Oxford School Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet

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Act 3, scene 1 Mercutio and Benvolio encounter Tybalt on the street. As soon as Romeo arrives, Tybalt tries to provoke him to fight. When Romeo refuses, Mercutio answers Tybalt’s challenge. They duel and Mercutio is fatally wounded. Romeo then avenges Mercutio’s death by killing Tybalt in a duel. Benvolio tries to persuade the Prince to excuse Romeo’s slaying of Tybalt; however, the Capulets demand that Romeo pay with his life; the Prince instead banishes Romeo from Verona.

Act 1, scene 5 Capulet welcomes the disguised Romeo and his friends. Romeo, watching the dance, is caught by the beauty of Juliet. Overhearing Romeo ask about her, Tybalt recognizes his voice and is enraged at the intrusion.Romeo then meets Juliet, and they fall in love. Not until they are separated do they discover that they belong to enemy houses.Edited by Hannah August, Senior Lecturer, Massey University, Francis X. Conor, Associate Professor of English, Wichita State University, and Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies, University of Oxford Act 5, scene 1 Romeo’s man, Balthasar, arrives in Mantua with news of Juliet’s death. Romeo sends him to hire horses for their immediate return to Verona. Romeo then buys poison so that he can join Juliet in death in the Capulets’ burial vault. Oxford School Shakespeare is an acclaimed series offering full, unabridged versions of Shakespeare plays designed specifically for students. Oxford School Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet includes a range of illustrations, clear notes and commentaries throughout, and reading lists - ideal for both in-class teaching and independent revision.

Act 2, scene 5 Juliet waits impatiently for the Nurse to return. Her impatience grows when the Nurse, having returned, is slow to deliver Romeo’s message. Finally Juliet learns that if she wants to marry Romeo, she need only go to Friar Lawrence’s cell that afternoon.Nathan Golo’s Mercutio was mesmerizing to see, a brash, saucy live-wire performance that stole every scene he was in, while Billy Morton’s Benvolio balanced this out with a sincere and grounding performance. The scenes with the three men highlighted both exactly how funny Shakespeare’s dialogue can be and also the laddish camaraderie between the three. In a world where divisions continue to persist, Romeo and Juliet also serves as a poignant reminder of the transformative power of love. It prompts us to question the barriers and prejudices that separate us, and challenges us to find common ground and understanding. Outlines common themes explored when studying Romeo and Juliet's characters, including Romeo and Juliet's unrequited love, Romeo and Juliet as youthful protagonists, Romeo and Juliet's divided loyalties and the powerful force of fate and fortune Encourage instant comprehension with clear notes and commentaries giving detailed explanations of difficult words and passages

Act 2, scene 1 Romeo finds himself so in love with Juliet that he cannot leave her. He scales a wall and enters Capulet’s garden. Meanwhile Benvolio and Mercutio look for him in vain. Act 2, scene 4 Mercutio and Benvolio meet the newly enthusiastic Romeo in the street. Romeo defeats Mercutio in a battle of wits. The Nurse finds Romeo, and he gives her a message for Juliet: meet me at Friar Lawrence’s cell this afternoon, and we will there be married. Throughout, the music is beautifully chosen and does much to enrich the emotion of the story. Brief interludes of singing from Layla Katib and Craig Finley, who also played The Nurse/Queen Escala and Friar Lawrence respectively, might have felt indulgent in another production, but here was another thoughtful addition of texture. Set to captivate audiences of all ages, Wild Goose has ensured that their adaption is as relevant today as when Shakespeare penned the play over four centuries ago.Its universal themes, vibrant characters, and poetic language continue to engage audiences, captivating both the young and the young-at-heart,” director Alex Nicholls explains. Wild Goose Theatre are fast rivalling Creation as Oxford’s most exciting theatre company! The Oxford Times Hafeja Khanam’s Juliet was sweet and ethereal. I found myself wishing at times more of the humour and character had been teased out of Juliet’s lines, her character occasionally felt a bit blank compared to Romeo and others in the play. However, the chemistry between her and Cowley felt giddy, delicate - positively teenage - which did wonders to sell their whirlwind romance, always a necessity for this production.

Act 4, scene 3 Juliet sends the Nurse away for the night. After facing her terror at the prospect of awaking in her family’s burial vault, Juliet drinks the potion that Friar Lawrence has given her. Act 1, scene 1 A street fight breaks out between the Montagues and the Capulets, which is broken up by the ruler of Verona, Prince Escalus. He threatens the Montagues and Capulets with death if they fight again. A melancholy Romeo enters and is questioned by his cousin Benvolio, who learns that the cause of Romeo’s sadness is unrequited love. Edward Smith as Tybalt gave the role an effectively preppy smugness, but the fight scene between Mercutio and Tybalt felt oddly rushed and chose to have Mercutio die off stage, which felt like a missed opportunity to fully wring out the scene’s pathos. Act 2, scene 6 Juliet meets Romeo at Friar Lawrence’s cell. After expressing their mutual love, they exit with the Friar to be married.The New Oxford Shakespeare edition of Romeo and Juliet provides a fresh and authoritative introduction to one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies. author of Playbooks and their Readers in Early Modern England (2022) and several book chapters and articles on the history of reading early modern drama. Act 5, scene 2 Friar John enters, bringing with him the letter that he was to have delivered to Romeo. He tells why he was unable to deliver the letter. Friar Lawrence anxiously goes to the tomb to be there when Juliet comes out of her trance.