Summaries Of Scenes

Question 1

Act 1 : prologue

Answer 1

Gives audience brief outline of the play. It explains that there is a fuss between 2 families.
“star cross’d lovers” know at the beginning they’re meant to die - audience always remembers this and builds tension for audience.

Question 2

Act 1 , scene 1

Answer 2

Sword fight between montague and capulets. Prince of Verona declares if they fight again they’ll be sentenced to death. Romeo introduces later in the scene = upset that his love for Rosaline is unrequited.

Question 3

Act 1 , scene 2 : Capulet plans a party.

Answer 3

Paris asks Capulet’s permission to marry his daughter. Capulet suggests she’s too young but invites Paris to party later.

Romeo sees Rosaline is on the guest list and decides to go , planning on seeing her.

Question 4

Act 1 , scene 3 : Juliet is not interested in marriage.

Answer 4

Lady Capulet tries to explain Juliet that she’s old enough to marry but she’s not keen to marry.

Nurse spends a lot of her time telling her favourite stories about Juliet as a baby.

Question 5

Act 1 , scene 4 : Mercutio talks about Queen Mab.

Answer 5

Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio are on their way to Capulet’s party.

Romeo is worried about a dream that he’s had and Mercutio mocks him - dreams don’t have any meanings.

Question 6

Act 1 , scene 5 : Love at first sight

Answer 6

Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time. They fall in love at first sight but soon find out they come from rival families.

Question 7

Act 2 , scene 1 - Romeo looks for Juliet.

Answer 7

Act 2 prologue explains that Romeo has lost interest in Rosaline and he’s now in love with Juliet.

Act 2 - Romeo sneaks into Capulet’s garden looking for Juliet. Mercutio and Benvolio are looking for him but soon give up.

Question 8

Act 2 , scene 2 : The Balcony scene.

Answer 8

Romeo overhears Juliet saying that she loves him. He reveals himself to Juliet and tells her that he loves her too.

Decide to get married.

Question 9

Act 2 , scene 3 : Romeo plans the wedding.

Answer 9

Friar Lawrence opens with soliloquy.

Romeo visits Friar and asks him to marry him and Juliet.

Although Friar isn’t sure if they’re really in love but he agrees to marry them because he think it might end the family feud.

Question 10

Act 2 , scene 4 : Romeo tells the nurse.

Answer 10

Benvolio and Mercutio share some jokes about Tybalt’s challenge to Romeo and Romeo’s obsession with Rosaline.

Nurse comes to see Romeo and he tells her his plan to marry Juliet that day.

Question 11

Act 2 , scene 5 : Juliet learns of Romeo’s plan.

Answer 11

Juliet is at home , impatiently waiting for the nurse to return with Romeo’s news.

Nurse teases Juliet then tells her about the wedding arrangements.

Question 12

Act 2 , scene 6 : Romeo and Juliet marry.

Answer 12

Friar Lawrence warns Romeo about getting married too quickly, although Friar is keen to get the wedding underway.

Juliet meets Romeo and the Friar at the Friar’s cell and they head off the church.

Question 13

Act 3 , scene 1 : Tybalt and Mercutio are killed.

Answer 13

TURNING POINT.
Montagues and Capulet’s run into each other. Tybalt wants to fight Romeo but he refuses. Mercutio provokes Tybalt, the fight and Mercutio does.

Romeo is blinded by rage , fights Tybalt and kills him in revenge.

The prince then vanished Romeo as punishment.

Question 14

Act 3 , scene 2 : Juliet gets some bad news.

Answer 14

Juliet’s waiting for Romeo to come and visit her.

Nurse enters and tells Juliet that Romeo killed Tybalt and he’s been banished.

Juliet is upset so the nurse says she will find Romeo for her.

Question 15

Act 3 , scene 3 : Romeo hears he’s been banished.

Answer 15

Friar tells Romeo he’s been banished. Romeo is upset but the Friar calms him down.

Nurse tells Romeo that Juliet is waiting for him in her bedroom and she gives him a ring from Juliet.

Romeo heads off to say goodbye to Juliet.

Question 16

Act 5 , scene 4 Capulet agrees to Paris’ proposal.

Answer 16

Paris wants to court Juliet but Capulet decides she’s too upset about “Tybalts death”.

However, Capulet decides to let Paris marry her on the Thursday and he sends Lady Capulet to Juliet his decision.

Question 17

Act 3 , scene 5 : Juliet refuses to marry Paris.

Answer 17

Romeo is in Juliet’s room but has to leave in the morning.

Juliet pretends to Lady Capulet that she’s upset because of Tybalt’s death and she hates Romeo.

Lady Capulet tells Juliet she has to marry Paris. Juliet refuses and has an argument with Capulet.

Question 18

Act 4 , scene 1 : Friar has a plan.

Answer 18

Paris , Friar and Juliet are at Friar’s cell. Paris tries to flirt but she refuses to play along. Paris leaves and Juliet tells the Friar she would rather kill her self than marry Paris.

Friar has a plan - he gives Juliet a potion to drink that evening that will make her look dead.

Question 19

Act 4 , scene 2 : The wedding is move forward.

Answer 19

Juliet returns from friar’s cell and pretends to be happy to marry Paris.

Asks her father’s forgiveness.

Lord Capulet is delighted he decides to move the wedding forward a day early.

Question 20

Act 4 , scene 3 - Juliet takes the potion.

Answer 20

Juliet is alone in her room. She speaks her final big soliloquy.

She’s afraid to take the potion as she doubts the Friar’s motives.

She imagines Romeo being haunted by a ghostly Tybalt and decides to drink the potion.

Question 21

Act 4 , scene 4 : The wedding preparations.

Answer 21

Capulet family are up late preparing everything for the wedding for the following morning.

Paris arrives and the nurse is sent upstairs to wake Juliet.

Question 22

Act 4 , scene 5 : The Capulet’s find Juliet’s body.

Answer 22

Nurse discovers Juliet’s body and the Capulet’s mourn their daughters death.

Friar calms them down and they start organising the funeral.

Question 23

Act 5 , scene 1 : Romeo thinks Juliet’s dead.

Answer 23

Romeo is in Mantua, waiting for the news of Juliet. His servant tells him that Juliet is dead.

Romeo and his servant don’t know about Friar’s plan.

Romeo decides to buy some poison and kill himself in Juliet’s tomb with her.

Question 24

Act 5 , scene 2 : The Friar’s message fails.

Answer 24

Friar finds out that his letter to Romeo never arrived - he doesn’t know that Romeo thinks that Juliet is dead.

He decides to go to the tomb and be there when Juliet wakes up.

Question 25

Act 5 , scene 3 : the final scene.

Answer 25

Paris sees Romeo go into Juliet’s tomb and they fight. Friar arrives just as Juliet wakes up and they both see Romeo is dead.

Friar leaves and Juliet kills herself. The families arrive in the tomb and discover their children are dead. The Friar explains what happened and the families realise it was the cause of their feud.

They make peace.

Question 26

What does Aristotle’s tragic form have to do with the play ?

Answer 26

• Aristotle’s tragic form has to have a turning point.

- it has to happen in a short period of time. This all happens in about a week. This builds up tension.