This document provides a summary of Act 3 of Romeo and Juliet. It analyzes several key scenes: In Scene 1, Benvolio warns Mercutio of potential violence between the Capulets and Montagues. Mercutio jokes that Benvolio is hot-headed. The Prince spares Romeo from execution for killing Tybalt. In Scene 2, Juliet looks forward to her wedding night but must wait. She describes Romeo with oxymorons. Romeo hides with Friar Laurence. In Scene 3, Friar Laurence thinks Romeo's banishment merciful. Romeo laments not being able to touch Juliet. They plan to spend

1. ROMEO andJULIET
ACT 3
M. Riddell
March 2019

2. SCENEONE
1.At the beginning of
Act3,who says the
following lines?Whatdo
these lines foreshadow?
“Ipraythee,goodMercutio,
let’sretire.Thedayishot,
theCapuletsabroad,And,if
wemeet,weshallnot‘scape
abrawl,Fornow,thesehot
days,isthemadblood
stirring.”
 Benvolio, Romeo’s cool-headed cousin, says these lines. His
concern is well-founded, as a few minutes later there will be a
street fight that leaves both Mercutio andTybalt dead.

3. 2.What does
Mercutio tell
us about
Benvolio in
lines 15-27? Is
this true?
Explain what’s
happening
here.
 Mercutio says that Benvolio is a hot-head, always looking for a
fight. Mercutio jokes that Benvolio will pick fights with men for
stupid reasons, such as wanting to fight a man whose cough
awakens Benvolio’s napping dog or a man who puts old shoelaces
in a pair of new shoes.
 This, of course, isn’t true. Benvolio is levelheaded.
 We should be chuckling in the audience because we recognize that
it’s likely Mercutio himself that he’s describing, not Benvolio. It’s
like calling your really tall friend “Tiny.”

4. 3. Examine
Mercutio’s
“grave man”
line.
What figure of
speech is
used?
What is the
meaning?
 Mercutio uses a pun here, even as he is dying fromTybalt’s stab
wound.
 He says that if anyone asks for him tomorrow, he’ll be a “grave
man.” Two meanings can be drawn here:
 First, he’ll be somber or sad, much unlike his usual self.
 The second meaning is closer to the truth.Tomorrow, he’ll be in a
grave because he knows that this wound will be fatal.

5. 4.Which
character is off
stage with
Mercutio when
he dies?
 Benvolio

6. 5.Why doesn’t
LadyCapulet
believe
Benvolio’s
story about
the events that
led toTybalt’s
killing?
 She says that Benvolio is related to Romeo, so he won’t be
impartial.
 She also is doubtful that just Romeo could killTybalt.
 She estimates it would take 20 Montagues to kill a man likeTybalt.

7. 6.Why doesn’t
the Prince order
the execution of
Romeo, but
insteadoffers
the more
merciful
sentenceof
banishment?
 The Prince was related to Mercutio and so is sympathetic to
Romeo’s plight.
 Also, Romeo took care of issuing justice toTybalt, which is what
the law would’ve had to do anyway.

8. SCENETWO
1. Now that she’s married, Juliet’s looking
forward to her wedding night. She uses
two analogies to describe her feelings.
One involved buying a house and the
other involves clothing. Describe one of
the two analogies.

9. a)She says the
agony of
waiting for her
husband is like
buying a house
but not being
allowed to
move in right
away.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

10. b) It’s also likebuying
a beautiful outfit for
a festivaland not
being allowed to
wear the new clothes
until theday of the
party.Think of when
you werelittle and
you had to saveyour
Halloweencostume
untilOct. 31st.

11. 2.Write down
three of the
oxymorons Juliet
uses to describe
Romeo and
explainwhy she
uses this literary
techniqueto
describe her
young husband.
 She says he is a:
 “beautiful tyrant”
 “fiend angelical”
 “dove-feathered raven”
 “ravening wolfish lamb”
 She’s conflicted as she tries to reconcile the image of her beloved
with the same description of the young man who killed her cousin.

12. 3.The Nurse
knows where
Romeo is
hiding.Where
is he?
 Father Lawrence’s cell at the church

13. 4.At the end
of the scene,
Juliet gives an
item for the
Nurse to
deliver to
Romeo.What
is the item?
 A ring

14. SCENETHREE
1.What is Friar
Laurence’s
opinion of
Romeo’s
punishment in
Scene 3, lines
25-28?
 It’s a merciful sentence because the Prince could have ordered
Romeo to be executed. He thinks Romeo is lucky.

15. 2. InScene 3,
lines 33-39,
why does
Romeo say
that he is less
honored than
carrion-flies?
 He’s upset that flies can buzz around Juliet’s head and touch her
lips, but he may not.

16. 3.What three
reasons does
Friar Laurence
give Romeo to
show that he
should be
happy?
 Romeo should be happy thatTybalt didn’t kill him in the fight.
 He should be happy that Juliet is alive and still loves him, wants to
be with him.
 He should also be happy that the Prince was merciful and gave a
lighter sentence than the law would usually require.

17. 4.After he
spends tonight
withJuliet, what
town will Romeo
go stay in until
the Friar can
smooth
everythingover
 Mantua

18. SCENE FOUR
1.Capulet explains to
Paris thatJuliet is
upstairs cryingabout
Tybalt. Hesays,
“Lookyou,shelovedher
kinsmanTybaltdearly,
AndsodidI.Well,wewere
borntodie.”
Fromthis passage,
explain howCapulet
felt abouthis nephew.
Why, doyousuppose,
he felt this way?
 It’s an odd way to describe the death of a relative, as it seems
Lord Capulet isn’t too upset about his nephew’s death.
 EarlierTybalt was scolded by Capulet for not obeying his
command.
 It’s clear from this brief bit of text thatTybalt wasn’t Capulet’s
favorite person in the world.

19. 2.At the beginning
of theScene 4, it is
late Monday night.
LordCapulet
decides that a
wedding would lift
everyone’s spirits.
On what upcoming
day doesCapulet
decideJuliet will
marry Paris?
 Thursday

20. SCENE FIVE
1.Why does
Juliet want to
believe the
songbird she
can hear is a
nightingale,
not a lark?
 She wants the night to last so that she can continue to be with her
husband.The morning lark, however, is the true source of the
music, so Romeo must leave if he wants to live.

21. 2.What does
Juliet mean by
an “ill-divining
soul” inScene
5, line 54?
 She says her soul is predicting evil things.The rest of that passage
foreshadows Romeo’s early death. It bothers Juliet that this is the
last image that flashes in her mind as she says goodbye to Romeo.

22. 3.Why do
Juliet’s parents
believe she is
upset?What is
their plan to
help cheer her?
 They still think she’s grieving overTybalt’s death.
 They inform her that Paris will be her husband and she should
thank them for finding such a great spouse for her.

23. 4. Earlier inthe play,
CapuletsaidJuliet will
get tohave avoice in
whomshe marries.
Now, he’s raging athis
daughter forspeaking
upagainst his choice.
Explain whyCapulet
has changedhis mind
aboutlistening to his
daughter’s opinion
aboutherfuture
spouse.
 Capulet has changed his tune. First, he’s shocked and angry that
Juliet is having such an adverse reaction to his news. He had
expected joy and gratitude.
 Next, he would be humiliated if he had to explain to Paris that he
doesn’t have control over his household. Remember, in this time,
the man ruled the household and a father had all of the power to
decide whom his daughter would marry. It would be a disgrace to
him to have a defiant daughter.
 Finally, we already established earlier that Capulet has a hot and
swift temper when we sawTybalt question his opinion.There are
echoes of that rage here, as he threatens to disown Juliet if she
doesn’t obey him.