| 3.1 | 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. |
| 3.1 | 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. |
| 3.2 | Juliet longs for Romeo to come to her. The Nurse arrives with the news that Romeo has killed Tybalt and has been banished. Juliet at first feels grief for the loss of her cousin Tybalt and verbally attacks Romeo, but then renounces these feelings and devotes herself to grief for Romeo’s banishment. |
| 3.2 | The Nurse promises to bring Romeo to Juliet that night. |
| 3.3 | Friar Lawrence tells Romeo that his punishment for killing Tybalt is banishment, not death. Romeo responds that death is preferable to banishment from Juliet. When the Nurse enters and tells Romeo that Juliet is grief-stricken, Romeo attempts suicide. |
| 3.3 | Friar Lawrence then says that Romeo may spend the night with Juliet and leave for exile in Mantua next morning. |
| 3.3 | The Friar promises Balthasar will bring news of Verona and suggests that Romeo can expect in time that the Prince may relent and allow him to return to Verona. |
| 3.4 | Paris again approaches Capulet about marrying Juliet. Capulet, saying that Juliet will do as she is told, promises Paris that she will marry him in three days. |
| 3.5 | Romeo and Juliet separate at the first light of day. |
| 3.5 | after Romeo has descended from Juliet’s room, her mother comes to announce that Juliet must marry Paris. When Juliet refuses, her father becomes enrage and vows to put her out on the streets if she will not accept Paris as her husband. |
| 3.5 | The Nurse recommends that Juliet forget the banished Romeo and regard Paris as a more desirable husband. Juliet is secretly outraged at the Nurse’s advice and decides to seek Friar Lawrence’s help. |
Romeo and Juliet Act 3
August 22, 2019