"A plague o' both your houses!", Mercutio, Act II scene i

Mercutio's curse as he draws his last breath is an omen of events to come. After the light romantic comic interlude of Act II, Act III is where the important events leading to the ultimate death of the two young lovers take place. Tybalt comes to fight the duel he had challenged Romeo to by letter in the previous act. Romeo, only hours after his clandestine marriage to Juliet, is unwilling to fight Tybalt, saying he loves him "better than thou canst devise". Instead Mercutio, who is angered by Romeo's pacifistic attitude, leaps to the challenge and is eventually dealt a mortal blow by Tybalt. Now Romeo, enraged at his own "effeminate" behaviour for which he blames his love for Juliet, fights with and kills Tybalt, then flees. Prince Escalus arrives at the scene and declares that Romeo should be exiled.
In the meantime, Juliet is waiting impatiently for the night to come so she can be reconciled with Romeo. The nurse rushes in screaming "he's dead" and Juliet thinks for a moment that she is talking about Romeo. Then she learns tht it is her cousin Tybalt who is dead, killed by her husband Romeo. She is momentarily angry, and curses Romeo, "O serpent heart, hid with a flow'ring face! Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave? Beautiful tyrant! Fiend angelical!" However, when the nurse curses him she has a change of heart, "Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband? Ah, poor my lord, what tongue shall smooth thy name, When I, your three-hours wife have mangled it?" The nurse decides to find Romeo so that the young newly-weds can spend their first and last night together.
Romeo has gone to Friar Laurence, from whom he learns the punishment he will receive. Romeo says he would rather die than live in exile, "'Tis torture, and not mercy: heaven is here, Where Juliet lives; and every cat, and dog, And little mouse, every unworthy thing , Live here in heaven, and may look on her; But Romeo may not".The nurse arrives at Friar Laurence's cell and tells Romeo to come to the Capulet mansion that night.
In the meantime, Capulet and Lady Capulet decide that Juliet should marry Paris soon, in three days time, hoping it will help her to forget her cousin.
The next morning, at dawn, Romeo is about to leave Juliet's chamber, never to see her again, and Juliet pleads with him to stay a little longer, "Wilt thou be gone? it is not yet near day: It was the nightingale, and not the lark, That pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear". He leaves, and Lady Capulet arrives, bringing news of Juliet's impending marriage. This time, Juliet is not submissive to her parents' wishes and she openly defies them. Capulet is furious, saying that if she does not marry Paris, she will end her days begging and starving on the streets. The nurse thinks she might as well marry Paris, who she always thought the better match, now that Romeo was effectively dead for Juliet. Juliet pretends to agree with her, but after she's gone she curses her behind her back. She states that she will go to the friar for advice, "If all else fail, myself have power to die."
Well, it all happens in this scene!

What's in a name! that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet" Juliet, "Romeo and Juliet" Act II, scene ii

Act II is full of high spirits and promise as the two young lovers defy their families and the ancient animosity between them in order to marry. However, this merriment is not to last long, and we get a hint of what is to come when we learn that Tybalt has sent Romeo a letter inviting him to a challenge in revenge for his gatecrashing of the Capulets' ball...

"Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night!" Romeo and Juliet, Act I scene v

Act I serves as the exposition-introducing the characters and the context. It introduces the blood feud between the Montagues and Capulets in the form of a street brawl, as a result of which Prince Escalus decrees that the next person to breach the peace will be punished. Thus, even at the very beginning of the play, we are shown the cruel twists of fate that eventually lead to the deaths of the two young lovers. Romeo is suffering unrequited love for Rosaline, Juliet is about to be betrothed to Paris. However, a fateful meeting with the illiterate Capulet servant causes everything to change....

A pair of star-crost lovers take their life....

We got to start the play this week at last! What made you think this lesson? Was it anything about the life of Queen Elizabeth I? How about the prologue before Act I? Or Romeo's pre-Juliet poetry? Oh, feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health.....