Plot and Action
Plot summary: What happens in Romeo and Juliet?
Section 1: Act I Scene 1 – Act II Scene 2, Section 2: Act II Scene 3 – Act II Scene 6, Section 3: Act III Scene 1 – Act III Scene 4, Section 4: Act III Scene 5 – Act IV Scene 1, Section 5: Act IV Scene 2 – Act V Scene 1, Section 6: Act V Scene 2 – Act V Scene 3, Revision focus: Plot and timescaleAct I Prologue: Building anticipation in the audience
Summary, Why is this Prologue important?, Key theme: Fate, Aiming high: Comment on the structure of the Prologue, Key quotation: Tragic suicideAct I Scene 1: Trouble on the streets of Verona
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key characters: Benvolio and Tybalt, Aiming high: The language of courtly loveAct I Scene 2: Juliet’s future in the balance
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key theme: Marriage, Exam focus: Writing about links in the textAct I Scene 3: Mothers and marriage
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key character: Lady Capulet, Top tip: Writing about Juliet and the NurseAct I Scene 4: Dreams and misgivings
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key character: Mercutio, Exam focus: Writing about Romeo‘s languageAct I Scene 5: Romeo and Juliet meet
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key form: The sonnet, Top tip: Writing about the plot developing at the feast, Key quotation: A grim predictionAct II Prologue
Summary, Why is this Prologue important?, Key context: Feuding families, Aiming high: Commenting on metaphor, Key quotation: The power of loveAct II Scene 1: Searching for Romeo
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key characters: Benvolio and Mercutio, Revision focus: Exploring contrasts in moodAct II Scene 2: The tender meeting of the lovers
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key language: Light imagery, Revision focus: Fear and warning, Key quotation: A lover’s vowAct II Scene 3: The friar becomes part of a secret
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key character: Friar Laurence, Aiming high: Friar Laurence’s wisdomAct II Scene 4: Jokes and a warning
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key characters: Comedy from Mercutio and the Nurse, Aiming high: Comment on the characters of MercutioAct II Scene 5: Juliet waits for news
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key theme: Time, Exam focus: Writing about the Nurse and the FriarAct II Scene 6: A secret marriage
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key theme: Love and marriage, Key quotation: The Friar’s concernsAct III Scene 1: A fatal fight
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key character: Mercutio as catalyst, Aiming high: Comment on Shakespeare’s plot twists, Key quotation: Mercutio’s curseAct III Scene 2: The new bride awaits Romeo
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key language: Juliet’s soliloquy, Revision focus: OxymoronAct III Scene 3: The Friar restores order and hope
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key character: The Friar, Revision focus: Reflecting on consequencesAct III Scene 4: Capulet grief and another hasty wedding
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key context: A patriarchal society, Aiming high: Commenting on timeAct III Scene 5: A wedding night ends and a wedding day looms
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key theme: Love and marriage, Exam focus: Commenting on the effect of language, Key quotation: A dark dayAct IV Scene 1: The Friar’s plan
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key context: Juliet as ‘property’, Key character: Juliet, Revision focus: Plot matchingAct IV Scene 2: Wedding preparations
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key character: Capulet, Aiming high: Commenting on Juliet’s dialogueAct IV Scene 3: Juliet’s act of desperation
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key language: Juliet’s soliloquy, Revision focus: Juliet doubts the FriarAct IV Scene 4: The preparations continue
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key setting: Capulet household, Top tip: Writing about pace and dramaAct IV Scene 5: The Friar’s potion has its effect
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key theme: Life and death, Revision focus: A parent’s wordsAct V Scene 1: Miscommunication in mantua
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key character: Romeo, Exam focus: Contrasting subtle detailsAct V Scene 2: Friar Laurence’s plans fall apart
Summary, Why is this scene important?, Key theme: Chance or fate?, Revision focus: The star-crossed loversCharacters
Romeo
Romeo’s role in the play, Romeo’s importance to the play as a whole, Exam focus: Writing about Romeo, Top tip: Writing about RomeoJuliet
Juliet’s role in the play, Juliet’s importance to the play as a whole, Revision focus: Describing Juliet, Exam focus: Writing about Juliet, Aiming high: Juliet’s social positionMercutio
Mercutio’s role in the play, Exam focus: Writing about Mercutio, Top tip: Commenting on Mercutio’s characterThe Nurse
The Nurse’s role in the play, Exam focus: Writing about the Nurse, Top tip: Writing about the NurseFriar Laurence
Friar Laurence’s role in the play, Aiming high: Commenting on Friar Laurence’s character, Revision focus: The helpful Friar?Tybalt
Tybalt’s role in the play, Top tip: Writing about Tybalt, Key quotation: Tybalt’s hatred, Revision focus: Tybalt’s dramatic functionThemes, Contexts and Settings
Themes
Love, Exam focus: The language of love, Fate and free will, Exam focus: Writing about fate, Key quotation: A sense of foreboding, Death and life, Aiming high: Commenting on death in Veronese society, Exam focus: Writing about the references to deathForm, Structure and Language
Form
Overview, A play, A Shakespeare play, Tragedy, Aiming high: Commenting on the tragic elements of the playStructure
Overview, A classical five part structure, Blank verse and prose, Soliloquy, Time, Key quotation: Friar Laurence’s warning, Aiming high: Oppositions and contrastsProgress Booster
Planning your answer
Plan quickly and efficiently, Stage 1: Generate ideas quickly, Stage 2: Jot down useful quotations (or key events), Stage 3: Plan for paragraphs