Act 3

English Lit: AQA GCSE Romeo & Juliet, topic 6.1.3

Key Quotes - Act 3, Scene 1

Here are key quotes from Tybalt and Romeo in Act 3, Scene 1:

'Thou art a villain.'
When Tybalt approaches Romeo, he continually tries to annoy and provoke him (encourage him to fight).
He insults him to try and encourage him to be violent.
The noun 'villain' was an incredibly insulting term in Elizabethan times. This insult builds tension and suspense as audiences wonder how Romeo will react to this aggression.

'Good Capulet – which name I tender as dearly as my own – be satisfied.'
In contrast to a central focus of the play (the hatred between the Montagues and Capulet), Romeo is the first character to push these feelings of anger aside.
In fact, when he is trying to calm the angry man, he uses the adjective 'good' to refer to Tybalt.
But Romeo’s attempt to calm Tybalt actually angers him more. Romeo asks him to 'be satisfied' and stop the fighting.

'O, I am fortune’s fool!'
Romeo feels that the powers of fate and destiny are playing with him. He met his true love and is happy for a little while, but then fate causes him to kill Tybalt.
Romeo knows this means that he can never actually be with Juliet. He can never build a life with her, can never have a family with her, and can never be happy with her. Although fate and fortune brought Juliet to him, he can now never be with her.

In Act 3, Scene 2, Juliet says: 'bid him come to take his last farewell'. Here's an analysis of this key quote:

In the scene, Juliet begs the Nurse to tell Romeo to come to her for their wedding night.
They can say 'farewell' before he is exiled to Mantua.
The dramatic irony is that the audience knows that this visit will be the last time the couple see each other alive.

In Act 3, Scene 5, Lord Capulet says: 'Hang thee, young baggage! disobedient wretch.' Here's an analysis of this key quote:

This shows Lord Capulet’s change in attitude.
In Act 1, he wanted Juliet to pick a husband that she could love.
He also wanted her to be happy.
In Act 3, when she refuses to marry Paris, he calls her 'baggage'.
This suggests she is in his way and is a burden (something he has to deal with). He also calls her a 'wretch'.

What does Romeo's exclamation 'O, I am fortune’s fool!' show (Act 3, Scene 1)?
What does Juliet mean by the words 'bid him come to take his last farewell' (Act 3, Scene 2)?
What is the dramatic irony of the quote from Juliet (Act 3, Scene 2)?
'Bid him come to take his last farewell'
Who is Juliet speaking to when she says 'bid him come to take his last farewell' in Act 3, Scene 2?
How does Lord Capulet's attitude to Juliet's marriage change from Act 1 to Act 3?