Romeo and Juliet

By William Shakespeare

LEAD IN

All over the world, the names Romeo and Juliet are synonymous with romantic love. Here are two definitions of love taken directly from the play:

Love is...

'a smoke made with the fume of sighs.'

'a madness most discreet, a choking gall and a preserving sweet.'

Now try to write your own definition of love.

Love is...

INTRODUCTION ◊ Romeo and Juliet has always been one of Shakespeare's best-loved plays. It is an impassioned cry in favour of love over hate, peace over war. It is simply one of the most gripping love stories ever to.

THE STORY

The Montagues and the Capulets are the two chief families of Verona, and for years they have been enemies in a bitter feud. Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet, fall madly in love but they realise that their families will try to stand in their way. Everything starts to go wrong for the two lovers. In a fight, Romeo kills Tybalt and as a punishment, he is banished from Verona to Mantua. Juliet finds out that Romeo has to leave Verona and so the two lovers decide to get married in secret. They are married by Friar Lawrence. Juliet is very sad and depressed when Romeo goes away. Her father insists that the best way to cheer her up is to have her marry Paris, an old friend, but Juliet refuses. In desperation she asks Friar Lawrence to help her get out of the marriage with Paris and reunite her with Romeo. Friar Lawrence devises an ingenious plan to help Juliet. He tells her to drink a magic potion which will make her lose consciousness and everyone will think she is dead. However, she wake up after forty-two hours, and when she does, Romeo will be there to take her to Mar,
Juliet does as Friar Lawrence has instructed and everybody thinks she is dead.
Friar Lawrence sends Romeo a letter telling him about the plan but Romeo does not receive it. He only hears that Juliet is dead. He rushes back to Verona and, when he gets to the graveyard, he finds her seemingly lifeless body. Overcome by grief, he kills himself. When the effect of potion wears off, Juliet wakes up. She sees Romeo's dead body and commits suicide. The two families realise that their feud has led to the deaths of the two lovers and promise never to fight again.

CHARACTERS

The house of Capulet:

• Juliet

• Capulet, her father

• Lady Capulet, her mother

• Tybalt, her cousin

The house of Montague:

• Romeo

• Montague, his father

• Lady Montague, his mother

• Paris, suitor to Juliet

• Friar Lawrence

What's in a Name?

It is night time and Juliet is on her bedroom balcony. She is talking out loud to herself but does not realise that Romeo has climbed over the wall into her garden and is listening to her.

Act 2, Scene 1: Capulets' orchard

juliet: O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore¹ art thou Romeo?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name;

Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love²,

And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

romeo [Aside]: Shall I hear more or shall I speak at this? 5
juliet: ′Tis but thy name that is my enemy;

Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What's Montague? It is nor hand nor foot,

Nor arm nor face, nor any other part

Belonging to a man. O be some other name! 10

What's in a name?

That which we call a rose

By any other word would smell as sweet;

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,

Retain³ that dear perfection which he owes⁴

Without that title⁵. Romeo, doff⁶ thy name, 15

And for thy name which is no part of thee,

Take all myself.

romeo: I take thee at thy word:

Call me but love and I'll be new baptised;

Henceforth⁷1 never will be Romeo. 20

juliet: What man art thou that thus bescreened⁸ in night

So stumblest on my counsel⁹?

romeo: By a name¹⁰

I know not how to tell thee who I am.

My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself, 25

Because it is an enemy to thee;

Had I it written, I would tear the word.

juliet: My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words

Of thy tongue's uttering¹¹, yet I know the sound.

Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague? 30

romeo: Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike¹².

juliet: How cam'st thou hither¹³, tell me and wherefore?

The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,

And the place death, considering who thou art,

If any of my kinsmen¹⁴ find thee here. 35

romeo: With love's light wings did I o'er perch¹⁵ these walls,

For stony limits cannot hold love out,

And what love can do, that dares love attempt¹⁶:

Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.

GLOSSARY

1. wherefore: why

2. be... my love: swear you love me

3. Retain: keep

4. owes: owns

5. title: name

6. doff: get rid of

7. Henceforth: from now on

8.bescreened: hidden

9. stumblest on my counsel: overhears my thoughts

10. By a name: with a name

11. Of thy tongue's uttering: of what you are saying

12. if either thee dislike: if you do not like one or the other

13.cams't thou hither: did you come here

14. kinsmen: family relations

15. o'er perch: climb over

16. And what love... attempt: a person who is in love has the courage to do anything

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