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)