Wedding Plans Are On...

As you continue to read, remember that even though so much has happened very quickly in the play, it is really only the second day of action. The opening street brawl happened on Sunday morning, the Capulet ball was that same night, and now it is Monday, and the plans for a wedding are set! Read on! Act II, scenes three and four are tonight. Friar Laurence's long speech at the beginning of scene three details the goodness derived from the earth, herbs, medicinal cures, and so forth, but he goes on to warn that these same cures can also do harm if misused. Earth can bring goodness or harm, just as man can. This, of course, is a forshadowing of what's to come. It seems like Friar makes an abrupt change at the end of this scene when he agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet, which he explains might be a way to end the feud. Still, he warns that moving too fast can cause one to stumble.

As you look at scene four, you'll see that Romeo's friends are still at it, or at least Mercutio is still joking around and teasing Romeo about Rosaline and love. When they run into the Nurse, Mercutio really gives her a time, teasing her about looking as big as a barge (ship) and procuring a love for her lady. The Nurse's servant Peter is no help defending her. Stage directions don't say, but we can imagine that he is enjoying watching the guys giving the Nurse a hard time. The Nurse and Romeo, nevertheless, set up the wedding plans and Romeo asks her to wait for his man (Balthasar, his servant) to come back with a rope ladder (tackle stair) for him to climb for the honeymoon.

We'll read over these lines tomorrow and watch more of the film version. Our readers have done a wonderful job. Meantime, keep experimenting with your poetry. I'll set a few minutes aside for you to share with groups, those of you who may still want conferencing. Plan on having a finished, final copy of a poem for Wednesday!