Romeo and Juliet Act I Review

Romeo and Juliet Act I, scene i: *The Capulets and Montagues fight in the streets of Verona. *Benvolio – Montague, tries to keep the peace: “Part, fools! Put up thy swords, you know not what you do!” *Tybalt – Capulet, “hates peace, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.” *The Prince of Verona says that, if the Capulets and Montagues fight in the streets again, it will be the death penalty: “If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.” *Lord & Lady Montague wonder why Romeo was not at the fight, and Benvolio says Romeo has been acting standoffish/depressed. *Romeo’s parents ask Benvolio to find out why Romeo is depressed; it turns out that Romeo is in love with a girl (Rosaline) who does not love him back: [B] “What sadness lengthens Romeo’s hours?” [R] “Not having that, which having, makes them short.” [B] “In love?” [R] “Out.” [B] “Out of love?” [R] “Out of her favor, where I am in love.” *Benvolio tells his cousin not to get too hung up on one beautiful girl, but to look at other girls: [B] “Be ruled by me, forget to think of her.” [R] “O teach me how I should forget to think.” [B] “By giving liberty unto thine eyes; examine other beauties.” Romeo and Juliet Act I, scene ii: *Lord Capulet was told by the Prince that he and Montague need to stop their feud. *Paris, a relative of the Prince, asks Lord Capulet for Juliet’s hand in marriage, but Lord Capulet says he has to wait two years and win Juliet’s heart before he will say yes: “Let two more summers wither in their pride, ere we think her ripe to be a bride[...]get her heart…” Lord Capulet invites Paris to his party that night, so Paris can see other women along with Juliet. *Lord Capulet gives the guest list to a servant and tells him to invite all those written there, but the servant cannot read. The Capulet servant sees Romeo and Benvolio and asks them to read the guest list for him, not knowing who they are. *Romeo sees Rosaline’s name on the guest list, so Benvolio and Romeo decide to crash Capulet’s party in disguise to look at other women. Benvolio bets that there will be women prettier than Rosaline at the party, but Romeo disagrees: “I’ll go along, no such sight to be shown [i.e., no one is more beautiful than Rosaline], but to rejoice in splendor of mine own [Rosaline].” Romeo and Juliet Act I, scene iii: *Juliet’s mother tells Juliet about Paris’s proposal—despite the fact that Paris still has to wait two years before proposing. Juliet’s Nurse is excited by this (“Why, he’s a man of wax!” [he’s attractive; this also implies that he’s like a statue (handsome, but no personality), so it’s accidentally an insult]), but Juliet is indifferent: “It [marriage] is an honor that I dreamt not of.” *Lady Capulet tells Juliet to go to the party and look at Paris, to see if she [Juliet] would like the idea of marrying him. *[J] “I’ll look to like, if looking liking move”—I’ll look to like him, if looking at someone is enough to like them. *Romeo and Juliet have both agreed to go to the party, but they are there to look at other people. Romeo and Juliet Act I, scene iv: *Romeo and his friends, Mercutio and Benvolio (along with a few others) arrive outside of Capulet’s house and prepare to go in to the party. They are wearing masks to disguise themselves. *Mercutio, Romeo’s friend and a relative of the Prince, begins to tease Romeo about being so lost in love and daydreams. Mercutio thinks Romeo is being ridiculous, but Romeo says he is too sad over Rosaline to dance at the party. Romeo says he had a bad dream that makes him worry over the outcome of the party tonight. *Mercutio then gives a long monologue about Queen Mab, a made-up fairy queen, and the different kind of dreams she gives different types of people: “O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you [Romeo]!” *Romeo: “Thou talkst of nothing!”; Mercutio: “’Tis true; I talk of dreams, which are the children of an idle brain” *They begin to enter the party, but Romeo has a sudden sense of foreboding: “I fear too early, for my mind misgives, some consequence yet hanging in the stars” – he has the sense that something is going to happen tonight that will change his fate for the worse. Romeo and Juliet Act I, scene v: *At the party, Romeo sees Juliet and instantly falls in love, comparing her to “a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear” [this is a reference to a star—some shining light in the dark] and saying “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” He does not know who she really is. *Tybalt overhears Romeo, recognizes him, and wants to fight him right there at the party: “This by his voice should be a Montague…fetch me my rapier, boy!” *Lord Capulet tells Tybalt that it’s fine that Romeo is here, because Romeo’s a good kid, and the Prince wants them to end the feud anyway. Tybalt is still angry and wants Romeo gone (“I’ll not endure him.”), so Lord Capulet kicks Tybalt out of the party (“He shall be endured—go to!”). Tybalt leaves, but vows he’ll get his revenge on Romeo. *Romeo and Juliet have a brief interchange – it forms the pattern of a sonnet about saints, hands, shrines, and kisses. They kiss twice, then discover who the other is: [R] My life is in my foe’s debt. [J]: My only love, sprung from my only hate! Act I Mentions of Stars: “Earth-treading stars that do make dark heaven light”—Act I, scene ii: Lord Capulet is describing the women who will be at his party, Juliet being one of them. “But in that crystal scales let there be weighed/Your lady’s love against some other maid/that I will show you shining at this feast”—Act I, scene ii: Benvolio is describing women that could outshine Rosaline. “I fear too early, for my mind misgives/Some consequence yet hanging in the stars/Shall bitterly begin his fearful date”—Act I, scene iv: Romeo is afraid that something will happen tonight that will change his fate for the worst, and lead to his untimely death; he’s right, he meets Juliet tonight. “O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night/like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear. Beauty to rich for use, for earth too dear! So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows/as yonder lady o’er her fellows shows!”—Act I, scene v: These are Romeo’s first words about Juliet. He compares her to a star—a bright jewel hanging in the night sky, outshining even the torches, a brilliant spot amidst a sea of darkness.