GCSELiterature
Familiarisationwiththeplot
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TheplayopenswithaPROLOGUE(asonnettointroducethekeythemeofconflictintheplayandto
setthescenefortheaudience).Formanyyearsanon-goingfeudbetweentwofamilieshascaused
muchdisruptioninthecityofVerona,Italy.TheCAPULETSandMONTAGUEScannotseemtoget
alongandtherehavebeenmanydeathsbecauseifit:
“Fromforththefatalloinsofthesetwofoes/Apairofstar-crossedloverstaketheirlife”
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FREEZEFRAME1:AstreetinVerona
EnterSAMPSONandGREGORY(Capuletservants)
EnterABRAHAMandBALTHASAR(Montagueservants)
-Thefourmenstarttoargue
EnterBENVOLIO(Montague)
EnterTYBALT(Capulet)
-BENVOLIOdrawshisswordandTYBALTsayshehatesallMontagues;afightbreaksout!
PRINCEESCALUS(rulerofVerona)tellsthementheywillallbekillediftheydisturbthestreets
again.
FREEZEFRAME2:
EnterROMEO(Montague)andhiscousinBENVOLIO
-Romeolookssadbecausethegirlheloves(Rosaline)doesn’tlovehimback.
-BENVOLIOcomfortshimandsuggestshelooksforanewgirl!
-BENVOLIOdecidesthattheywillbothgotothefeastattheCAPULET’ShouseasRosalinewillbe
there.Theywillgoindisguise.
FREEZEFRAME3:
EnterCAPULETandCOUNTPARIS(arelativeofPRINCEESCALUS)
-PARISasksCAPULETforhisdaughter’shandinmarriage.AtfirstCAPULETsaysnobecauseJuliet
isonlyfourteen.ThenhesaysPARIScanwooherifhe’dlike.
FREEZEFRAME4:InsidetheCapulethouse
EnterLADYCAPULET,JULIETandtheNURSE
-LADYCAPULETasksJULIETwhatherthoughtsonmarriageare.JULIETdoesn’tseembotheredby
marriage.HermothertellshertolookatCOUNTPARISatthefeasttonightandseeifshethinks
shecouldlovehim.
FREEZEFRAME5:OutsidetheCapulethouse
ROMEO,BENVOLIOandMERCUTIOareontheirwaytotheCAPULET’sfeastwithmaskson.
-MERCUTIOmakesfunofROMEOforbeingsolovesickoverRosaline.
-BeforetheygointothehouseROMEOtalksaboutfeelinguneasy-liketheeveningwillresultin
tragedy.
FREEZEFRAME6:ThegreathallintheCapulets’house
-ROMEOseesJULIETandfallsinloveinstantly.
-TYBALTrecognisesROMEO’Svoiceandsendsforhimtobekilled!
-CAPULETsternlyinsiststhatTYBALTdoesn’tcauseafightattheparty.HealsoremindsTYBALT
ofROMEO’Sgoodcharacter.
-ROMEOandJULIETkiss!
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-Asthepartyiscomingtoaclose,ROMEOdiscoversthatJULIETisaCAPULETandJulietlearns
thatROMEOisaMONTAGUE.Theyrealisethehorribleconsequencesoftheirmatch.
FREEZEFRAME7:ThegardenbesidetheCapulethouse
-ROMEOstandsintheshadowsbeneathJULIET’Sbedroomwindow
-JULIETrevealsherloveforROMEOasshethinkssheiscompletelyaloneonherbalcony:
“ORomeo,Romeo!WhereforeartthouRomeo?”
-ROMEOrevealshimself.Theyexchangewhisperedexpressionsofdevotion.JULIETis
momentarilycalledawaybytheNURSEbutwhenshereturns,thetwoyoungloversagreeto
marry.
-Theystruggletopartcompanyastheyareovercomebylove.EventuallyJULIETsays“Partingis
suchsweetsorrow/ThatIshallsay‘Goodnight’tillitbemorrow.”
FREEZEFRAME8:NearFriarLawrence’scell
EnterROMEOandFRIARLAWRENCE
-ROMEOtellsFRIARLAWRENCEofhisloveforJULIETandasksifhewillmarrythemlaterthat
day.
-FRIARLAWRENCEisshockedthatROMEOhasgonefromlovingRosalinetoJULIETsoquickly,but
agreestomarrythemasitmayhelpeasethefeudbetweenthetwofamilies.
FREEZEFRAME9:
-ROMEOandFRIARLAWRENCEwaitforJuliet.JULIETarrivesinahurry.Theydeclaretheirlove
foroneanotherandtheFRIARleadsthemintothechurchtobemarried.
FREEZEFRAME10:AsquareinVerona
-BENVOLIOandMERCUTIOareloiteringonthestreets.
-TYBALTarriveslookingforROMEO.
-ROMEOappearsandTYBALTtriestopickafightwithhim.
-ROMEOrefusestofightasheisnowrelatedtoTYBALT!
-MERCUTIOdecidestofightonROMEO’SbehalfsohimandTYBALTpullswordsoneachother
andfight!
-ROMEOstepsbetweenthemandTYBALTstabsMERCUTIO.MERCUTIO’Swoundisfatalandhe
diescrying“Aplagueo’bothyourhouses!”
-Blindedbyrage,ROMEOattacksTYBALTandkillshim.
FREEZEFRAME11:IntheCapulethouse
-JULIETwaitsimpatientlyfornighttofallsothatshecancelebrateherweddingnightwith
ROMEO.
-TheNURSEarrivesandinformsJULIETthatTYBALThasbeenkilledandROMEOhasbeen
banished.JULIETisoverwhelmedbygrief.ShesendstheNURSEtofetchROMEO.
FREEZEFRAME12:FriarLawrence’scell
-FRIARLAWRENCEtellsROMEOthatthePRINCEhassentencedhimtobanishment,notdeath.
ROMEOseesbanishmentasalivingdeathifhecan’tseeJULIET.Heis“withhisowntearsmade
drunk”.
-TheNURSEarrivestoinformROMEOofhowupsetJULIETis.
-ROMEOdrawsadaggertohimselfinattempttocommitsuicide.
-FRIARLAWRENCEisfuriousatROMEO’Sbehaviourandstopshimbyshouting“Holdthy
desperatehand!”
FREEZEFRAME13:TheCapulethouse
EnterCAPULETandPARIS
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-CAPULETandPARISdiscusshowJULIET’SgriefoverTYBALThaspreventedPARISfromcontinuing
hiscourtshipofJULIET.AsPARISisabouttoleave,CAPULEToffershimJULIET’Shandinmarriage.
CAPULETsaysthathisdaughterwillobeyhimbymarryingPARISonThursday.
-PARISgetsveryexcited!-LADYCAPULETissenttotellJULIET.
FREEZEFRAME14:Juliet’sbedroom
-JULIETisweeping.
-Hermotherarrivesand,assumingsheisweepingforTYBALT,shetriestocomfortJULIETwith
herplantohaveROMEOpoisoned.
-LADYCAPULETtellsJULIETthe‘happy’newsthatsheistomarryPARISonThursday.
-JULIETisstunned!Shetellshermothershecannotbemarriedinsuchhaste.
-JULIET’SfatherentersexpectingtoseeJULIEThappyaboutthemarriagehehasarranged.
-HebecomesfuriousatJULIETwhensheopposeshimandthreatenstodisownher.
-TheNURSEadvisesJULIETtoobeyherfather,butJULIETdecidestoseekadvicefromFRIAR
LAWRENCE.
FREEZEFRAME15:
EnterJULIETandFRIARLAWRENCE
-JULIETbegstheFRIARforasolutiontohertragicdilemma.
-TheFRIARoffersJULIETasleepingpotiontotakethenightbeforethewedding.Thepotionwill
renderherunconscioussothatsheappearsdeadfor42hours.
-JULIETagreesandleaveswiththepotion.
FREEZEFRAME16:Themorningoftheplannedwedding
-TheNURSEdiscoversJULIET’Sseeminglylifelessbodyonherbed.
-TheCAPULET’S,FRIARLAWRENCEandPARISentertheroomonhearingtheNURSE’Scries.
-TheFRIARtriestocomforttheothersbysayingJULIETisinheaven.
-CAPULETordersthattheweddingpreparationsbechangedtofuneralpreparations.
FREEZEFRAME17:Verona:achurchyardwiththefamilytomboftheCapulets
-PARISarrivestolayflowersinJULIET’Smemory
-Hehearssomeonecomingandhidesinthebushes
-ROMEOappearsandbreaksintothetombbecausehemustseeJULIETonemoretime
-PARISchallengesROMEOandtheyfight!
-PARISiswoundedanddies
-ROMEOisdazzledbyJULIET’Sbeautyeventhoughsheis‘dead’
-Hekissesher,takessomelethalpoisonanddiesatherside.
-theFRIARarrivesandJULIETawakens.Sheseesthedeadbodiesanddecidestostayinthetomb
-theFRIARhearsanightwatchmanapproachandflees
-JULIETtriestodrinkpoisonfromROMEO’Svialbutitisempty.
-ShethentriestokisspoisonfromROMEO’Slips
-Onhearingthenightwatchmanapproaching,JULIETfatallystabsherselfwithROMEO’Sdagger.
FREEZEFRAME18:
-ThePRINCElaystheblameforthedeathssquarelyonMONTAGUEandCAPULETfortheir
longstandingquarrel.ThetwofamiliesarefinallyreconciledbythePRINCEsaying:
“Forneverwasastoryofmorewoe/ThanthisofJulietandherRomeo.”
CharacterList:
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Romeo
Juliet
FriarLawrence(holyman/priest)
Mercutio(Romeo’sclosefriend)
TheNurse(womanwhobroughtJulietup)
Tybalt(Juliet’scousin)
LordCapulet(Juliet’sfather)
LadyCapulet(Juliet’smother)
LordMontague(Romeo’sfather)
LadyMontague(Romeo’smother)
PrinceEscalus(PrinceofVeronainItaly)
Paris(workswiththePrinceofVerona-he’sthemanCapuletwantshisdaughtertomarry)
Benvolio(Romeo’scousin)
FriarJohn
Balthasar(Romeo’sdedicatedservant)
Sampson&Gregory(servantsinJuliet’shouse)
Abraham(servantfromRomeo’shouse)
Apothecary(worksinlittledrugsstore/pharmacy)
Rosaline(thegirlRomeoisinfatuatedwithatthestartoftheplay)