Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Act One
Scene One
There is a fight between servants of the Capulet house and the Montague house
The fight escalates until the prince gets involved to enforce peace in Verona
Montague, Lady Montague and Benvolio are worried about Romeo because he has been sad and he isolates himself from others
Romeo is sad about a woman
He is in love but Rosaline has decided to live a life of chastity
Scene Two
Capulet is questioned by Paris about Juliet’s marriage prospects and declares that he wishes to marry her
Capulet believes Juliet is still too young(13), but he will consider Paris’s proposal
Romeo and Benvolio encounter a Capulet servant who has been sent to invite people to a party
The party is a Capulet tradition
The servant cannot read, so he asks Romeo and Benvolio to help him decipher the message
Scene Two Continued
Romeo and Benvolio help Peter, and he in turn invites them to the party so long as they are not Montagues
Benvolio wants to go to the Capulet party to help Romeo shake his sadness
Benvolio believes that if Romeo puts himself out there are looks at other beautiful women he will forget about
Rosaline
Romeo agrees to go with Benvolio to the Capulet party
Scene Three
Lady Capulet, Nurse, and Juliet are in Juliet’s room before the party
Lady Capulet tells Juliet of Paris’s marriage proposal
Lady Capulet believes this proposal is a good one and that Juliet should accept it
Nurse agrees with Lady Capulet and reminisces about
Juliet as a baby
Juliet does not want to get married yet
Scene Four
Romeo, Benvolio, and Mercutio go to the Capulet party in masks
Romeo is still miserable and does not want to dance
Benvolio and Mercutio do their best to change Romeo’s mood, but he still does not want to be at the party
Romeo says, “ I fear too early, for my mind misgives some consequence et 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 my untimely death.”
Romeo is predicting that something bad will happen tonight and it will end with his death
Scene Five
Capulet welcomes the masked men to his party
Romeo notices Juliet and asks a servant about her but the servant does not know who she is
Tybalt recognizes that Romeo and his friends are
Montagues and confronts Capulet about their presence
Capulet tells Tybalt not to start a fight because they are in
Capulet’s home and he has heard that Romeo has a good reputation and does not believe he is there to fight
Tybalt states, “I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall now seeming sweet, convert to bitterness gall.”
Scene Five Continued
Romeo flirts with Juliet (they do not yet know who the other is)
“Let lips do what hands do”
Romeo and Juliet kiss
Romeo learns who Juliet is from Nurse
“O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt.” – Romeo
“If he be married my grave is like to be my wedding bed.”
– Juliet
