Hey there, at the request of Mr. Hill I'm publishing my reading progress of the past two weeks: 269 pages of literary fiction or non-fiction.

Romeo and Juliet Act 5 Scene 3: Pg 219-243

Romeo arrives at Juliet's tomb, only to find Paris there. Obviously, the two men aren't on the best of terms, so they duke it out and in the end Paris is killed. Then Romeo, believing Juliet to be dead, takes the poison and steals one last kiss from Juliet before dying. Coincidentally, Juliet awakes just as Romeo is dying, and she kills herself with his dagger. So now both Romeo and Juliet have taken their own lives, and their families find them. When the two families come together, Friar Lawrence recounts how the two were in love and got married.

In the end, one good thing came out of the deaths of the two lovers. Capulet and Montague decided that the hostility between the two families was at an end and they could live in peace. Its a bummer that both Romeo and Juliet had to die for the two families to get along, but the story of their love makes an awesome book, and I guarantee I will read it several more times.

Romeo and Juliet Act 5 Scene's 1&2: Pg 211-219

Juliet's finely sculpted plan does not go exactly the way she wanted, because Romeo is informed of Juliet's "death" right away. Before he knows that it's a hoax, he doesn't believe it so he goes out and buys poison that will kill him instantly if it is true. He wants to die next to Juliet in the tomb.

Even though I know what's going to happen, it is clear that this is a pretty confusing situation. There is an enormous lack of communication between all of the characters, especially the two lovers. This can only end badly. I decided to leave the very last scene to read tonight.

Romeo and Juliet Act 4: 177-207

So we ended with Juliet visiting Friar Lawrence to ask for advice. The two devise a sneaky little plan. Friar Lawrence gives Juliet a potion that will make her appear dead for a couple days. She is instructed to take this as her family is making wedding preparations. Once she is discovered as "dead," she will be put in a tomb and Romeo will come and saver her just as she awakes from her sleep. So Juliet takes the potion home with her and just as the wedding preparations take full swing, she downs the poison and they find her body the next morning.

Compared to the other acts, act 4 is pretty short. Despite the brevity, I think it's my favorite section. So much action is crammed into this one act that it's impossible to not read the whole act in one sitting.

Koo Koo - The Bird Girl

This is pretty sad, but also really entertaining: read about Minnie!
Rest In Peace you bizarre little bird child.

Romeo and Juliet Act 3: pg 115-173

Act 3 begins with another fight between several members of the two families. Romeo is challenged to a duel by Tybolt, a member of Juliet's family. However, he knows that he must keep the peace now because the two are married so he tries to be the peacekeeper. This fails, and in the end Mercutio dies and Romeo kills Tybolt. Because of this, Romeo is punished by the Prince by being ordered to leave Verona forever. Romeo and Juliet spend one last night together before Romeo has to leave, and afterwards Juliet goes to visit Friar Lawrence to see what she should do.

While all this is going on, Juliet's mother has decided that she needs to marry Paris that very week, and Juliet is completely torn up about it.

My english teacher this year told us that in all Shakespeare plays, the acts will generally always follow the same pattern:

Act 1: Exposition

Act 2: Rising Action

Act 3: Climax

Act 4: Falling Action

Act 5: Resolution 

Being act 3, this act is when most of the important action takes place (such as Mercutio and Tybolt dying and Romeo being banished). I would say I'm excited to see what happens next, but I've already read it so I know what's coming haha. Regardless, Im going to start reading act 4 right now.

Romeo and Juliet Act 2: pg 65-111

Being teenagers, the two decide to sneak a visit after the party. They end up proclaiming their love to each other and deciding to get married the following day. So in the morning Romeo visits a character named Friar Lawrence, who agrees to marry them. Friar Lawrence wants the two to get married in the hopes that the union will end the feud between the two families forever.

Once Romeo leaves, he meets up with Benvolio and Mercutio, and they joke around for a bit. Afterwards, Romeo meets Juliet's nurse and apprises her of the plan (the two lovers are to be married later that very same day).

The Nurse returns to Juliet, teases her a bit, and finally tells her everything she heard from Romeo. The two are set to be happily married by Friar Lawrence.

Even though I've read the book so many times I've lost count, I still can't get over the fact that the two lovers meet one night, and are getting married the very next day. I'm pretty sure they're in their early teens too. I can't decide if it's true love or if the two are just acting recklessly because they are infatuated with each other.