plot summary

• Act 1 Scene 1

  • first introduced the feuds between the Capulets and Montagues
  • Benvolio (Montague) is enraged by this so draws his sword, to which Tybalt (Capulet) draws his sword enticing violence
  • Prince Escalus intervenes to maintain peace, declaring that death will be thrown upon anybody who disturbs this peace
  • Benvolio promises Lady Montague to find out why Romeo is so forlorn (sad)
  • He finds out that it is because Romeo is in love with Rosaline and this is love is unrequited
• Act 1 Scene 2/3/4

  • Paris asks J to marry - Capulet tells her to wait 2 more years
  • He invites Paris to this masquerade feast
  • A servant, who can't read, gets Romeo to help him read the guest list for the feast. He sees Rosaline's name is on there so decides to attend
  • Lady Capulet and the Nurse discuss Paris's marriage proposal with Juliet
  • The nurse is seen as a comic relief as she rambles about sexual jokes
  • Lady Capulet is eager for Juliet to marry
  • Mercutio mocks Romeo for his forlorn state over Rosaline - makes sexual metaphors
  • Mercutio - Queen Mab speech
• Act 1 Scene 5

  • Romeo sees Juliet from across the room and is instantly in love - forgets Rosaline in an instant
  • Tybalt hears Romeo's voice and wants to incite violence
  • Lord Capulet rejects it to keep the peace
  • Romeo and Juliet share their first kiss among religious metaphors about the kiss being a 'sin'
• Act 2 Scene 1/2/3

  • After the party - he decides to climb the Capulet Garden wall to find Juliet
  • This is the famous balcony scene
  • They acknowledge the barrier of their familial feuds but speak as if love can surmount (conquer) this
  • Romeo seeks advice and guidance from Friar Lawrence for his new found love for Juliet
  • Friar Lawrence agrees to marry them hoping it would extinguish the familial feud
• Act 2 Scene 4/5/6

  • Mercutio and Benvolio are speculating about Romeo's absence the night of the feast
  • The Nurse finds Romeo and warns him about hurting Juliet, he tells the Nurse to relay the message to Juliet about their marriage with Friar Lawrence that afternoon
  • The Nurse agrees to create a cloth ladder to help Romeo get into Juliet's room on their wedding night
  • The Nurse tells Juliet how Romeo will be waiting for her in Friar Lawrence's cell
  • Friar Lawrence marries Romeo and Juliet in his cell in secret
• Act 3 Scene 1

  • Tybalt tries to antagonise Mercutio, but when Romeo enters he tries to incite a reaction from him before
  • Due to his secret marriage with Juliet, Romeo refuses to be violent
  • Mercutio out of anger draws his sword and if Romeo won't fight, he will
  • Tybalt stabs Mercutio and he falls cursing the familial feuds that have caused his death
  • Romeo kills Tybalt as he believes that love has softened him. Prince Escalus banishes him
• Act 3 Scene 2

  • Juliet is waiting for Romeo on their wedding night
  • The Nurse comes to tell Juliet that Tybalt has been killed by Romeo and he has been banished
  • Juliet is angered and distressed, but still remains loyal to Romeo
• Act 3 Scene 3

  • Romeo is distressed about his banishment and tells this to Friar Lawrence.
  • he says he would rather be dead than without Juliet
  • The Friar helps create a plan that Romeo will visit Juliet this night before he is exiled and then leave in the morning
• Act 3 Scene 4/5

  • Lord Capulet arranges marriage
  • Romeo goes to leave Juliet at dawn. He is so overcome by love, he decides to stay and doesn't care if this results in his death - leaves when Lady Capulet is arriving
  • Lady Capulet tells Juliet about the marriage - overcome with grief and refuses.
  • When Lord Capulet - enraged by Juliets rejection of the marriage - insults and threatens to disown her.
  • Nurses advice - marry Paris. Juliet pretends to agree and then goes to The Friar for help.
• Act 4 Scene 1/2

  • Juliet says to the Friar she would rather kill herself than marry Paris
  • The Friar conjures a plan that Juliet will agree to marry Paris and drink a sleeping potion that will make her appear dead the night before the wedding.
  • His plan is that she will be put in the Capulet tomb and the Friar will tell Romeo to help him get her when she wakes up - then they live far away together and free.
  • The Friar gives her the sleeping potion
  • Juliet returns home, apologises and is no longer disobedient and defiant
• Act 4 Scene 3/4/5

  • She internally battles with: how the potion may kill her, it may wear off and she wakes up in a tomb and then begins to think about Tybalt's ghost
  • She drinks the potion
  • The Capulet house is getting prepared for the celebrations of the wedding
  • Nurse finds Juliet dead as she goes to wake her up
  • Lord and Lacy Capulet, Paris and Nurse mourn
  • Friar reminds them she has gone to a better place
• Act 5 Scene 1/2

  • In Mantua (where Romeo has been banished), he finds out about Juliet's death
  • He goes to the Apothecary (old term for a pharmacy) and asks to buy poison. The Apothecary refuses to sell it to him, he eventually gives in
  • The Friar realises that the message about Juliet's false death never reached Romeo
  • He sends another letter to Romeo about what has happened, planning on keeping Juliet in his cell until she awakes
• Act 5 Scene 3

  • Paris is scattering flowers on Juliet's grave
  • He notices Romeo - aggressively confronts Romeo
  • Romeo begs for him to leave, but Paris refuses -Romeo kills Paris.
  • Romeo sees Juliet's dead body, drinks the potion, kisses her and dies
  • Juliet kisses the lips of Romeo, hoping that this will kill her too but it doesn't work - takes dagger and stabs herself
  • The Friar confesses to the families about the death.
  • They are all so overwhelm with grief, they agree to end their feuds.