I wrote this document when revising for my GCSEs, and ended up getting a Grade 9. It has in depth analysis of characters and themes, including often forgotten motifs such as the motif of birds.
Romeo and Juliet: Act 3 Scene by Scene Summary (DETAILED BUT CONCISE) 2024
Romeo and Juliet: Acts 4-5 Summary Scene by Scene (DETAILED BUT CONCISE) 2024
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Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a play written by WIlliam Shakespeare, and follows the story of two
“star-cross’d” lovers who eventually take their lives, and their two families from feuding.
In the opening scene, the narrator tells the audience what is going to happen; that they will
both die. Also, the audience of the time would be able to tell that they are not going to be
happy together, because they are “star-cross’d lovers”. At the time, Elizabethans were very
spiritual, and so they would recognise that the stars of Romeo and Juliets are not aligned,
and they will therefore encounter problems during their relationship. This quote is also one
of the first mentions of nature and stars, but this is an underlying theme throughout the play,
and can often mirror or describe the atmosphere of the scene.
Key Quotes
“Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms” - again showing that Romeo finds love confusing
and can’t understand the depth of true love. This is a paradox. It also suggests that there will
be more secrets during the story; Romeo and Juliet have to keep their relationship a secret,
whilst LC and LaC think that Juleit is going to marry Paris. The friar expects his plan to
work, but it doesn’t, and R and J end up dead.
“O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!” (act 3)- this further mentions the lexical field of
religion, and how it is used as a theme throughout the play. Furthermore, this metaphor
could be a form of zoomorphism, and suggests that Juliet believes that Romeo is guarding
and hiding secrets from her; being sly like a snake. Moreover, in religious meaning, it could
emphasise how Romeo tempts Juliet for her love using artificial compliments, like the snake
tempting Eve to the apple tree. It also reveals how nature is used to embellish the story; this
suggests Romeo is beautiful, but also that there could be more parts to him; like a flower.
However, the flower could also foreshadow the ending of the play; flowers die out and lose
their beauty, and Juliet may not see Romeo as beautiful after he killed her cousin, and he
dies for her.
“Beautiful tyrant, fiend angelicant…” “A damned saint, an honourable villain” (act 3) the
continuous oxymorons in this show how confusing Romeo and Juleits love is. Furthermore,
there are more religious connotations here. It could be as a way of connection for Romeo and
Juliet, they are so opposed to one another but they feel the same religiously, and can be
connected through it. Also, it shows how they are from opposing families, a “beautiful tyrant”
that Juliet cannot have. It may also highlight how aggressive Romeo gets when he kills
Tybalt; fighting for the love of his life.
“O brawling love, O loving hate”- this quote shows that Romeo finds love confusing. This
shows his age, and how he and Juliet cannot have true love at such a young age, when they
don’t understand it. This quote also highlights how Romeo wallows in self pity, as he expects
, he will always get what he wants. Romeo is just infatuated with the idea of being in love, and
is not actually in love.
“If love be rough with you, be rough with love” mercutio
“Griefs of my own lie heavy in my breast”
“Examine other beauties”
“Violent delights have violent ends”
“Love devouring death”
Love
“It is the east, and Juliet is the sun” - Romeo is effectively calling Juliet his world, because at the
time, the Elizabethans were very spiritual, so Romeo is really declaring that Juliet is his whole world; a
statement for people who have only just met.
“My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep”
“You kiss by th’book”
“Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged” - this quote has religious connotations, as does the
rest of the scene in which this is taken from; where Juliet and Romeo meet for the first time. This is
significant because it tells the audience that what they are doing could be considered a sin. ‘Trespass’
is an interesting choice of word here, as it makes the whole moment sound even more daring and
passionate, but also, that Romeo is taking something from Juliet; possibly her innocence.
Furthermore, the moment is amplified by the word ‘urged’ as it tells the audience that they are in a
hurry, and this could be a metaphor for their whole relationship; too quickly it becomes passionate.
“My only love sprung from my only hate” - This quote shows how Juliet has been conditioned to
hate the Montagues, and the word ‘sprung’ connotes a waterfall, as though Juliet feels a rush of
emotions when she is around Romeo. This is stereotypical for young love, and reminds the audience of
how young the couple are. On the other hand, the Elizabethans may not have thought the marriage
young, as at the time it was normal for girls to get married at as young as 12 or 13. Furthermore, the
quote shows how inexperienced Juliet is; she has had “only” one love and “only” one hate.
Shakespeare repeats the word only to emphasise how Juliet is experiencing everything for the first
time; possibly foreshadowing that a mistake is going to happen.
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