Timeline for Romeo and Juliet, Study notes of English Literature

Download Timeline for Romeo and Juliet and more Study notes English Literature in PDF only on Docsity! Timeline for Romeo and Juliet Act Day Time Plot Time Clues in the Text I : i Sunday Morning The Montagues and Capulets fight in the streets and are broken up by Prince Escalus. Romeo is pining for Rosaline who has rejected him. Line 167: Benvolio says that it is 9:00 am ("new struck nine"). I : ii Sunday Afternoon Lord Capulet and Paris talk about arranging a marriage to Juliet. Romeo and Benvolio learn that Rosaline has been invited to a party at the Capulet house. Benvolio suggests crashing the party so that Romeo can see that the other women are more beautiful than Rosaline is. Line 20: Lord Capulet says that there will be a party tonight ("This night I hold an old accustomed feast"). Line 57: Romeo greets the servant with the word, "Godden", that was used to say "Good afternoon". I : iii Sunday Evening Lady Capulet tells Juliet that Paris wants to marry her. Line 15: Lady Capulet says that it is "a fortnight and odd days" until Lammastide (August 1, which will be Juliet's 14th birthday), so this Sunday is sometime between July 4th and 18th. Line 100: the servant says "the guests are come, supper served up". I : iv Sunday Evening Romeo and friends arrive outside the Capulet house. There are several references to carrying torches or lamps, so darkness has fallen. I : v Sunday Evening & late evening Romeo and Juliet meet at the party and fall in love. Tybalt is angry that Romeo came. Several hours pass during this scene even though it takes only a few minutes to perform. It begins with the servants setting up and the guests arriving. It ends with the guests leaving. II : i Sunday Late evening Romeo looks for Juliet. Benvolio and Mercutio look for Romeo. II : ii Sunday Late evening The famous balcony scene: Romeo and Juliet decide that they will get married the next morning. Line 169: Romeo tells Juliet to send for him tomorrow at 9:00 ("At the hour of nine"). II : iii Monday Early morning Romeo goes to Friar Laurence to arrange the wedding. Line 1: Friar Laurence says, "The gray-eyed morn smiles". Line 32: "What early tongue". Line 39: "thy earliness doth ensure me". II : iv Monday Noon Benvolio and Mercutio are still looking for Romeo because Tybalt is planning to challenge Romeo to a duel. Romeo finds them. The Nurse arrives. Benvolio and Mercutio leave. The Nurse warns Romeo that he better not be toying with Juliet because Paris genuinely wants to marry her. Line 118: Mercutio says, "the dial is now upon the prick of noon". The Nurse seems to have wasted 3 hours before finding Romeo. Lines 191-194: Romeo says that Juliet should come to Friar Laurence "this afternoon". Lines 200-203: Romeo says that "within this hour" a servant will deliver a rope ladder so that he can get into Juliet's room when night falls. Act Day Time Plot Time Clues in the Text II : v Monday Afternoon Juliet is upset that the Nurse is taking so long. The Nurse delivers Romeo's message. Line 1: "The clock struck nine when I did send the nurse. In half an hour she promised to return." Line 10: "Of this day's journey, and from nine till twelve is three long hours." II : vi Monday Afternoon Romeo and Juliet meet at Friar Laurence's cell and get married. Shakespeare doesn't actually show the wedding ceremony on stage, but many productions do. III : i Monday Afternoon Benvolio and Mercutio encounter Tybalt. Romeo arrives, and Tybalt challenges him. Romeo refuses, so Mercutio fights Tybalt. Tybalt kills Mercutio, so Romeo kills Tybalt. The Prince orders that Romeo be banished. Line 4: Benvolio refers to the time of year when he says that "these hot days" are stirring "the mad blood". (It's not clear why Romeo didn't just stay with Juliet after the wedding.) III : ii Monday Late afternoon Juliet yearns for night to fall so that Romeo will be able to come. The Nurse tells her about Tybalt's death and Romeo's banishment. Line 99: Juliet says that it has been three hours since the wedding ("thy three-hours wife"). There is much poetic imagery about the sun and night. III : iii Monday Early evening Friar Laurence tells Romeo that he has been banished. The Nurse comes to bring Romeo to Juliet. Line 66: Romeo says that it has been one hour since the wedding ("An hour but married"), but he's probably being figurative not literal. Line 148: It is not yet dark. Friar Laurence tells Romeo to go to Juliet now but to leave for Mantua before the night watchmen (police) go on duty ("stay not till the watch be set"). Line 167: He repeats this warning and suggests that, if Romeo misses the deadline, he should wait until the watch goes off duty at daybreak. Line 164: The Nurse says, "it grows very late." Friar Laurence says, "good night" twice (166 and 173). III : iv Monday Late evening Lord Capulet decides that Juliet shall marry Paris on Thursday. Line 18: Paris says that today is Monday. Lines 5-7: "'Tis very late ... I would have been abed an hour ago." Line 34: "it is so very very late." Line 17: Lord Capulet suggests that the wedding should be on Wednesday, but, in lines 19-21, he changes his mind: "Wednesday is too soon. O' Thursday let it be. O' Thursday, tell her, she shall be married to this noble Earl." III : v Tuesday Early morning Romeo leaves for Mantua after spending the night with Juliet. Juliet is told that she must marry Paris on Thursday morning - or else. Lines 1-35: Romeo and Juliet playfully argue whether it is actually morning or still night. Line 13: Lady Capulet says, "Marry, my child, early next Thursday morn." Lines 154-155: Lord Capulet says, "Thursday next, to go with Paris to Saint Peter's Church." Line 162: "Get thee to church o' Thursday." Line 192: "Thursday is near."