Acts:

• Act 1 Prologue:

  • Chorus appear and speak of the familial feud and the 'star crossed' lovers.
• Act 1, Scene 1:

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

  • Paris asks for Juliet's hand in marriage. Lord Capulet says she is only 14 and to wait two 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 he decided to attend.
• Act 1, Scene 3:

  • Lady Capulet and the Nurse discuss Paris's marriage proposal with Juliet.
  • The Nurse is seen as a comic relief here as she rambles about sexual jokes.
  • Lady Capulet is eager for Juliet to marry.
• Act 1, Scene 4:

  • Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio are on the way to the feast.
  • Mercutio mocks Romeo for his forlorn state over Rosaline and makes sexual and bawdy metaphors.
  • Mercutio does his long Queen mab speech.
• Act. 1, Scene 5:

  • Romeo sees Juliet from across the room and is instantly in love - he forgets Rosaline in an instant.
  • Tybalt hears Romeo's voice and wants to initiate 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'. Both find out about each other's identity.
• Act 2 Prologue:

  • Chorus provides a sonnet describing the new found love between Romeo and Juliet and the familial feuds that is obstructing them.
• Act 2, Scene 1:

  • After the party, Romeo's mind is engulfed with thoughts of Juliet. He decided to climb the Capulet Garden wall to find Juliet.
• Act 2, Scene 2:

  • The famous balcony scene.
  • They acknowledge the barrier of their familial feuds but speak as if love can surmount this.
• Act 2, Scene 3:

  • 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 feud.
• Act 2, Scene 4:

  • Mercutio and Benvolio are speculating about Romeo's absence the night of the feast.
  • They then see Romeo and make jokes about his absence. He responds with witty sexual comments.
  • 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 ger into Juliet's room on their wedding night.
• Act 2, Scene 5:

  • Juliet anxiously awaits news from the Nurse about Romeo.
  • The Nurse tells her how Romeo will be waiting for her in Friar Lawrence's cel.
• Act 2, Scene 6:

  • 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.
  • The Friar tries to console him, telling him it is just as well he has not been killed - 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:

  • Without Juliet's consent, Lord Capulet arranges for Paris to marry Juliet.
  • It is a Monday when he arranges this, and he arranges the wedding to be on Thursday.
• Act 3, Scene 5:

  • 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.
  • He then leaves when Lady Capulet is approaching.
  • Lady Capulet informs Juliet about the marriage. She is overcome with grief and refuses.
  • When Lord Capulet enters, and hears Juliet's rejection of the marriage, he is enraged. He insults her and threatens to disown her.
  • Juliet asks for the Nurse's advice, to which she says to marry Paris. Juliet pretends to agree and then goes to The Friar for help.
• Act 4, Scene 1:

  • Paris speaks lovingly to Juliet yet she is cold and distant.
  • 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.
• Act 4, Scene 2:

  • Juliet returns home, apologises to her Father and is no longer disobedient and defiant about the wedding.
• Act 4, Scene 3:

  • Juliet is battling with the idea of drinking the potion.
  • 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.
• Act 4, Scene 4:

  • The Capulet house is getting prepared for the celebrations of the wedding.
• Act 4, Scene 5:

  • The Nurse goes to wake up Juliet to find she is dead.
  • Lord and Lady Capulet, Paris and the Nurse mourn.
  • The Friar reminds them she has gone to a better place.
• Act 5, Scene 1:

  • In Mantua, Romeo finds out about Juliet's death.
  • He goes to the Apothecary and asks to buy poison. The Apothecary refuses to sell it to him, he eventually gives in.
• Act 5, Scene 2:

  • The Friar realises that the message about Juliet's false death never reached Romeo.
  • The Friar then declares he will go and rescue Juliet on his own.
  • 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 at the churchyard scattering flowers on Juliet's grave.
  • He notices Romeo. He thinks he has come back to further disrespect the Capulets so he 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 Juliet and then dies.
  • The Friar enters the tomb, Juliet awakes. The Friar informs her that both Romeo and Paris are dead and she must leave immediately.
  • Juliet refuses to leave, The Friar leaves out of fear.
  • Juliet Kisses the lips of Romeo, hoping that this would kill her too but it doesn't work. She takes the dagger and stabs herself. She dies laying upon Romeo's body
  • The Friar confesses to the families about the death. They are all so overwhelmed with grief, they agree to end their feuds.