1. Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare
ACT 1 OUTLINE
By Erin Salona

2. Act 1Prologue
Prologue From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
 Summary of the play
 Setting: Verona, Italy
 Old argument between two
families causes fights/riots
 There are two “star-crossed
lovers”
- ill-fated
- not meant to be together
 Only the deaths of Romeo and
Juliet can end the argument
- They are the “star-
crossed” lovers
 The play should take two
hours to perform
Verona, Italy

3. Act 1 Prologue: Why?
 Why does Shakespeare tell
us the fate of Romeo and
Juliet in the first 14 lines?
 A great storyteller can do
this; the details of the story
are more important than the
ending.
 The audience will watch in
anticipation of the deaths,
making each action of the
characters more strongly
felt.

4. Act 1, Scene 1
A. Capulet servants
boast about fighting
Montagues (enemy)
B. They want to provoke
the Montague
servants without
getting themselves in
trouble with the law
C. A Capulet servant
insults/ bites his
thumb at Montague
Bite Your Thumb = Insult servant which starts a
fight (riot)

5. Act 1, Scene 1
C. Benvolio arrives Benvolio: Part, fools!
Put up your swords; you know not what you
and tries to break do.
up fight
D. Tybalt provokes
Benvolio into
fighting
Tybalt: What, drawn, and talk of
peace! I hate the word,
As I hate hell, all Montagues, and
thee:
Have at thee, coward!
Tybalt

6. Act 1, Scene 1
E. Prince Escalus arrives, Prince: If ever you disturb our streets again,
stops fight, and sentences Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace
the family that starts the
next fight/riot to death.
F. Lord Montague and wife
and Lord Capulet both
appear at the scene
- Lord Capulet is most
interested in fighting
- Lady Montague & Lady
Capulet encourage their
husbands not to fight Romeo & Gang

7. Act 1, Scene 1: Why?
 Why does a play about
forbidden love begin with The feud affects citizens
Capulet & Montague of all classes in Verona.
servants fighting?
 Immediately love & violence
are intertwined
 The servants behavior
reflects their masters’
ridiculous attitudes (holding
a violent grudge against
another family without
knowing the reason of their
hate)

8. Act 1, Scene 1
G. Romeo’s parents (the Lord Montague: Away from the light steals home my
Montagues) and Benvolio heavy son,
And private in his chamber pens himself,
discuss Romeo’s mood. Shuts up his windows, locks far daylight out
And makes himself an artificial night:
1. Lord Montague
points out that Romeo
is staying in his room
all day.
2. Benvolio has seen
Romeo wandering
around.
3. He sees that Romeo
wants to be left alone;
so, he doesn’t bother
him.
Sad Romeo

9. Act 1, Scene 1
H. Romeo tells Benvolio
that he is depressed
1. Romeo loves
Rosaline. (Romeo is
obsessed with her.)
2. Rosaline wants
nothing to do with him;
she has sworn off love
and men to become a
nun
3. Benvolio wants Romeo
to look at other girls to
date
Rosaline

10. Act 1, Scene 2
 A. Count Paris, who is 21,
asks Lord Capulet if he
can marry Juliet.
 B. Capulet would like
Paris to wait 2 years
 C. [All of Juliet’s siblings
are dead]
 D. Capulet will agree to
the marriage only if Juliet
also agrees. He tells Paris Lord Capulet: But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
to begin wooing her My will to her consent is but a part;
An she agree, within her scope of choice
Lies my consent and fair according voice.

11. Act 1, Scene 2
 D. Benvolio and
Romeo find out
about the Capulets’
party.
 1. Romeo reads
the guest list for an
illiterate servant.
 2. Rosaline is
invited to the party.
Romeo is interested
in going now!

12. Act 1, Scene 2
 E. Benvolio talks
Benvolio: Go thither; and, with unattainted eye,
Compare her face [Rosaline’s] with some that I shall
Romeo into show,
And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.
crashing the
party.
 1. Benvolio wants
Romeo to compare
Rosaline to other
girls.
 2. He thinks Romeo
will realize that there
are other women in
the world.
Romeo in Mask

13. Act 1, Scene 3
 A. Lady Capulet goes to see
Juliet about marrying Count
Paris & encourages her to
marry him.
B. Nurse rambles on and on;
says Juliet will be 14 in 2
weeks. She speaks crude
comments about Juliet,
showing her lower class
Lady Capulet: Well, think of marriage now;
younger than you,
Here in Verona, ladies of esteem,
Are made already mothers: by my count,
I was your mother much upon these years
That you are now a maid. Thus then in brief:
Juliet, Nurse, Lady Capulet The valiant Paris seeks you for his love.

14. Act 1, Scene 3
 C. Juliet says that she
hasn’t thought about
marriage at all.
 It does not appear she wants
to marry Paris
 but she is obedient to her
mother’s wishes.
 D. Nurse thinks that
marrying Paris would be a
good idea.
 E. Juliet agrees to meet
Juliet to Lady Capulet: I'll look to like, if looking Paris at the party and
liking move: consider his offer of
But no more deep will I endart mine eye
Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.
marriage.

15. Act 1, Scene 4
 A. Romeo, Benvolio,
Mercutio, and friends
are on their way to
crash the masquerade
party.
1. Romeo doesn’t
want to go as he is The Capulet Ball
still depressed. 3 August 1570
All are invited
2. Says he will not Unless you be
dance. from the house of
3. The guys are Montagues
wearing masks at
the party to hide
their identities.

16. Act 1, Scene 4
 B. Mercutio tries to cheer
Romeo up by talking about his
dream.
 C. Romeo fears that something
bad is going to come of this
night; i.e. he might die.
 Romeo: I fear, too early: for my
mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in
the stars
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night's revels and expire
the term
Of a despised life closed in my
breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely
death. FORESHADOWING

17. Act 1, Scene 4
Mercutio’s Queen Mab
Monologue:
 Queen Mab = an imaginary fairy
who brings dreams of people’s
fantasies & fears to them as they
sleep
 Romeo says he listens to his dreams
 Mercutio uses the Queen Mab
speech to tell Romeo to ignore his
dreams; dreams are nonsense– he
gives many examples
 Mercutio is NOT romantic like
Romeo but rather a passionate
joker/master of puns.
 Mercutio is a FOIL to Romeo.
 Mercutio is a FOIL to Tybalt: he
does not believe in fighting for
family honor. Queen Mab

18. Act 1, Scene 5
 A. Lord Capulet welcomes
all to his party.
 B. Romeo sees Juliet
across the room and falls
in ‘love’ with Juliet.
(Rosaline who?)
 Romeo: O, she doth teach
the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the
cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an
Ethiope's ear
The Capulet Ball

19. Act 1, Scene 5
 C. Tybalt, who is a hothead,
overhears Romeo talking
about Juliet and instantly
wants to kill him.
 Tybalt: Uncle, this is a Montague,
our foe,/ A villain that is hither
come in spite,
To scorn at our solemnity this
night FORESHADOWING
 D. Lord Capulet stops Tybalt
from fighting in his house
and warns him to calm down
or to leave the party.
 Lord Capulet reminds Tybalt
that Romeo is behaving
Tybalt  Tybalt vows to seek revenge
at some point in the future

20. Act 1, Scene 5
 E. Romeo and Juliet meet but
do not exchange names.
 F. They instantly fall in love.
 Romeo worships Juliet with
religious devotion
 Saints and prayers are
referenced in their dialogue
 They kiss!
 G. As people are leaving,
Romeo asks who Juliet is.
Nurse explains: She is a
Capulet and his enemy.
 Romeo to Nurse: Is she a Capulet?
O dear account! my life is my foe's debt.
Juliet & Romeo

21. Act 1, Scene 5
 H. Nurse also identifies
Romeo for Juliet. He is a
Montague and her enemy.
 Juliet to Nurse: My only love
sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and
known too late!
Prodigious birth of love it is to
me,
That I must love a loathed
enemy.
 I. Both Romeo and Juliet
are depressed at these
Juliet to Nurse: Go ask his name: if he be discoveries.
married.
 J. What will happen in
My grave is like to be my wedding bed.
Act 2?

22. Works Cited
 Chichester, Karen. “Romeo and Juliet Outlines by
Act.” Jefferson High School: Livonia, Michigan.
SlideShare.net. SlideShare Inc. Sept. 2008. Web.
18 May 2010.
 “Romeo and Juliet.” Google Images. Google. 2010. Web. 18
May 2010.
 Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. The Complete
Works of William Shakespeare. Michigan Institute
of Technology. 2010. Web. 18 May 2010.