Romeo and JulietAct One Synopsis and Analysis Sheet

Setting Where does this story take place?

Specific Places within town Town and Country

Time Period

Conflicts So Far Type person vs. person Between Who? Key Lines that Highlight The Conflict

Character Development Keep track of lines ( !otations" that reveal characteristics of each of each character that we #eet. $e#e#%er& characters can %e developed %y'
( ( so#ething the character says& does& thinks

)$&

so#ething another character says a%o!t& thinks a%o!t or does to the character

Capulets
Lord Cap!let Lord *ontag!e

Montagues

Ty%alt

Benvolio

Lady Cap!let

$o#eo

+!liet

,!rse

-aris -rince

,e!trals *erc!tio

Key Questions A out the Act

.note that lines references are to a alternative edition of they play

/.

The play opens with lots of puns (that are dirty in nat!re". Why wo!ld 0hakespeare %egin a tragedy with h!#o!r?

1.

6. :. 8. 3. B.

4.

D.

/5.

2n allusion is a reference to another work of literat!re (literary all!sion"& an historical event (historical all!sion"& or #ythology (#ythological all!sion". Which types of all!sions does $o#eo incl!de in his conversation with Benvolio in /./? (hint' see lines /34& 153" 7t was not !nco##on d!ring the /8559s for girls to #arry at fo!rteen. How does Cap!let feel a%o!t arranging a #arriage for +!liet (/.1"? -aris says' ;<o!nger than she are happy #others #ade= (/.1./1". How does this state#ent ill!strate >li?a%ethan attit!des? What !alities of -aris does Lady Cap!let stress when she presents hi# as a s!ita%le #atch for +!liet (/.6"? @oes she give +!liet #!ch choice in the #atter? >Aplain. )!tline three different views of love presented in this scene (/.6". 2fter all atte#pts %y his friends to #ake hi# happy (incl!ding *erc!tio9s C!een *a% speech"& $o#eo leaves the scene (/.:" still feeling gloo#y. He predicts ( foreshado!s" that fate will play a role in his life and that he will die (lines /53(//6". What does he say? What effect is created %y interlacing $o#eo9s discovery of +!liet with Ty%alt9s discovery of $o#eo (/.8"? What two themes of the play are introd!ced and integrated here? $eview the #eanings of simile and metaphor. ,eAt& read $o#eo9s speech when he first sees +!liet (/.8.:/(86 ". (a" Eind and !ote one si#ile within the speech. (%" Eind two other co#parisons (#etaphors" within the speech. What two things are %eing co#pared in each case? >Aa#ine the pair9s reactions to finding o!t the tr!e identity of one another'
$o#eo' ) dear acco!ntF *y life is #y foe9s de%t. (/.8./15" +!liet' *y only love& spr!ng fro# #y only hateF
Too early seen !nknown& and known too lateF -rodigio!s %irth of love it is to #e That 7 #!st love a loathed ene#y. (/.8./:5(/::"

(a" How are the reactions si#ilar andGor different fro# each other? (%" How do these lines ;work= as foreshado!ing for the rest of the play? (c" What type of atmosphere is created %y these lines?