he lies] on the ground, with his own tears made drunk."

Evidence from the nurse includes the following:

line 88: ". . . stand, an you be a man."

d. Responses will vary because the friar gives more than three reasons. Compare your responses with the following:

Friar Laurence urges Romeo to act like a man and stop his "womanish" tears. He tells Romeo that his wild behaviour is more like a beast than it is like a man.
When Romeo thinks of killing himself to end his agony, the friar says to do so would be to kill the "lady that in thy life lives." (line 117)
He reminds Romeo of his vows to Juliet, and implores him to run to her side as soon as possible.
The friar concludes by injecting some hope into what seems to be a hopeless situation.

He tells Romeo that once tempers cool and time passes, he will be able to return from Mantua. Romeo and Juliet will then be free to publicly announce their marriage.

e. Responses will vary. However, a careful reader can tell that on or before line 70, Romeo lies on the floor. You can choose any place between lines 3 and 70 as long as you explain the reason for your choice.

f. It's difficult not to lose sympathy with Romeo at times. However, his words and actions reveal true grief and genuine helplessness. Even though his wild and erratic comments show a kind of self-pity, the audience discovers that Juliet is acting in much the same manner. Most importantly, at the end of this dramatic scene, Romeo rises, stops weeping, and goes to Juliet. In other words, his love for Juliet eventually moves him to action rather than tears.

4. The following are two examples:

In lines 10 and 11, Lady Capulet says that Juliet is locked in her room upstairs in grief over Tybalt's death. However, the audience knows she is upstairs with Romeo.
In line 20, Lord Capulet tells Paris that Juliet shall marry him on Thursday, yet the audience knows that Romeo and Juliet were married earlier in the day.

5. a. The following are some possibilities.

Note: At times, to express their conflicting emotions, Romeo and Juliet speak about day in terms of night and night in terms of day. Therefore, at times, you may have placed examples under different categories.

Day imagery

". . . what envious streaks / Do lace the severing clouds in yonder east." (lines 7 and 8)
"Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day / Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops." (lines 9 and 10)

Night imagery

"It was the nightingale, and not the lark, / That pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear." (lines 2 and 3)
"I'll say yon grey is not the morning's eye, / 'Tis but the pale reflex of Cynthia's brow." (lines 19 and 20)

b. Here is one example of figurative language; other possibilities exist.

Line Reference	Example	Figure of Speech	Effect
12 and 13	Yond light is . . . some meteor that the sun exhales.	metaphor	In denying that the daylight is day but instead is stars, Juliet has a beautiful image full of hope and desire.

c. Line 87 is a good example of both dramatic irony and ambiguity. Juliet exclaims, "Would none but I might venge my cousin's death!" This phrase means one thing to Juliet and the audience, and another to Lady Capulet. Lady Capulet thinks Juliet is so bent upon revenge that she wants to kill Romeo with her own hands. What Juliet actually means is the opposite: she wishes only she could avenge Tybalt's death because with Juliet as Tybalt's only avenger, Romeo would be safe.

Other examples exist in lines 94 to 96, 97 to 100, and 100 to 104. If you chose one of these examples, explain your reasoning.

d. The excerpts from lines 94 to 96, 97 to 100, and 100 to 104 are ironic.

Another example is that Lady Capulet believes Juliet's tears are for Tybalt, while the audience knows they're for Romeo.

e. Lord Capulet likens Juliet's tears to rain. The following phrases extend the metaphor:

a conduit
showering
a bark, a sea, a wind

ebb and flow
sailing in this salt flood

The extended metaphor is effective because it accentuates the extent of Juliet's grief.

f. "I would the fool were married to her grave!" (line 141)

". . . make the bridal bed / In that dim monument where Tybalt lies." (lines 202 and 203)

g. The audience wants to find out if Juliet can be forced to marry Paris. People also want to know if Romeo will be safe from the Capulets while he's in exile. Because Juliet can't see a solution, the audience hopes Friar Laurence has a remedy for her severe problem.

Lesson Glossary

comedy: a literary work that exposes human folly but, nevertheless, ends happily
dramatic irony: a discrepancy of meaning that occurs when the audience knows something that one or more of the characters do not
understatement: a figure of speech that is deliberately less forceful than the subject or occasion would justify; the opposite of hyperbole