Acts and scenes summaries

Question 1

Act 1 scene 1

Answer 1

• public scene
• swordfight between the Montagues and Capulets
• the Prince states that the next fight will be sentenced to death
• Romeo is in love with Rosaline

Question 2

Act 1 scene 2

Answer 2

• private scene
• Count Paris asks to marry Juliet
• Romeo knows about the party at Capulets when a Capulet servant asks him if he can read

Question 3

Act 1 scene 3

Answer 3

• private scene

- Lady Capulet introduces the idea of marriage to Juliet

Question 4

Act 1 scene 4

Answer 4

• private scene
• Romeo, Benvolio and Mercutio on their way to Capulets party
• Romeo worries about a dream that he had
• Mercutio talks about Queen Mab

Question 5

Act 1 scene 5

Answer 5

• a public scene at Capulets
• a key turning point
• Romeo and Juliet fall in love but discover they are from different houses

Question 6

Act 2 scene 1

Answer 6

• private scene
• Romeo sneaks back to the Capulets to meet Juliet
• Romeo’s friends try to find him

Question 7

Act 2 scene 2

Answer 7

• private scene
• long scene- this makes the audience feel the intimacy of Romeo and Juliet’s love
• Romeo and Juliet balcony scene

Question 8

Act 2 scene 3

Answer 8

-private scene
-introduction to Friar Lawrence through his soliloquy
Romeo goes to see Friar Lawrence to tell him about Juliet

Question 9

Act 2 scene 4

Answer 9

• private matter in a public area

- the Nurse visits Romeo and he tells her about the wedding plan

Question 10

Act 2 scene 5

Answer 10

• private scene
• Juliet waits for the Nurse to tell her the plans for the wedding
• the Nurse teases Juliet about her upcoming wedding

Question 11

Act 2 scene 6

Answer 11

• private scene
• turning point
• Romeo and Juliet get married

Question 12

Act 3 scene 1

Answer 12

• public scene 1 hour after the wedding
• turning point
• Tybalt and Mercutio fight and Mercutio is killed
• Romeo kills Tybalt
• Romeo is banished
• juxtapositioned to Act 2 scene 6 (the wedding)

Question 13

Act 3 scene 2

Answer 13

• private scene
• 3 hours after the wedding
• 2 hours after the fight
• the Nurse tells Juliet that Romeo has been banished

Question 14

Act 3 scene 3

Answer 14

• private scene
• Romeo is hidden at Friar Lawrence’s cell
• Romeo tries to kill himself

Question 15

Act 3 scene 4

Answer 15

• private scene

- Lord Capulet decides to let Paris marry Juliet on Thursday to cheer her up

Question 16

Act 3 scene 5

Answer 16

• private scene
• Romeo and Juliet consumate their marriage
• Juliet refuses to marry Paris and she argues with her parents

Question 17

Act 4 scene 1

Answer 17

• private scene

- Friar Lawrence give Juliet poison

Question 18

Act 4 scene 2

Answer 18

• private scene
• Juliet pretends she’s excited to marry Paris
• she asks for forgiveness

Question 19

Act 4 scene 3

Answer 19

• -private scene

- Juliet takes the poison

Question 20

Act 4 scene 4

Answer 20

• private scene
• wedding preparations
• Nurse sent to wake up Juliet

Question 21

Act 4 scene 5

Answer 21

• private scene
• Capulets find Juliet dead
• Friar Lawrence begins to arrange funeral

Question 22

Act 5 scene 1

Answer 22

• private scene
• Balthasar tells Romeo that Juliet is dead
• Romeo decides to buy poison and kill himself at the tomb

Question 23

Act 5 scene 2

Answer 23

• private scene
• Friar Lawrence discovers Romeo didn’t get the message
• Friar Lawrence goes to Juliet’s tomb to wait for her to wake up

Question 24

Act 5 scene 3

Answer 24

-private tomb but public scene
-Romeo kills Paris
Romeo drinks poison
-Juliet wakes up but finds Romeo’s body and kills herself
The Capulets and Montagues arrive too late
-the denouement- this is the scene where all the loose ends are tied together