Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare
Shakespeare Introduction
All of Shakespeare’s plays share the following
characteristics:
1. They are divided into 5 acts, which are
divided into 5-6 scenes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Act I: Exposition
Act II: Complication
Act III: Crisis
Act IV: Falling Action
Act V: Climax & Resolution
2. They are written in iambic pentameter
Act 1 Scene 1
• The Chorus
– “Exposition”
• Setting: Verona, Italy
• 2 families at war
• Enemies fall in love and mend the rift between their
families
Act I Scene I
• A fight breaks out
– Capulets
• Gregory & Sampson, servants
• Tybalt, angry and violent
– Montagues
• Abram and Balthasar
• Benvolio, doesn’t want to fight
Act 1 Scene 1
• Prince Escalus stops the fighting
– Ruler of Verona
– Sick and tired of the feud between Capulets and
Montagues
Act 1 Scene 1
• Romeo is lovesick
–
–
–
–
Talks to Benvolio
Romeo in love with Rosaline
Benvolio says to look at other women
They decide to go to a party hosted by the
Capulets (scene 2)
Act 1 Scene 2
• Paris and Capulet decide to marry off Juliet
– Capulet is Juliet’s father
– Paris is a wealthy relative of the Prince
– Capulet decides to give Juliet to Paris to be his
wife
Act 1 Scene 2
• Capulet’s servant accidentally invites Romeo
and Benvolio to the party
– Capulet tells the servant to invite the people on a
list, but the servant can’t read
– The servant passes Romeo and asks him to read it
– Romeo learns Rosaline is going to the party
– Servant invites Romeo and Benvolio to join if
they “be not of the house of Montagues” (I.ii.8182)
Act 1 Scene 3
• Juliet, Lady Capulet, and
nurse discuss marriage
– Juliet is 13
– Mother wants Juliet to get
married
– Juliet doesn’t want to get
married
– Nurse is very talkative and
flighty
– At the party, Juliet will look
for Paris to decide to marry
him or not
Act I, Scene 4
• Romeo, Benvolio, and Mercutio
go to the party
– Mercutio is happier than Romeo
• Tries to cheer him up
• Tries to make him look at love less
seriously
– They are all very excited and
nervous
Act 1 Scene 5
• The Party
– Tybalt tries to fight Romeo, but is stopped by
Capulet
– Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love at first
sight; they kiss
– In love, they are both shocked to learn they are
supposed to be enemies, Montague and Capulet
Act I Themes & Imagery
• Scene 5 religious imagery
– Compares lips to pilgrims
– Makes kissing a holy act; a
prayer
– Romeo and Juliet’s love is
pure
• Scene 4 “Dream Theme”
• Mercutio compares love to
dreaming
• “Flight of Fancy”
Act 2 Prologue
• Romeo no longer loves
Rosaline but loves Juliet
• Points out the
complication of a love
between a Montague
and a Capulet
• They will love each
other anyway
Act 2 Scene 1
• Mercutio and Benvolio look for Romeo after
the party
• Benvolio worries about him, Mercutio makes
fun of him
• In a scene of dramatic
irony, Romeo hides
from them and
overhears them
Act 2 Scene 2
• Famous balcony scene
• In another scene of dramatic irony, Romeo
hears Juliet say she loves him
• Romeo and Juliet say they love each other
and plan to get married
Act 2 Scene 3
• Romeo, having been awake all night, finds
Friar Laurence and asks him to marry him to
Juliet
• The friar is shocked, but agrees, thinking
this will “fix” the fighting between Capulets
and Montagues
Act 2 Scene 4
• Mercutio and Benvolio make fun of Tybalt
• Romeo enters, and Mercutio yells at him for
ditching them the night before
• The nurse enters and Romeo tells her when
Friar Laurence will marry him to Juliet
Act 2 Scene 5
• Juliet waits for the nurse in
her father’s orchard
• Nurse tries to convince Juliet
to stop loving Romeo
• Finally, she tells Juliet to meet
Romeo at Friar Laurence’s cell
to get married
Act 2 Scene 6
• In Friar Laurence’s cell, Romeo and Juliet get
married
• Friar Laurence: “These violent delights have
violent ends”; he worries about what he is
doing – this is foreshadowing
Act 3 Scene 1
• Benvolio and Mercutio argue with Tybalt
• Romeo enters and Tybalt challenges him to a
duel, but Romeo refuses to fight
Act 3 Scene 1
• Tybalt and Mercutio fight
– Tybalt stabs Mercutio under Romeo’s arm
– Tybalt kills Mercutio in a cowardly way
• Romeo and Tybalt fight, Romeo kills Tybalt
• Prince enters and punishes Romeo with
banishment
Act 3 Scene 2
• Nurse tells Juliet about
the fight
– For a moment, Juliet
believes Romeo is dead
– Juliet is horrified that
Romeo killed Tybalt
• She is grateful that
Romeo is alive but
appalled that he is
banished
Act 3 Scene 3
• Romeo and Friar Laurence talk in Laurence’s
cell
– Romeo thinks Juliet must hate him now
– Friar comforts him
• Nurse brings news from Juliet
– Nurse promises Juliet still loves him
– Nurse brings Juliet’s ring as a token of love
– They plot to bring Romeo and Juliet together
Act 3 Scene 4
• Capulet, Lady Capulet, and Paris plan a
wedding
– Paris wants to marry Juliet now
– Juliet’s parents agree to make the wedding for
later that week
Act 3 Scene 5
• Romeo reluctantly leaves Juliet’s bedroom
after a night with her to run from Verona
• Capulet and Lady Capulet tell Juliet she’s
marrying Paris
– Juliet lets her parents believe she hates Romeo
– Juliet refuses to marry Paris, saying she is too
sad from Tybalt’s death
– Lord and Lady Capulet are extremely angry
Act 4 Scene 1
• Friar Laurence speaks with Paris
– Paris tells him they are marrying soon because
Juliet is sad because of Tybalt’s death
– Paris insists Juliet will heal if she is married
• Juliet enters and speaks with them
– Paris talks to her arrogantly then leaves
– Juliet begs Laurence to do something
– Laurence gives her a “death” potion
Act 4 Scene 2
• Juliet greets her
parents happily
– Tells them she will
marry Paris
– Goes to her room to
prepare
Act 4 Scene 3
• Juliet tries to be alone
– Asks the nurse and her mother
to leave
– Once they leave, she takes out
the vial containing the potion
• Juliet prays to Tybalt’s ghost
and to Romeo and drinks the
potion
Act 4 Scene 4-5
• Juliet is discovered dead by the nurse
• Paris and the family mourn
• Final scene, musicians provide comic relief
Act 5 Scene 1
• In Mantua, Romeo hears from Balthasar, his
servant, that Juliet is dead
– “Then I defy you, stars!” (V.i.24)
– Asks if Balthasar has letter from Friar Laurence
– Buys a deadly poison from an apothecary
(pharmacist)
– Rides fast to Verona
Act 5 Scene 2
• Friar Laurence realizes Romeo did not
receive his letter
Act 5 Scene 3
• Paris and Romeo fight at the Capulet’s
sepulcher where Juliet and Tybalt are buried
– Paris is killed
– Romeo drags him into the sepulchur
Act 5 Scene 3
• Romeo sees Juliet, drinks the poison, and
begins to die
– “… I set up my everlasting rest / And shake the
yoke of inauspicious stars / From this worldwearied flesh” (V.iii.110-114)
• Friar enters and sees Romeo dying
• Juliet wakes up and sees Romeo
Act 5 Scene 3
• Friar Laurence says he’ll put Juliet in an order
of nuns to save her
• Friar Laurence leaves to check on a noise
• Juliet kisses Romeo and stabs herself with his
dagger
Act 5 Scene 3
• “… Drunk all, and left no friendly drop / To
help me after?” (V.iii.163-164)
• “… O happy dagger! / This is thy sheath;
there rust, and let me die” (V.iii.169-170)
Act 5 Scene 3
• Watchmen arrest Friar Laurence
• Prince, Capulets, and Montague arrive
– Lady Montague has already died of grief
– Friar Laurence tells everyone what happened
• The Prince says he won’t do anything
because everybody has already been
punished
• Capulet and Montague reconcile
Act 5 Scene 3
• Prince Escalus:
“For never was a story more of woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”
(V.3.310-311)