Romeo and Juliet



Romeo and Juliet

Here is a brief synopsis of the scenes in the play:

ACT 1

1.1 – The play is set in Verona, Italy in the 1500s. There are two feuding families that have been warring for many generations – the Capulets and the Montagues. They are the most powerful families in town and the prince has warned them to stop fighting in the streets. In the first scene, boys from both houses get into fight and when the Prince hears about it, he warns all “on pain of death” that next time, someone will pay with his life if caught fighting. Meanwhile, Romeo Montague is not a fighter; he is more interested in love. In fact, he is lost in love with Rosaline, but she does not love him back; she has “foresworn” love. Romeo’s family is concerned about him because he has been so depressed. His cousin, Benvolio, tries to cheer him up and tells him there are many fish in the sea. Romeo is convinced he will never love anyone as much as he does Rosaline.

1.2 – Paris, the most eligible bachelor in town, asks Capulet if he can marry his daughter, Juliet. Capulet tells him she is too young (only 13) and they should wait a couple of years. He also loves his daughter and wants her to be happy, so he tells Paris to woo Juliet, to win her heart (this was unusual at the time as marriages were often arranged for financial reasons). Capulet decides to throw a party so Paris can make a connection with Juliet. Later, Romeo and Benvolio hear about the party and they decide, since it is a masked ball, that they will crash it. Benvolio is sure that Romeo will find a new love at the party.

1.3 – Lady Capulet tells Juliet that Paris wants to marry her, but she is nervous around Juliet, so she asks the nurse to come in the room. The nurse really raised Juliet and is more like a mother to her. Juliet has not thought about getting married, but she tells her mother that she will look at Paris at the party if it makes her parents happy.

1.4 – The Montague boys meet up before they crash the Capulet party and joke around with each other. They make fun of Romeo for being so whipped by love. Mercutio, Romeo’s best friend, a jokester who everyone likes, teases him the most and tells him that love is not real, but rather it’s just a dream. He gives a long speech about dreams and ends by saying that they mostly turn into nightmares (foreshadowing of doom to come). Romeo says that he had a dream too; he has a bad feeling about something; he thinks that something will happen at the party tonight that will set off a bad chain of events (more foreshadowing).

1.5 – At the Capulet masked ball, Romeo is spotted by Tybalt, Juliet’s angry cousin. He wants to fight Romeo right then and there, but Mr. Capulet stops him. He has heard that Romeo is a good guy, not a fighter, so just ignore him. Tybalt is still angry and he threatens future vengeance. Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love at first sight. Juliet is not interested in Paris even though her mother is pushing him on her. R and J sneak off, kiss, and profess their love, and only later do they realize that they are from enemy families…but it’s too late, they have already given their hearts.

ACT 2

2.1 – Right after the party, the Montague boys make fun of Romeo for being so wounded by love. Romeo runs off because he needs to see Juliet again tonight. His buddies do not know he has met Juliet; they think he is still in love with Rosaline.

2.2 – The famous balcony scene. Romeo sneaks back onto the Capulet property and overhears Juliet talking about him. He listens for a while to see what she has to say before revealing himself. She says that either he should give up his name or she will give up hers or both. Romeo pops out and she worries that he will get caught and possibly killed if he is found there. Romeo doesn’t care; he is willing to die for her (foreshadowing). Lots of lovey-dovey talk back and forth( Juliet says if he is really serious about his love, as she is, then they should just get married and deal with the consequences later. He likes that idea and tells her he will talk to the priest and set it up. Juliet will send her nurse in the morning to find out the specifics for the wedding.

2.3 – Friar Laurence, a friend to Romeo, knows a lot about the medicines and poisons that plants and flowers have – this is his hobby (and it will be important later in the story). Romeo tells Friar Laurence that he wants to marry Juliet, and the priest is shocked. He knows Romeo well, and he is concerned because Romeo was just crazy over Rosaline and now he is quickly in love with and marrying someone else – and Capulet’s daughter, no less! The Friar is worried that this might cause future trouble, but he also hopes that this could end the feud between the families, so he agrees.

2.4 – Mercutio is mad at Romeo for running off after party, and he makes fun of him for being so love-sick. They joke around and make friends again. But then, the Nurse comes to talk to Romeo of his intentions for marriage, and Mercutio is confused as to why this old lady is talking to his friend (Mercutio and Benvolio and the others do not know about Juliet). Romeo tells the nurse that he has set up the marriage and that Juliet should come to the church this afternoon. Then he will later send a friend - Balthasar - with a rope ladder, so they can have their wedding night.

2.5 – Juliet is impatient for news from Nurse, and when the Nurse returns she makes Juliet wait. She complains of headache, backache, etc., but Juliet finally finds out that she will be married!

2.6 – The Friar cautions against rushing too much, but then Romeo and Juliet marry. Only the Nurse and Balthasar know about the wedding.

Act 3

3.1 – This is the scene with the climax (turning point). Everything was going well for the protagonists (rising actions), but now, everything falls apart. Mercutio and Benvolio talk about the fact that Tybalt sent a letter to challenge Romeo to a fight for crashing the party. Mercutio jokes that Romeo would lose the fight because he is so lost in love. Also, Tybalt is well-known to be the greatest fighter. So when Tybalt comes looking for Romeo, Mercutio starts to fight with him. Romeo shows up and tells Tybalt that he respects the Capulets as much as his own family. Everyone is shocked and confused by this statement (they don’t know that Romeo Montague is now married to Juliet Capulet.) Mercutio feels betrayed by Romeo; he thinks he is being a wimp for not fighting so he fights Tybalt himself. In the fight, Mercutio gets killed, but before he dies, he curses both families since it is their feud that killed him. “A plague on both your houses!” Romeo becomes enraged and wants to get revenge for his friend, so he kills Tybalt. Now, he knows he has lost everything – he just killed Juliet’s cousin, and the Prince warned that the next person caught fighting would be killed. “Oh, I am Fortune’s fool!” When the Prince hears, he decides that there has been enough bloodshed, and the punishment for Romeo is banishment - he must leave Verona or if he is found there, he will be killed.

3.2 – Juliet is unaware of what has happened, and she is waiting anxiously for her wedding night. The Nurse comes to tell her the tragic news. At first, Juliet is angry at Romeo and thinks maybe she has been fooled by him. Soon, she remembers her love and changes her mind. She realizes that if Romeo didn’t kill Tybalt, then Tybalt would have killed Romeo. She is very upset about Romeo’s banishment and says if she cannot be with Romeo she will kill herself (foreshadowing). The Nurse calms her and assures her that she will find Romeo and at least get him to come for his wedding night before he has to leave town.

3.3 - Romeo is hiding out at Friar Laurence’s house when he hears of his banishment. He also threatens to kill himself if he can’t be with Juliet (foreshadowing). The Friar yells at him for not seeing the positives – he and Juliet are alive! The Nurse and the Friar assure him that they will figure something out, but for now, he should go have his wedding night and then get out of town early so he is not caught.

3.4 - Capulet has a great plan to cheer Juliet up. She has been crying all day – he thinks because she is sad over her cousin Tybalt’s death (but really she is sad because Romeo has to leave town). He tells Paris that he can marry Juliet after all, and that the wedding will be in three days. (Of course, he does not know that she is already married.)

3.5 - Romeo and Juliet have had their wedding night, and it is the next morning. Lots of lovey-dovey talk until Romeo has to leave for Mantua. Both have a bad feeling before he goes. (foreshadowing)

Just as Romeo is leaving, Lady Capulet comes to tell Juliet of the joyous news, but of course, Juliet is not happy about this, and says she won’t marry Paris. When Capulet hears that Juliet refuses, he loses his temper and screams at her that either she gets her butt to the church on Thursday to marry or she can “Beg! Starve! Die in the streets!” Lady Capulet and the Nurse try to calm him down, but he storms out. Lady Capulet gives up on her daughter, and even the Nurse betrays her. The Nurse tells her that she should just make up with her parents and marry Paris. She says that Romeo is banished - as good as dead - anyway. Juliet did not want to hear that, and after the Nurse leaves, she curses her, and threatens again to kill herself if the Friar cannot find a way to help her.

Act 4

4.1 – Friar Laurence has a plan. He knows of a potion that can make one appear dead. He tells Juliet to drink it the night before the wedding with Paris is supposed to happen. Her family will think she is dead and put her body in the Capulet tomb. The Friar says he will notify Romeo (who has already left town for Mantua) of this plan, and they both will be there in the vault when she wakes up. Then, they can run away together until the Friar can, eventually, tell the families the truth of the marriage of Romeo and Juliet.

4.2 – Juliet pretends that she is sorry for making her father so upset, and tells them that she is now willing to marry Paris. Capulet is so happy about her changed attitude that he moves up the wedding date to tomorrow, which may become a problem for notifying Romeo of the plan in time.

4.3 – In her bedroom alone, on the night before the wedding, Juliet is afraid before taking the potion. She worries that it might really kill her, or that it might wear off too soon and she will wake in a stifling tomb, or that Romeo will not be there when she wakes up and she’ll be stuck in a tomb with a bunch of corpses – esp. fearing the sight of newly dead Tybalt – or she will go mad from all of the sights, smells, fears.... However, she will do anything to be with Romeo, so she drinks the potion.

4.5 – The Nurse and the Capulets find Juliet “dead” and there is much crying and sadness as the Friar (knowing the truth) arranges a quick funeral.

Balthasar, the only friend of Romeo’s who knew about his marriage to Juliet, does not know about the potion and Juliet’s fake death.

Act 5…it all goes wrong…

5.1 – Balthasar delivers the bad news and Romeo visits the apothecary.

5.2 – Friar John is unable to deliver the letter.

5.3 – The lovers meet their fate.

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