Romeo and Juliet
Prologue
Setting: Verona, Italy
The chorus provides a clear summary of the tragedy that will take place

An ancient grudge between the two households (Montague and Capulet)

A pair of star-crossed lovers takes their life – (star-crossed means doomed to disaster by fate)

The fight between the parents still continues but will be resolved through the sacrifice of the starcrossed lovers
Act I:
Scene I: Verona
Enter – Sampson and Gregory (Servants of Capulet – Juliet’s family

Sampson and Gregory are discussing the feud between the two families; they have decided that the
feud extends to them also.

Sampson says that he will fight any Montague and take their women

A couple of Montague servants come along and Sampson and Gregory antagonize them, asking
them to start a fight

The servants start to fight and Benvolio (a cousin and friend of Romeo) tries to break it up

They continue fighting again and Tybalt (Nephew of Lady Capulet) joins the fight, challenging
Benvolio - saying he hates all of the Montagues

Benvolio comments that he is trying to keep the peace; Tybalt mocks him for trying to keep peace
with his sword drawn.
Old Capulet and Lady Capulet enter the scene

he wants to join the fight but his wife tries to stop him
Old Montague and his wife enter the scene

He also attempts to join the fight
Prince Escalus (The Ruler of Verona) enters the scene
 He is tired of the fighting between the Capulets and Montagues That they “Have thrice disturbed
the quiet of our streets and made Verona’s ancient citizens Cast by their grave beseeming
ornaments To wield old partisans, in hands as old, Cankered with peace, to part your cankered
hate.”
…. This quote tells how the feud between the two families has affected the whole community; it causes
other people to fight when there would have been peace

Prince Escalus orders everyone to go home and stop fighting or they will be killed. He orders
Capulet to come with him to discuss the problem further, and he tells Montague to come see him
later that afternoon

Everyone departs from the scene except for Montague, Lady Montague and Benvolio

Montague asks Benvolio how the ancient quarrel was restarted

Benvolio tells him that the Capulet’s servants and his own were in the middle of a fight and he tried
to break it up. He tells him that Tybalt broke into the fight with his sword drawn challenging him.
He says while they were in the middle of the fight others came and fought until the prince came and
broke it up

Lady Montague asks Benvolio if he has seen Romeo and she is glad that he was not part of the fight

Benvolio tells her that he saw him in the woods before sunrise, but when he saw Benvolio he went
into the woods. Benvolio figured that he wanted to be alone, he says that he understands how that
is so he left him alone

Montague says that he has been out there many a morning with tears in his eyes. He then goes
home and locks himself up in his room in a dark mood.

Benvolio asks Montague if he knows what is wrong with Romeo

Montague says that he doesn’t know and that Romeo will not say what is wrong, Benvolio asks
Montague if he has asked him what’s wrong

Montague says that he has, and that many of Romeo’s friends have also questioned him. He says
that he will not tell anyone what is wrong that he is secretive and that he is like “The bud bit with
an envious worm” – (being eaten up with his sorrow and it is getting worse and worse). Montague
says he wishes he knew what was wrong so he could help cure him.
Romeo enters the scene but he does not see his parents and Benvolio at first

Montague says that he and his wife will leave and he asks Benvolio to try and find out what is
wrong

Benvolio asks Romeo what is troubling him

Romeo finally tells him that he is sad because he is “Out of her favor where I am in love”

Benvolio comments “Alas that love, so gentle in his view, Should be so tyrannous and rough in
proof” - He is saying that love is supposed to make people happy but all it does is make them
miserable and cause trouble

Romeo replies that Cupid should be able to see the path that he is making more clearly. He asks
Benvolio what all the fighting was about and that it {has much to do with hate, but more than love}
He then goes on to say those things that look good… are not. This is followed by a list of
contradictions. These contradictions relate to his unreturned love. He then asks Benvolio if he is
laughing at him

Benvolio replies that he is weeping at Romeo’s heartache

Romeo continues to reveal his troubled feelings about love as he tries to end the conversation. He
says that love is smoke, when it clears away it is the fire in lover’s eyes … but if you cross it
becomes a sea swollen with tears.
Other comparisons (oxymoron’s)
A madness most discreet - wise madness
A choking gall - deadly poison
Preserving sweet - sweet medicine

As Romeo tries to leave Benvolio tries to stop him, telling him that he can’t leave him in this
condition

Romeo tells him that he is not himself, that Romeo is somewhere else “Tut! I have lost myself/ I
am not here; This is not Romeo, he’s some other where.”

Benvolio asks him to tell him who his love is

Romeo tells him that he is in love with a woman

Benvolio’s reaction is - Duh, I got that much haha

Romeo tells her that she is really good looking “A right good markman. And she’s fair I love”

Benvolio replies that a good looking woman is easier to pursue

Romeo tells Benvolio that in this case he is wrong, that THIS woman cannot be wounded by Cupid’s
arrow, that she has the wit of Diana (The Roman goddess of chastity), that she cannot be won over
and that when she dies her beauty will die with her (because it will not be passed on to any
children)

Benvolio tells him to forget about her if she never plans to marry

Romeo says that he wishes that he knew how

Benvolio tells him to start looking at other women – that is how

Romeo says that would only make things worse that he would see a beautiful lady but that she
would never be as beautiful as this girl. “He that is stricken blind cannot forget the precious
treasure of his eyesight lost. Show me a mistress that is passing fair; What doth her beauty serve
but as a not Where I may read who passed that passing fair?”
Act I Scene II
Enter Capulet, Paris (a relative of the prince), and Capulet’s Clown

Capulet tells his clown to go find all the people that are on his invitation list

The clown is unable to read so he looks for a “learned man” and ends up running into Romeo and
Benvolio

Romeo finds out that there is a party at the Capulets and he finds out that his love, Rosaline, has
been invited

Benvolio tells Romeo that he should go to the party to see other girls. Romeo tells him that he will
not find anyone better than Rosaline. Benvolio tells him that is because he has no one to compare
her to. Romeo says he will go, but to look at Rosaline.
Scene III – A room in Capulet’s house (Lady Capulet, Nurse, Juliet)

Lady Capulet is looking for Juliet, she wants to discuss her aging up

Her nurse tells a story about her own daughter, Susan, when she turned 14 on Lammas Eve. Her
Daughter is dead now (11 years). She tells about her passage into womanhood. She tells a comical
story about her tripping and falling and getting right back up again

Juliet’s mother starts talking to her about getting married, Juliet does not want to get married

Lady Capulet tells Juliet that Paris wants to marry her, The nurse compares him to “a man of wax”
(the perfect man)

Lady Capulet goes on to say that he is the perfect fairy tale romance, he is the book without the
cover, the fish without the sea and that Juliet can be the one to complete him

Lady Capulet asks Juliet if she likes the idea of marrying Paris. Juliet says that she will take a look
but that she won’t commit any further

The scene ends with a servant coming in and saying the party is started, Lady Capulet tells Juliet
that Paris is waiting for her
Scene 4 – A street
Romeo, Benvolio, Mercutio (Romeo’s friend/Paris’s relative)

Romeo, Benvolio and Mercutio are getting ready to crash the party. Romeo plans to just hang out
and watch, the other two are convincing him that he needs to get out there and dance

Mercutio and Romeo have a discussion about love, Romeo again argues how cruel love is, Mercutio
argues that if love is rough you must be rough with love

Romeo says that he is wasting his time going to the party because he had a dream

Mercutio talks about dreams how Queen Mab, a little fairy, basically controls men’s dreams by
crushing what they want

Romeo tells Mercutio to stop his foolish talk that he talks of nothing

Mercutio replies that Romeo is correct that he talks of nothing that dreams are just of idle men who
have nothing better to do

Romeo tells that some bad consequence is written in the stars, he foreshadows his death that is
going to start with the events that will happen at the party. “I fear, too early; for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this night’s
revels and expire the term Of a despised life, closed in my breast, By some vile forfeit of untimely
death.”
Act I Scene V – A hall in the Capulet’s house (3 servingmen)

The scene begins with Capulet’s witty servants clearing away the dishes
Enter Capulet, Lady Capulet, Juliet, Tybalt, Nurse and all the guests who are wearing masks


Old Capulet and a relative reminisce about masquerades in the past, he comments that he was one
quite a ladies man
Romeo notices Juliet and says he needs to figure out how he is going to meet her – He has never
known true love until this night

Tybalt sees Romeo and he wants to get him kicked out, he discusses this with Capulet. Capulet
says that Romeo should be allowed to stay that he is doing no harm.

Tybalt and Capulet get in an argument about Romeo staying at the party, Capulet is annoyed that
Tybalt is trying to tell him what to do, acting like a man. “You will set cock - - hoop, you’ll be the
man.”

Romeo kisses Juliet (she says she doesn’t want him to, but she doesn’t completely protest). Romeo
says that since he has offended her he will kiss her again. He does and Juliet doesn’t seem to mind
too much.

The nurse enters and tells Juliet that her mother wants to talk to her, Romeo asks the nurse who
the young lady is

Romeo finds out that Juliet is a Capulet. “O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt.” - He is now
sworn to the enemy because he is in love with her

Juliet asks the nurse to find out who Romeo is. She hopes he isn’t married or she will die right
there. “My grave is like to be my wedding bed.”

Juliet echoes Romeo’s statement saying “That I must love a loathed enemy.”
End of Act I