A Summary By Callie Mathis and Brittany Keye.
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whole misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, naught could
remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
Prologue
This
summarizes
what will
happen
during the
course of the
play.
In this Act Romeo and Juliet meet, but
first we are introduced to the fighting
going on between the Montagues and
the Capulets. This starts with scene one
being a fight between the servants of
each family. Romeo and Juliet meet at a
masquerade ball where they dance. They
end up kissing after Romeo smooth talks
Juliet. Then they find out they are from
opposing families. Yet they still find the
strength to love each other.
Act 1
This is the
introduction to the
play where we are
introduced to the
characters and the
fight going on
between the
Montagues and
Capulets.
Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie,
And young affection gapes to be his heir;
That fair for which love groan'd for and would die,
With tender Juliet match'd, is now not fair.
Now Romeo is beloved and loves again,
Alike betwitched by the charm of looks,
But to his foe supposed he must complain,
And she steal love's sweet bait from fearful hooks:
Being held a foe, he may not have access
To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear;
And she as much in love, her means much less
To meet her new-beloved any where:
But passion lends them power, time means, to
meet
Tempering extremities with extreme sweet.
Act 2
Prologue
This
summarizes
the love that
Romeo and
Juliet have
between
them.
Romeo climbs over the walls surrounding
Capulet's orchard. Benvolio and Mercutio
look for him, but do not find him. Romeo
overhears Juliet declare her love for him,
then they agree to get married. Romeo
convinces Friar Lawrence to marry them
that day. Romeo meets up with Mercutio
and Benvolio. Juliet's Nurse arrives at the
appointed time, to learn about the wedding
arrangements and convey them to Juliet.
Juliet waits for the Nurse to return. The
Nurse eventually gives her Romeo's
message. Juliet meets Romeo at Friar
Lawrence's cell, where they are married.
Act 2
This sets it up for
Romeo and Juliet
to get married
and presents the
chance for a fight
or obstacle to
appear in their
marriage (The
fight between
Mercutio and
Tybalt).
Mercutio & Benvolio are talking about the possibility of
a fight. Tybalt comes looking for Romeo. Mercutio &
Tybalt are about to fight when Romeo
appears. Romeo tries to avoid the conflict because
he is now married to Juliet (Tybalt’s
cousin). Mercutio cannot stand Romeo coving into
Tybalt's rudeness and draws his sword to
fight. Romeo and Benvolio try to stop the
fight. Tybalt stabs Mercutio under Romeo's arm and
leaves, but he did not mean to stab
Mercutio. Mercutio ends up dying, but swears a
curse upon both the Capulets and the
Montagues. Then Tybalt and Romeo fight. Romeo
kills Tybalt and then leaves after realizing what he
has done. Benvolio tells the story of what
happened. Immediately, the Prince exiles Romeo.
Act 3
This is the climax of
the story. It sets us
up for the suicides
and presents the
main conflict to us.
The main conflict is
that Romeo has
killed Tybalt and
has been banished
and can no longer
return to Verona to
see his beloved
Juliet.
Paris tells the Friar that he is marrying Juliet
on Thursday of that week. Juliet asks the
Friar to help her, and he comes up with a
plan. He gives her a potion that will make it
appear as if she has died in her sleep. It will
last for 42 hours and she will awake in the
tomb. He will send a letter to Romeo to let
him know what is happening so Romeo can
be there to let her out of the tomb. Juliet
takes the potion and returns home. Juliet
acts as if nothing is wrong and continues to
make the others believe she is preparing to
marry Paris. While everyone is busy with
the wedding preparations, Juliet takes the
poison. They find her body the next
morning.
Act 4
This tells us of the
troubles that well
happen and how
they “think” they
well over come it.
This is the falling
action of the play,
this will eventually
lead to the
resolution.
While Romeo waits in Mantua, his servant comes and
tells him that he saw Juliet being placed in the
Capulet tomb. Romeo does not want believe she is
dead and he believes he cannot go on without her so
he buys a poison to kill himself and leaves to see if
she is really dead. Friar Laurence sends the letter to
Romeo, but it is too late. When Romeo gets to the
tomb, he meets Paris. The two fight and Romeo kills
Paris. He enters the tomb and sees Juliet. Thinking
she is dead he drinks the poison and dies instantly.
The Friar races to the tomb, but he is too late and
sees Romeo dead on the floor beside Juliet. She
wakes up to find Romeo dead beside her. Juliet takes
Romeo’s dagger and stabs herself. Montagues,
Capulets, and the Prince arrive. The Friar explains
everything that has happened. The Montagues and
Capulets finally see what their fighting has caused so
they decide to end the war between their houses.
Act 5
This tells about the
end of the play and
how Juliet and
Romeo die. Each
committing suicide.
Romeo kills himself
because he fears
that Juliet is already
dead, not knowing
about her ‘s and the
Friar’s plan to fake
her death.
Main Characters.
Minor Characters.
 Romeo

 Juliet
 Friar Lawrence
 Nurse
 Mercutio
 Benvolio
Lord &Lady Capulet
 Lord &Lady Montague
 Benvolio
 Prince Escalus
 Balthasar
 Friar John
 Rosaline
 The Apothecary
 Tybalt
 Paris
 Sampson & Gregory-Two servants of the Capulets,
who hate the Montagues. They successfully provoke
some Montague servants into a fight at the very
beginning.
 Abram-Montague’s servant, who fights with Sampson
and Gregory in the first scene of the play.
 Peter - A Capulet servant who invites guests to
Capulet’s feast and escorts the Nurse to meet with
Romeo.
Romeo and
Juliet by
William
Shakespeare
This story has
become one of
the most wellknown love
stories of all
time and will be
treasured
forever.
Next page is works cited
By Callie Mathis and Brittany Keye.
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/romeojuliet/.h
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