Romeo and Juliet summary

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Romeo and Juliet summary

Romeo and Juliet Summary

Prologue

The play begins with a Prologue which establishes that this play will be a tragedy and that the children of two feuding families, will both love and die in the course of this play.

Act I

Scene 1 Sampson and Gregory, servants to the Capulets and Abraham and Balthasar, servants to the Montague family, start a street fight, which is joined by Benvolio (Montague) and Tybalt (Capulet). The Prince of Verona declares a death penalty for further feuding between the two families.

Scene 2 The Capulets agree for Paris to marry their daughter Juliet and they plan a party Juliet. Romeo is lovesick for Rosaline who will be at the party.

Scene 3 Lady Capulet and the nurse encourage Juliet to marry Paris.

Scene 4 Romeo and friends decide to attend the party uninvited so Romeo can see Rosaline.

Scene 5 At the Capulet’s party, Romeo is disguised by a mask. Tybalt hears Romeo’s voice but Capulet stops Tybalt from attacking him. Romeo sees Juliet and it is love at first sight. Both Romeo and Juliet realize that their families are enemies.

Act II.

Scene 1 After the party Romeo hides in the Capulet’s orchard.

Scene 2 Juliet comes to her window. The two profess their love and decide to marry.

Scene 3 At dawn, Romeo goes to Friar Lawrence who agrees to marry them.

Scene 4 Romeo catches up with Mercutio and Benvolio who reveal that Tybalt has challenged Romeo to a duel. Romeo tells the nurse to have Juliet come to Friar Lawrence’s that afternoon to be married.

Scene 5 The nurse tells Juliet of Romeo’s plans.

Scene 6 Romeo and Juliet are married.

Act III.

Scene 1 Romeo is returning from his wedding when he sees Tybalt who wants to fight. Romeo will not fight. Mercutio becomes angry and fights Tybalt. When Romeo tries to stop the fight, Tybalt kills Mercutio. Romeo then challenges and kills Tybalt. The Prince banishes Romeo from Verona threatening death should he ever return.

Scene 2 The nurse tells Juliet of Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment. Friar Laurence suggests Romeo go to Juliet’s bed chamber to comfort his wife.

Scene 3 Romeo and Juliet are both very upset because they can’t be together. Friar Laurence has a plan. Romeo will go to Mantua while Friar Laurence tells the families of their marriage and gets a pardon for Romeo.

Scene 4 Capulet, who does not know of their marriage, decides that the marriage of Juliet to Paris must now proceed. He sends his wife to tell Juliet.

Scene 5 Romeo spends the night with Juliet before leaving for Mantua. Juliet tells her father she will not marry Paris. She goes to see Friar Lawrence, hoping he’ll have a plan.

Act IV.

Scene 1 Friar Laurence tells Juliet to take a potion, the night before the wedding. It will put her in a coma for 42 hours. Friar Laurence will then send a message to Romeo, for him to go to the Capulets’ burial vault and wait for Juliet to wake up. Then the two can run away together.

Scene 2 Juliet, who plans to drink Friar Laurence’s potion, no longer opposes the wedding, which pleases her father.

Scene 3 Juliet takes the sleeping potion.

Scene 4 Lord Capulet sends the nurse to wake Juliet

Scene 5 The Capulet’s learn that their daughter Juliet is dead. They prepare for her burial in the family vault.

Act V.

Scene 1 In Mantua, Romeo learns of Juliet’s death. He buys some poison from a local Apothecary and leaves for Verona to kill himself at Juliet’s tomb.

Scene 2 Friar Laurence learns that his letter informing Romeo that Juliet is not dead, did not reach Romeo. Friar Laurence tries again to inform Romeo of his plan and heads off to the Capulet burial chamber where Juliet will soon awaken.

Scene 3 Paris is at the tomb to mourn Juliet when he sees Romeo enter the tomb. They fight and Romeo kills Paris and places him beside Juliet. Romeo takes his poison, kisses Juliet and dies. When Friar Laurence arrives, Juliet awakens and sees Romeo’s body. When Friar Laurence leaves Juliet alone, she kisses Romeo and stabs herself, dying.

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Romeo and Juliet summary

KEY EVENTS

PROLOGUE

An external narrator summarises the story that is to come. Briefly, the key points are:

Two wealthy families in Verona (a place in Italy) have a long-standing grudge against each other.
This story will follow their latest conflict.
The violence is becoming such a concern that innocent bystanders are getting caught up in the feud
The two sets of parents (Capulets and Montagues) give birth to one child each, but they are fatally doomed
Children from each family meet and fall in love and then commit suicide
When the children die, their parents will stop fighting (It takes the children’s deaths for the feud to end)
For the next two hours we will watch Romeo and Juliet’s doomed love and their parents’ anger, which couldn’t be stopped without R and J’s deaths.

ACT 1, SCENE 1

Members of the Montague and Capulet houses fight in public again. We meed Tybalt (house of Capulet) and Benvolio (House of Montague)
The Prince arrives and warns those fighting that if violence erupts again, they shall pay the penalty of their lives.

PRINCE: If ever you disturb our streets again / You lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace (1, 1, 87)

We meet Romeo for the first time. He is upset. He loves someone (Rosaline) but can’t have her... Rosaline has sworn to a life of chastity.
BENVOLIO: What sadness lengthens Romeo’s hours?
ROMEO: Not having that which, having, makes them short (1, 1, 155)
Benvolio advises Romeo to look at other girls. That will cure him, he says. Romeo isn’t convinced.

ACT 1, SCENE 2

Paris asks Capulet for Juliet’s hand in marriage
Capulet says ‘Woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart / My will to her consent is but a part (1, 2, 16)
Capulet invites Paris to his feast where there will be lots of beautiful women.
Capulet asks his servant to deliver the invitations to the feast EXCEPT HE CAN’T READ. HA HA HA!
Servant sees Romeo and Benvolio in the street, who help the servant read the invitation. The servant does not know they are members of the enemy family but the audience does.
SERVANT: If you be not of the house of Montagues, I pray come and crush a cup of wine (1, 2, 80)

ACT 1, SCENE 3

We meet Lady Capulet (Juliet’s mother), Juliet and the Nurse.
Lady Capulet discusses Juliet’s age (she is not yet 14).
Lady Capulet begins to talk to Juliet about marriage. She says: ‘How stands your dispositions to be married?’ (1, 3, 66). Juliet: ‘It is an honour that I dream not of.’ (1,3,68)
Lady Capulet gives reasons why Juliet should think of marriage. Tells her of Paris’s love, praising him as a ‘good catch’.
Juliet says she will take a look at him and see what she thinks.
Servant tells them the guests have arrived for the feast at the Capulet mansion.

ACT 1, SCENE 4

The Montague boys talk before crashing the Capulet feast.
We learn that M____________ is very eccentric. He thinks he can cure Romeo’s love sickness.
Romeo is having second thoughts about going to the feast but goes anyway, saying:

KEY QUOTE (ROMEO... 1,4, 104)
‘I fear too early, for my mind misgives / Some consequence yet hanging in the stars’

Romeo senses the possibility of ‘untimely death’ but goes ahead to the feast.

‘He that hath the steerage of my course / Direct my sail!’

ACT 1, SCENE 5 (CAPULET DANCE)

Romeo and his friends gain entry to the feast/party.
Tybalt sees Romeo at the feast and wants him to leave. He complains to C_________.
KEY QUOTE (TYBALT): ‘I’ll not endure him.’
Capulet responds by saying it doesn’t really matter that Romeo’s there. This makes Tybalt even more angry.
Romeo spots Juliet. It’s love at first sight.
KEY QUOTE (ROMEO): ‘She doth teach the torches to burn bright ... I never saw true beauty till this night’.
They share a kiss but at this stage, neither Romeo nor Juliet knows who each other is.
KEY QUOTE: SONNET.
Juliet asks the Nurse to identify Romeo. Nurse returns saying he is Romeo and a M____.
KEY QUOTE (JULIET): ‘My only love sprung from my only hate / Too early seen unknown and known too late / Prodigious birth of love it is to me / That I must love a loathed enemy.’
Romeo finds out Juliet is a Capulet. Has to leave.
KEY QUOTE (ROMEO): ‘My life is my foe’s debt’.

ACT 2

Act 2, Scene 1

Romeo stands next to the wall of the Capulet mansion and reflects on how empty life would be without Juliet.
She has instantly become the centre of his universe.
Romeo leaps over the orchard walls.
KEY QUOTE (ROMEO): ‘Can I go forward when my heart is here?’

Act 2, Scene 2 (famous balcony scene)

Unaware Romeo is listening, Juliet expresses her love for Romeo.
Romeo steps out from the shadows and declares his love for Juliet.
They agree to marry and they part at dawn.
KEY QUOTES:

Juliet: ‘O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name.

Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,

And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.’

Juliet: ‘Although I joy in thee

I have no joy of this contract tonight.

It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden.’ (2,2,120)

Juliet: ‘If that thy bent of love be honourable

Thy propose marriage.’ (2,2,145)

ACT 2, SCENE 3

SUMMARY

Friar Lawrence is gathering flowers and herbs when Romeo enters.
The Friar is a religious man with healing powers and medical knowledge. He would have been a respected person when the play was written.
Friar asks if Romeo has spent the night with Rosaline.
Romeo says he spent the night with Juliet and he wants the Friar to marry them.
Reluctant at first, Friar marries the two, hoping their marriage can put an end to the families’ feud.

QUOTES

Friar: ‘This alliance may so happy prove

To turn your households’ rancour to pure love’ (2,3,90)

ACT 2, SCENE 4

SUMMARY

Romeo reunites with Mercutio and Benvolio who are still unaware that Romeo has been seeing Juliet
Romeo appears to be cured of his lovesickness.
Mercutio teases the Nurse.
Romeo plots with the Nurse to marry Juliet.

QUOTE

Romeo: ‘She shall at Friar Lawrence’s cell

Be Shrived and married.’ (2,4,155)

ACT 2, SCENE 5

SUMMARY

Juliet impatient awaits the return of the Nurse with word from Romeo.
After much delay, the Nurse tells a frustrated Juliet that she is to wed Romeo at Friar Lawrence’s cell and later that night Romeo will climb through her bedroom window and celebrate their nuptials.

QUOTE

Nurse: ‘Then hie you hence to Friar Lawrence’s cell.

There stays a husband to make you a wife’ (2,5,70)

ACT 2, SCENE 6

Juliet arrives at the Friar’s cell to find an elated Romeo
Juliet expresses a reserved excitement, and the Friar is fearful that such an impulsive marriage could result in doom.

QUOTES

Friar: ‘These violent delights have violent ends’ (2,6,10).

ACT 3

Scene 1

Summary:

Mercutio and Tybalt fight. Romeo, who has secretly married Juliet, tries to stop them.
Tybalt kills Mercutio (Romeo kind of gets in the way and Tybalt accidentally kills Merc)
Romeo responds by getting revenge (violently) on Tybalt
Romeo kills Tybalt
The Prince, along with Montague (Romeo’s dad), Capulet (Juliet’s dad) and both mothers, arrive and sum up the situation.
Juliet’s mother, Lady Capulet, thinks Romeo should be killed as punishment.
The Prince decides Romeo shall be banished from Verona. He will be sent to Mantua.

Key quotes:

Mercutio (when he’s dying): ‘A plague o’ both your houses’ (line 95).

Scene 2

Summary:

The Nurse brings tragic news to Juliet, and Juliet at first believes that Romeo has been killed.
When she learns about Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment, she is filled with grief.
She sends the Nurse to the Friar’s cell to ask Romeo to see her one last time.

Key quotes:

Juliet (when she finds out about Romeo killing Tybalt): ‘Beautiful Tyrant, fiend angelical’ (line 80).

Scene 3

Summary:

At the Friar’s place, Romeo cries and tries to kill himself. He thinks there is no point living when he must be apart from J ________
The Friar tells him off and being weak and points out that banishment is not as bad as death.
The Friar says Romeo should visit J______ that night and then leave Verona before daybreak to travel to M____________
There he will stay until it is safe to return and announce their marriage publicly.
Romeo agrees.

Key quote:

Friar Lawrence: ‘Pass to Mantua / Where thou shalt live, till we can find a time to blaze your marriage, reconcile your friends / Beg pardon of the Prince, and call thee back / With twenty hundren thousand times more joy’ (line 150)

Scene 4

Summary

Paris discusses with Capulet and Lady Capulet his proposed marriage to Juliet.
The Capulets at first protest that Tybalt’s death has made it impossible to think of marriage for the near future
But Capulet quickly changes his mind and tells Paris that he and Juliet will be married on Tuesday.

Quote

Capulet: ‘Thursday let it be – a Thursday, tell her / She shall be married to this noble earl’ (3,4,20)

Scene 5

Summary

The morning after Romeo and Juliet’s first night of married life
The Nurse enters Juliet’s chamber to warn her that Lady Capulet is coming
Romeo escapes down the rope ladder
Lady Capulet informs Juliet of her upcoming marriage to Paris
Capulet enters to share the same news
When Juliet refuses to marry Paris, Capulet becomes violently angry and threatens to send Juliet out to live in the street
Lady Capulet and Nurse side with Capulet
Juliet seeks help from the Friar.

Quote

Lady Capulet: ‘Marry, my child, early next Thursday morn / The gallant, young, and noble gentleman / The County Paris, at Saint Peter’s Church / Shall happily make thee a joyful bride’ (3,5,110).

ACT 4

SCENE 1

Summary

Paris visits the Friar’s cell to cell him that he and Juliet will marry on Thursday
Juliet arrives at the cell and after Paris leaves she tells the Friar that she believes death is the only solution for her and Romeo
The Friar convinces her that a remedy is possible, and Juliet agrees to consume a herb on Wednesday night that will trick her family into believing she is dead so she can be laid in the family vault and rescued by Romeo.

Quote

Friar: ‘I’ll send a friar with speed / To Mantua with my letters to thy lord’ (4,1,125)

SCENE 2

Summary

=Juliet goes home where everyone is busy preparing for her wedding feast.
She tells her father that she will go along with his plan (she’s lying)
Thrilled at this change of heart, Capulet decides to move the wedding day up to Wednesday, the very next day.

QUOTE

Juliet (speaking to her father): ‘Pardon, I beseech you! / Henceforward I am ever ruled by you’ (4,2,20)

SCENE 3

Summary

It’s the night before the wedding
Juliet begs the Nurse and Lady Capulet to leave her alone in her chamber.
She considers the fate that awaits her if the Friar’s plan is not successful
Filled with foul images of death, she drinks the liquid

Quote

Juliet: ‘What if this mixture does not work? / Shall I be married tomorrow morning?’ (4,3,20)

SCENE 4

SUMMARY

In the early hours of Wednesday morning Capulet hears music and knows that Paris is approaching the house
He sends the Nurse to wake up Juliet

Quote

Capulet (to the Nurse): ‘Go waken Juliet’ (4,4,25)

SCENE 5

Summary

The Nurse tries to wake up Juliet and finds her lying senseless in her bed
She believes that Juliet is dead and calls for help
Capulet, his wife, and Paris lament her death until the Friar tells them to be glad that Juliet is in heaven
Capulet orders that the wedding preparations be converted to funeral preparations.

Quote

Capulet: ‘Death lies on her like an untimely frost’ (4,5,25)

ACT 5

SCENE 1

SUMMARY

Romeo’s servant Balthasar sees the ‘funeral’ for Juliet taking place and rushes to Mantua to tell Romeo that Juliet is dead
Romeo resolves to return to Verona
He visits an apothecary to request some poison
The apothecary at first refuses to sell the illegal substance but Romeo offers him a large sum of money so he agrees.

Quote

Balthasar: ‘I saw her laid low in Capel’s monument’ (5,1,20)

SCENE 2

SUMMARY

Friar John, who was sent by Friar Lawrence to tell Romeo that Juliet is not really dead, returns to say he was quarantined because of suspicion of the plague and he was unable to deliver the news to Romeo
Friar Lawrence rushes to the Capulet burial vault because Juliet will soon wake up

QUOTE

Friar Lawrence: ‘Unhappy fortune. The letter was not nice but full of charge / of dear import, and the neglecting it / may do much danger’ (5,2,20)

SCENE 3

SUMMARY

The final scene in the play takes place at the Capulets’ tomb
Paris is there to mourn Juliet. Romeo arrives, behaving wildly
The two fight and Paris is killed
Romeo drinks the poison and dies just moments before Friar Lawrence arrives to free Juliet
Juliet wakes up and, seeing Romeo dead, kills herself with a dagger.
The Prince, the Montagues and the Capulets arrive.
The families agree to end their fighting.

Quote

Prince: ‘For never was a story of more woe / Than this is Juliet and her Romeo’ (5,3,310)

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Romeo and Juliet summary

Romeo and Juliet Summary

Act III Scene ii

Juliet waits passionately for night so that she can meet Romeo. However, the Nurse arrives with news of Tybalt’s death. Because she was so aghast at the death, she does not make her points clear, and Juliet misinterprets her words and thinks that Romeo has killed himself. Later, Juliet understands what has truly taken place, and she is shocked and slightly criticizes Romeo for his actions. Yet, when the Nurse attempts to criticize Romeo, Juliet castigates her for speaking badly of her dear husband. Then, Juliet expresses her sorrow for Romeo’s banishments and compares the banishment to ten thousand slain Tybalts. She fears that she become a maiden widow, but the Nurse tells her that Romeo is in hiding at Friar Lawrence’s cell. Then, she gives the Nurse a ring to give to Romeo.

Act III Scene iii

In Friar Lawrence’s cell, the friar tells Romeo of his banishments. Although the friar considers him lucky, Romeo himself proclaims that the banishment is equivalent to his death, because he has to live without Juliet. Then, Romeo falls to the floor, and the Nurse comes to the cell. Romeo questions the Nurse of how Juliet thinks of him. Fearing that she may consider him as a murderer, Romeo threatens to stab himself, but Friar Lawrence castigates him for being womanly and tells Romeo to be grateful that he and Juliet are both alive. The friar also plans for Romeo to go to Juliet’s chamber that night and go to Mantua until his marriage is made public. He also suggests that the Prince might change his mind. Shortly after, the Nurse leaves after giving Romeo Juliet’s ring. Romeo also departs to go to Juliet and run away to Mantua.

Act III Scene iv

Capulet, Lady Capulet, and Paris are talking together. Capulet tells Paris that he has not had time to ask her about Paris because of the tragic incident of Tybalt’s death. Paris decides to leave, and Lady Capulet proclaims that she will know Juliet’s feelings by tomorrow morning. Then, Capulet says that he is confident that his daughter will listen to him and promises Paris that his wedding with Juliet will be held on Wednesday. However, he corrects himself and decides that the wedding day should be held on Thursday as Wednesday is too soon.

Act III Scene v

Romeo and Juliet are together, but Romeo prepares to leave and Juliet tries to stop him. She says that the birdcalls they hear are those of a nightingale and not of a lark and that the light is not from the sun but rather from some meteor. Although Romeo first claims that he must leave by morning or else be put to death, he later gives in to Juliet. However, when Romeo does this she hastily changes her words and says the bird was indeed the lark and that Romeo must flee. The Nurse enters and warns the couple that Lady Capulet is approaching, and Romeo escapes through Juliet’s window. Juliet asks Romeo if she will ever see him again and Romeo answers in the affirmative. Lady Capulet enters and tells Juliet about her father’s plan for her marriage to Paris on Thursday, and Juliet is shocked. She tells Lady Capulet that she will refuse to marry Paris, and Capulet becomes very angry when he learns of her refusal. She then looks to her mother for help, but Lady Capulet refuses to provide her help. After Capulet and Lady Capulet have gone away, Juliet asks the Nurse about what she should do. The Nurse replies that Paris is a better match for Juliet and tells her to marry Paris. Juliet feels betrayed, and she pretends to agree to the Nurse and tells her that she is going to Friar Lawrence’s to make a confession. Juliet proclaims at the end that if the friar is unable to help her, she will take her own life.

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