At the feast, Romeo sees Juliet across the room and asks a servant who she is. Romeo is transfixed, Rosaline disappears from his mind and he tells everyone that he has never been in love before now.
Tybalt, hearing and recognising Romeo’s voice realises that a Montague is present and sends a servant for his sword. We once again see the quick temper of Tybalt, who drives on the violent action of the play. Capulet, who hears what Tybalt is about to do, reprimands him, telling him that Romeo is well regarded in the city and that he won’t be harmed at his feast. Tybalt, embarrassed by his uncle’s rebuke vows to that he will not let this pass. (Playwright is again foreshadowing what is to come from Tybalt.)
Meanwhile, Romeo has gone over to Juliet and touched her hand and uses religious metaphors to ‘flirt’ with Juliet, painting Romeo as a pilgrim and Juliet as a saint who must kiss him to absolve his sins. Juliet agrees to remain still as Romeo kisses her but then insists that if she has taken his sin from him that she must be kissed again to remove the sin from her.
Just as the second kiss finishes, Juliet is ordered to to speak with her mother. Romeo asks the nurse who Juliet is and she tells him that Lady Capulet is her mother, which devastates Romeo.
Juliet is just as struck with Romeo and says that if he already married , she feels that she will die. When she finds out that Romeo is a Montague, she is overcome with sadness and leaves the hall.
Questions:
- What do we learn about Romeo’s character from this scene? Refer to the text to support your answer.
- “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” What dies this line mean?
- What is Tybalt’s reaction to Romeo being at the party? What threat does he make against Romeo?
- How does Romeo react when he finds out that Juliet is a Capulet?
- How does Juliet react when she finds out Romeo is a Montague?
Activity:
Imagine you are Juliet, write a diary entry explaining the day’s events(Paris, Romeo)
Remember: The 3 F’s of diary entries( Format, Facts, Feelings)
Enda's English Notes 