Romeo & Juliet

Summaries

Act I, Prologue

In a sonnet, the chorus tells the audience that the play will concern a pair of lovers whose deaths will end the conflict between their feuding families.

Act I, scene 1

Servants of both families come together in town and argue and threaten to fight one another. Lord Capulet and Lord Montague show up and join in on the fray despite their wives objections. The prince arrives and reprimands everyone for fighting. The prince then warns them to stop fighting or be put to death. The Montagues ask Benvolio what is wrong with their son, Romeo. Benvolio find out that Romeo is in love but the woman does not love him. Benvolio suggests that Romeo try to find another woman, but Romeo declares that his love cannot be replaced.

Act I, scene 2

Paris seeks Capulet’s permission to marry his daughter Juliet. Capulet argues that Juliet is too young, but if Paris can win Juliet’s affection, he will give his consent. As the invitations are being delivered by Capulet’s servants, Romeo and Benvolio read the list and decide to crash the party so that Romeo can see his love, Rosaline, again.

Act I, scene 3

Juliet’s nurse reminisces about Juliet’s childhood. Lady Capulet tells Juliet about her father’s plans for her to marry Paris. Juliet reluctantly agrees to consider Paris out of family duty.

Act I, scene 4

Romeo, Benvolio, and Mercutio travel to the Capulet banquet. Romeo refuses to dance because he is sad that Rosaline doesn’t love him. Mercutio makes fun of Romeo.

Act I, scene 5

At the Capulet banquet, while the guests are dancing, Romeo sees Juliet for the first time. Romeo is mesmerized by her beauty. Tybalt recognizes Romeo and gets very angry that a Montague is attending a Capulet party. Lord Capulet tells Tybalt to calm down and leaves. Romeo meets Juliet and their love blossoms as they kiss! Juliet is called away, and Romeo learns that Juliet is a Capulet. Both Romeo and Juliet become very distressed when they find out that the other is a member of their family’s rival.

Act II, scene 1

While Romeo climbs over the wall into the Capulet’s orchard, his 2 friends, Benvolio and Mercutio try to find him and tease him.

Act 2 scene 2

• While Romeo is daydreaming of Juliet outside her balcony in her garden, Juliet is on the balcony daydreaming of Romeo. They express their love to one another.They plan to wed in secret.

Act 2 scene 3

Friar Laurence talks about how a flower can be used for healing and death. (foreshadowing) Romeo talks to the friar about marrying he and Juliet. He agrees to marry them.

Act 2 scene 4

• Mercutio and Benvolio discuss that Tybalt is angry with Romeo for crashing the party. Tybalt is looking for him to fight. Juliet’s nurse finds Romeo to prepare their wedding. They should meet in Friar Laurence’s cell in the afternoon.

Act 2 scene 5

• Juliet is nervously pacing in her room waiting for her nurse’s arrival. The nurse plays with her for a little while before she gives her the happy news that they will be married this afternoon.

Act 2 scene 6

• Romeo and Juliet meet at Friar Laurence’s cell. They both proclaim their love for each other and then marry.

Act 3 scene 1

• Benvolio and Mercutio are walking on the streets. When Tybalt sees them, he insults them and picks a fight. As Romeo shows up, he tries to stop the argument. Mercutio and Tybalt start to fight. Romeo gets between them to stop the fight but Tybalt stabs Mercutio. Mercutio dies because of his wounds. Romeo and Tybalt fight and Tybalt dies. When Prince Escalus arrives, he finds out what happened and then banished Romeo from Verona.

Act 3 scene 2

• Nurse comes to tell Juliet that Tybalt is dead. Juliet learns that Romeo killed Tybalt and she is very upset. She calls Romeo several names but comes to her senses. Nurse and Juliet make plans for Romeo to join her in her bedroom so they can say good-bye.

Act 3 scene 3

• Romeo goes to Friar Laurence’s cell for help. Friar talks Romeo out of killing himself. He tells Romeo to go to Juliet’s room for the night to comfort her. Romeo will then leave for Mantua so hide for awhile. When the time is right, they will announce their marriage so that Romeo can return to Verona.

Act 3 scene 4

• Lady and Lord Capulet and Paris decide that Juliet will marry Paris in three days.

Act 3 scene 4

• After they spend the night together in Juliet’ s room, Romeo has a difficult time leaving his wife. Lady Capulet tells Juliet the news that she will marry Paris in three days. When Juliet refuses to marry Paris, Lady and Lord Capulet tell her that if she does not marry Paris that they will disown her. Her Nurse tells her to marry Paris so Juliet know that she can no longer trust her. Juliet pretends to go to confession and goes to Friar Laurence’s cell for help.

Act 4 scene 1

• Paris is talking to Friar Laurence about his wedding to Juliet when she arrives. When Juliet plans to kill herself to save herself from marrying Paris, Friar Laurence comes up with another plan. He tells Juliet to tell her parents that she will marry Paris. Then she will go to her bedroom and drink the potion in the bottle that he has given her. The potion will make her appear dead for several days. When she wakes up, Romeo will meet her and they can be reunited and go to Mantua. Juliet goes along with the plan.

Act 4 scene 2

• Juliet tells her parents that she will now marry Paris as they wish. Lord Capulet decides that the wedding should take place tomorrow morning. Everyone is happy.

Act 4 scene 3

• Juliet and her nurse pick out the clothes that she will wear tomorrow. She tells her mother and nurse to leave her alone for the rest of the night so that she can pray. Once they are gone, she gets very nervous about taking the sleeping potion.She puts a knife by her bed just in case the sleeping potion does not work. She drinks the potion and falls on her bed.

Act 4 scene 4

• The entire house is working all night long to get the house ready for the wedding. The ladies tell Lord Capulet to stay out because he is making their work more difficult.

Act 4 scene 5

• Nurse finds Juliet’s body on her bed and still dressed. When she can’t wake her, she shakes her and discovers that she is “dead.” The Capulets mourn over Juliet’s death. They arrange for all the wedding arrangements to become funeral arrangements.

Act 5 scene 1

• In Mantua, Balthasar tells Romeo that Juliet is dead and they have buried her in the family tomb. Romeo makes plans to leave for Verona. He buys poison from a very poor druggist. He gives the druggist an incredible amount of money, gets the poison and then rides off to Verona.

Act 5 scene 2

• In Friar Laurence’s cell, the Friar finds out that Friar John did not get the letter about the plan about Juliet’s fake death to Romeo. Friar Laurence is upset that Juliet will be waking up soon without Romeo. He plans to open the tomb and get Juliet and hide her until he can find Romeo and reunite them.

Act 5 scene 3

• Paris comes to the Capulet tomb to place flowers with Juliet. Romeo and Balthasar arrive at the tomb. Romeo tells Balthasar to leave but he hides instead. Paris angrily confronts Romeo in front of the tomb. Romeo kills Paris in a sword fight. Romeo enters the tomb to say good-bye to Juliet. He drinks the poison from the druggist and then dies at her side.Balthasar and Friar Laurence arrive at the tomb. When Juliet wakes up,She sees that Romeo is next to her dead. She tries to take the poison but there is nothing left. She tries to kiss him but it does not kill her so she takes his knife and kills herself. Prince Escala, a guard, Lady and Lord Capulet and Lord Montague all arrive. Friar Laurence and Balthasar explain what happened. The Capulets and Montagues decide to stop their arguments.